EU, EEA or Swiss citizens: Final and urgent reminder to secure your rights in the UK

There are less than two days left for EU, EEA or Swiss citizens to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. If you do not apply, you will be in the UK illegally as any permanent residency status granted under the old EU Regulations will not be valid after 30 June 2021.

You need to apply for yourself and your children even if you have a permanent residence document, or a UK residency permit or permanent residency derived as a dependent on one of these nationals.

Please note that the EU Settlement Scheme does not apply to anyone granted Indefinite Leave to Remain under the UK Immigration routes, for example Ancestry, Work permit, UK Spouse etc. It only applies to applicants granted residency permits, or permanent residency, under the EU Regulations, when the UK was still part of the European Union before Brexit.

Your rights will still be protected if you can show that you applied before the deadline, but it is imperative to lodge your application or lose your rights to live and work in the UK.

Please see the update from the Home Office on the EU Settlement Scheme below, as published on 28 June 2021.

EU Settlement Scheme – Less than 3 days left to apply

From today, Monday 28 June, there are less than 3 days left to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), before the deadline on 30 June 2021. 

This is a final reminder for all EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, to secure their rights in UK law by applying to the EUSS at www.gov.uk/eusettlementscheme so they can continue to work, study, and access benefits and free healthcare in the UK after 30 June 2021.  It is free and straightforward to apply, and anyone applying before the deadline will have their rights protected while their application is processed.

An application must be made for every eligible child within a family. Parents should check if they need to apply to the EUSS for their children, even if they have already applied and been granted a status themselves.  

If an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and their family members have lived in the UK for many years or have a permanent residence document or EEA Biometric Residence Card (BRC), they still need to apply to the EUSS by 30 June 2021 to secure their existing rights in the UK. 

Irish citizens and those with indefinite leave do not need to apply but may do so if they wish. British citizens, including naturalised British citizens don’t need to apply.

Time is running out 

Secure your own existing rights or encourage eligible EU, EEA and Swiss citizens you know living in the UK to apply now online at www.gov.uk/eusettlementscheme

Help is still available 

Support is available seven days a week. If you, or anyone you know, needs help with making an application to the EUSS a range of support is available including over-the-phone advice to more tailored one-to-support. View all the support services here.  

If you, or someone you know is having technology difficulties in applying online, they should contact Assisted Digital on 03333 445 675 (Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm) or email them on visa@we-are-digital.co.uk

You can also find details here of how to contact the 72 organisations across the UK that have received Home Office funding to help support EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and their family members to apply. These organisations have received a further £4.5 million grant funding on top of the £17 million already provided, which will ensure the continued delivery of support post deadline and through until the end of September 2021.   

 Pending applications

Anyone who applies by the 30 June 2021 will have their existing rights protected pending the outcome of their application. Those who submit a valid application by 30 June are issued with a Certificate of Application, which can be relied on as proof of rights. Essentially, nothing will change for individuals until their application is decided.

The Home Office will contact any applicant where we need further information to progress their application.

Using your status  

Those who have successfully applied to EUSS can access their pre-settled or settled status online, update their personal details, and get a ‘share code’ to provide their status securely to others at www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status 

You should use this service to update the Home Office with any new documents you’ve been issued since applying. If you plan to travel from 1 July, you should also use this service to ‘add’ any document that you did not use to apply – so if you applied with your passport but plan to travel on a National ID card, you should use this service to update the Home Office with your National ID card. This will avoid any delays at the border when re-entering the UK, and you’re encouraged to update your documents as soon as possible before travelling

After the deadline 

There’s less than 3 days to apply before the deadline, and all eligible applicants should do so if they can. However, there remains scope, indefinitely, for a person eligible for status under the EUSS to make a late application to the scheme where there are reasonable grounds for their failure to meet the deadline. Every late application will be considered on its individual merits, and this guidance, published on 1 April, provides further details. Our support services will continue to assist applicants wishing to make late applications, once the deadline has passed.

Eligible close family members living overseas can apply to join an EU, EEA or Swiss family member who started living in the UK by 31 December 2020. They can apply to come to the UK at any point. More information on joining family members can be found on GOV.UK. 

There is still time to apply by the deadline. If you are a relative, neighbour, friend of anyone who may be eligible, encourage them to apply today.

Kind regards, 

Home Office Communications