EU Settlement Scheme

If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you and your family can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021.

If your application is successful, you will either be granted settled or pre-settled status.

Settled Status

To qualify for settled status you must:

Be in the UK by 31/12/2020
continuous residence living in the UK for a 5-year period

Five years’ continuous residence means that for 5 years in a row you’ve been in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least 6 months in any 12 month period. The exceptions are:

one period of up to 12 months for an important reason (for example, childbirth, serious illness, study, vocational training or an overseas work posting)
compulsory military service of any length
time you spent abroad as a Crown servant, or as the family member of a Crown servant
time you spent abroad in the armed forces, or as the family member of someone in the armed forces

Pre-Settled Status

If you have not accumulated 5 years’ continuous residence in the UK when you apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll usually get pre-settled status. You can then apply to change this to settled status once you’ve got 5 years’ continuous residence. You must do this before your pre-settled status expires.

If you’ll reach 5 years’ continuous residence at some point by 31/12/2020, you can choose to wait to apply until you reach 5 years’ continuous residence. This means that if your application is successful, you’ll get settled status without having to apply for pre-settled status first. You can stay in the UK for a further 5 years from the date you get pre-settled status.

When & How to Apply

The EU Settlement Scheme is open so you can apply now if you meet the criteria. The deadline for applying is 30/06/2021.

You can apply using any device,via the UKVI website.

EU SETTLEMENT SCHEME APPLICATION

Arriving in the UK after exit day

EU, EEA, or Swiss nationals who arrive in the UK after 31/12/2020 (the end of the transitional period) will need to apply to the new immigration system in place at that time.

Details of this new system are yet to be announced.

Freedom of Movement

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who enter the UK during the transitional period will be able to do so under the current freedom of movement rules.

This ends on 01/01/2021.

Fees & Funding

Existing rules around financial support and home fees will still apply to EU students starting university in 2020/21. The government has confirmed that EU students starting at the University in 2020/21 will be eligible for home fee status. This means that they will be charged the same tuition fees as UK students throughout the duration of their course.

EU students who have been registered at the University in 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19 or 201920 (either as a new or continuing student) will continue to be charged the home rate for tuition fees for all subsequent years of their programme. EU students who are eligible for student loans, grants and PhD studentships will still be able to access these for 2020/21 entry.

Comprehensive Sickness Insurance

The Home Office has clarified that while EU students are required to have comprehensive sickness insurance (CSI), they will not be removed from the UK or refused entry solely because they do not have it.