Over 50,000 Applications to the EU Settlement Scheme on Opening Weekend

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Over 50,000 Applications to the EU Settlement Scheme on Opening Weekend

The EU Settlement Scheme was launched on Saturday 30 March following both private and public testing of the application process which began in August 2018.

During the testing phases of the scheme there were over 230,000 applications, of which 210,000 cases have already been concluded. Since the scheme went fully live on Saturday, over 50,000 further applications have been received. This brings the total number of applications to over 280,000.

You can apply now if you meet certain criteria.

Who should apply

Except in a few cases, you need to apply if:

  • you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
  • you’re not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, but your family member is

Note: The EEA includes the EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

This means you need to apply even if you:

You may be able to apply if you’re not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen but:

  • you used to have an EU, EEA or Swiss family member living in the UK (but you’ve separated, or they’ve died)
  • you’re the family member of a British citizen and you lived outside the UK in an EEA country together
  • you’re the family member of a British citizen who also has EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship and who lived in the UK as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen before getting British citizenship
  • you’re the primary carer of a British, EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
  • you’re the child of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who used to live and work in the UK, or the child’s primary carer

You can apply for settled or pre-settled status for your child if they’re under 21 and either:

  • they’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
  • they are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, but you are – or your spouse or civil partner is

Who does not need to apply

You do not need to apply if:

  • you have indefinite leave to enter the UK
  • you have indefinite leave to remain in the UK
  • you hold British or Irish citizenship (including ‘dual citizenship’)
  • you work in the UK but do not live here (if you are a ‘frontier worker’)
  • you are exempt from immigration control

It’s free to apply to the scheme.

EU citizens applying to the scheme only need to complete three key steps – prove their identity, show that they live in the UK, and declare any criminal convictions.

Applicants can use any laptop, tablet or mobile device to apply. For those who want to apply entirely online, a custom identity document check app has been developed to allow applicants to verify their identity remotely and swiftly. While the app is currently available on Android devices, the Home Secretary has confirmed it will also be available on Apple devices later this year.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Our EU Settlement Scheme is now up and running and after a successful launch, over 280,000 EU citizens have applied so that they can continue to live their lives as they do now. I’m also pleased to confirm that Apple will make the identity document check app available on their devices by the end of the year.”

The app is just one of several ways people will be able to verify their identity, including by post. There will also be over 50 locations where applicants can have their passport scanned and verified. Assisted digital support and a dedicated telephone advice and support service are also available.

To ensure the scheme is a success, the Home Office has boosted EU Settlement Scheme staff numbers to over 1,500, developed an entirely new case working system and created a new resolution centre to resolve telephone, email and online queries.

Deal or no deal, EU citizens will have until at least 31 December 2020 to apply.

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