The deadline for most people to apply for pre-settled or settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme was 30 June 2021.
You can only apply to the scheme after this deadline if you:
You don't need to be in the UK to apply.
If you’re having problems applying to the scheme, talk to an adviser.
Members of your family might also be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme – even if they’re not from the EU, EEA or Switzerland.
They might be able to apply if both of the following are true:
If your family member is a child born after 31 December 2020, you can also apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for them.
The EEA includes EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
If your identity document has expired, you must renew it before you apply.
If you don’t have an identity document or can’t get hold of it, you should contact your nearest Citizens Advice.
You can use either your passport or a national identity card.
It is easier to apply if you choose an identity document that has a biometric chip. This means you can scan it and you don't have to send it to the Home Office.
If it has a chip, it will have this symbol on it:
It is easier to apply if you use a residence card with a biometric chip - if you have one. This is known as a ‘biometric residence card’.
You have a biometric residence card if it says ‘Residence Card’ at the top and ‘EU Right to Reside’ on the back. It also has this symbol on it:
You can scan your biometric residence card when you apply. This means you don’t have to send your passport to the Home Office. You also don’t have to prove your relationship to your EU, EEA or Swiss family member.
You can use your passport or a residence permit with a biometric chip. You have to send them to the Home Office.
You have to provide evidence of your relationship to your EU, EEA or Swiss family member.
You also need to have your fingerprints scanned and a photo taken. This is known as a biometric appointment. You are told how to do this at the end of the online application form.
You usually need to prove how long you’ve lived in the UK when you apply for settled or pre-settled status.
The easiest way to prove this is to give your National Insurance number when you apply. If you don’t give your National Insurance number, you have to provide documents.
If you’ve had months when you didn’t work or lived outside the UK, there might be gaps in your National Insurance record. You might need to provide documents to cover those gaps.
You don't need to prove how long you've lived in the UK if you have a 'permanent residence document', 'indefinite leave to remain' or 'indefinite leave to enter'.
If your child is under 21, you might have to prove they live in the UK. Find out how to apply for your family.
You can find your National Insurance number on a payslip or letter from HM Revenue and Customs. Phone the National Insurance helpline if you can’t find it.
HM Revenue and Customs National Insurance Helpline for employees and individuals
Telephone: 0300 200 3500
Textphone: 0300 200 3519
Telephone from outside the UK: +44 191 203 7010
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Saturday, 8am to 4pm
Your call is likely to be free of charge if you have a phone deal that includes free calls to landlines - find out more about calling 030 numbers.
You can include any time you’ve lived in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man as time lived in the UK.
If you’re making a late application for pre-settled status, you only need to show you:
To get settled status, you only need evidence for 6 months out of every 12 months for 5 years in a row. It doesn’t have to be the last 5 years. You can provide evidence for a different 5-year period - as long as you haven’t lived outside the UK for 5 years in a row since then.
You might be able to get settled status even if you've lived outside the UK for more than 6 months out of any 12 months, because you were:
Contact your nearest Citizens Advice to get advice about what you can use as evidence for these periods outside the UK.
All documents must have your name and a date on them.
It’s best to use documents that cover a longer period of time. You can only upload 10 documents when you apply. The Home Office will contact you if they need more documents.
If you've had gaps in your employment, you might not have a full tax and benefits record. You'll be told during the application if you need to upload documents to prove you've been living in the UK in the periods when you weren't working.
Use evidence like:
If you don't have a full tax and benefits record, use evidence like:
If you don't have a full tax and benefits record and someone else pays the bills in your household, use evidence like:
If you can't get any evidence, talk to an adviser at your nearest Citizens Advice. You can ask the adviser to give you a letter proving you had an appointment.
You can also ask government departments or charities for a letter showing you had an appointment or they helped you.
If you live in a care home, use evidence like:
If you live in a shared house, use evidence like:
If you can't get any evidence, talk to an adviser at your nearest Citizens Advice. You can ask the adviser to give you a letter proving you had an appointment.
You can also ask government departments or charities for a letter showing you had an appointment or they helped you.
It’s best to use evidence that covers longer time periods. Use evidence like:
You can use evidence like a:
If you can't get any evidence, talk to an adviser at your nearest Citizens Advice. You can ask the adviser to give you a letter proving you had an appointment.
You can also ask government departments or charities for a letter showing you had an appointment or they helped you.
This is sometimes called a ‘document certifying permanent residence’.
You need to enter your permanent residence document number when you apply.
You don't need to enter your National Insurance number or provide documents to show how long you’ve lived in the UK.
You don’t have to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to stay in the UK after Brexit. If you do apply, you need to enter the date you were given indefinite leave to remain. You might find it in a letter from the Home Office or on a stamp in your passport.
When you apply to the scheme, you need to answer questions about crimes you’ve been convicted of in the UK or in other countries that are on your criminal record there. You also need to answer questions on crimes you’re waiting to go to court for. You only need to do this if you’re 18 or over.
You have a criminal record if you were convicted of an offence at a magistrates’ court or crown court in England and Wales. If you were convicted of an offence in Scotland, it could have been at a justice of the peace court, sheriff court or high court.
You don't have to say if you:
If you think you have a criminal record or you're waiting to go to court, you should get advice from your nearest Citizens Advice before you apply.
The Home Office will check UK and international criminal records. Your application could be rejected if you lie about your criminal record or a crime you’ve been charged with.
You are not asked questions about crime but the Home Office will check criminal records in the UK. If you think you have a criminal record, you should get advice from your nearest Citizens Advice before you apply.
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Page last reviewed on 01 July 2021
