FAQ

I have applied for (pre-) settled status and am awaiting confirmation. Can I use my EU national identity card to enter the UK?

You can use your EEA or Swiss national identity card to enter the UK if all of the following are true:

• you’ve applied for settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man’s settlement schemes
• you’ve been issued with confirmation your application is valid
• you’re not applying as a joining family member (i.e. you lived in the UK before 31 December 2020)

If you did not apply for EUSS status using your ID card, then make sure you also carry the ID document that your EUSS status is linked to, in order to prove that you have a pending EUSS application. This is because you can’t link new ID documents to your application until your status has been granted. It is also advisable to carry evidence that you lived in the UK before 31 December 2020.

See also our FAQ I have (pre-) settled status. Can I use my EU national identity card to enter the UK? for important information about use of national identity cards after 31 December 2025.

See also the Home Office guidance on 'Entering the UK under the EUSS and EUSS Family Permit' at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/entering-the-uk-under-the-eu-settlement-scheme-and-eu-settlement-scheme-family-permit

See also this statement, and a series of FAQs, by the European Commission:
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/travel-documents-required-eu-citizens-when-travelling-uk-1-october-2021_en

Note: We are aware that currently some member states including Sweden are not allowing their citizens to travel from that member state to the UK without a passport.