FAQ
Find information answering your frequently asked questions about the EU Settlement Scheme, applying for and proving your status, travelling in and out of the UK, British citizenship and your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.
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I am an EU student with pre-settled status who was forced to study from my home country due to the pandemic. I was out of the UK for less than 6 months due to COVID-19 but if I add my previous absences, I break my continuous residence. Will I be able to apply for settled status?
There have been various changes to the absence rules over time. In December 2020 the Government made some concessions related to COVID-related absences. In July 2025, absence rules were slightly…What kind of work is considered as reasonable absences out of the UK without affecting my pre-settled status?
There are a few work categories which allow for long absences without affecting your status in the UK. These include periods of absence on compulsory military service, a Crown service posting (or as…I have settled status but left the UK. How long can I be away without losing my status?
With settled status, you have a five-year absence allowance (four years if you are Swiss), so as long as you come back within those five years, even for a brief period of time, you can ‘reset the…If my pre-settled status application is rejected, will this affect my chances of securing a work visa?
The EU Settlement Scheme and work visas are two separate systems. You may be asked if you have previously had any other application with the Home Office. If in doubt, please contact an immigration…What are my options if I believe I should have been given settled status but was granted pre-settled, or if I was refused (pre-) settled status?
Administrative reviews It was previously possible to apply for an administrative review of your application if you thought there had been a mistake. However, if your decision was on or after 5…How can I prove residence in the UK when I had employment breaks such as periods of time involving childcare?
You can use many forms of acceptable evidence and you only need to provide proof for 6 months for each year, for 5 years in a row, or for 30 months out of a total of 60 months, to apply for settled…Do British citizens (including British children born to EU citizens) need to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme?
No. British citizens do not need to apply for pre-settled or settled status. For information on whether your child may be British, we recommend reading the information on the PRCBC website, in…Do travel tickets count as evidence for residence in the UK before 31st of December 2020?
Yes, travel tickets can count as proof of residence when applying for (pre-)settled status. This is the Home Office’s guidance on which documents can be submitted as proof of residence when applying…As an EU citizen, if I want to go back to the EU, can I take my British or non-EU family with me?
Yes, under EU free movement rights, you can go back to the EU, and be joined by your non-EU family members. See the EU Commission’s website for more details:…What is a SHARE CODE? I get asked for this to prove I have immigration status.
A share code is a way of proving status to someone, using UK Government websites. You, as the status holder, must log into a website, follow some steps to produce a code of numbers and letters called…Can my British spouse only visit the EU for 90 days every 180 days now?
If you are an EU citizen, then your British spouse gets EU rights through you, because they are your family member. Therefore your spouse is not limited to the 90 days per 180 days rule, as long as…Do EU family members who already have a residence card under EU regulations need to replace this card or will this card be valid until it expires?
EEA residence cards stay valid until their expiry date if you have settled or pre-settled status. (See https://www.gov.…If my children are born or adopted after 31 December 2020, do I need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for them?
If you started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, your children will be eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. However, please be mindful of the fact that, for children born or adopted…Do I need to be working to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme?
No, you do not need to be working to apply for pre/settled status. The only requirement to apply is that you were a resident in the UK before 31 December 2020 (or that you are an…Are National Insurance Number (NINo) applications open again?
EU nationals with (pre-)settled status can now call DWP and order an application form to get a NINo. First, you need to call 0800 141 2075. DWP will mail callers a form with a link to an online…What will happen to me if the Home Office loses my digital file?
This is a good question and we do not know the answer to this. This is one of the reasons why the3million campaigns for a physical backup for our digital immigration status. You can find more…Is it better for a dual-national (with both EU and non-EU nationality) who entered the UK on a EU family permit to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme using their non-EU passport or their EU passport?
It is better to make an application based on EU citizenship. The application will ask if you have dual citizenship, in which case you will mention any other citizenship you have.I have a criminal record and/or an exclusion order from the past, can I join my British wife in the UK?
EU citizens with a criminal record or exclusion orders should seek legal advice as soon as possible as these cases tend to be complex. Please see…Do family members applying for pre/settled status need proof of address as well or simply proof of relationship with the main applicant?
Family members of EU citizens will need to provide proof of their residence in the UK and also their relationship with the relevant EU citizen. You can see the list of documents to show UK residence…If I have pre-settled status and spent more than 2 years outside the UK, will I lose my EU Settlement Scheme rights?
Until 21 May 2024, it was the case that if you had pre-settled status and spent more than 2 years outside the UK, you would lose your EU Settlement Scheme rights automatically (the status would be…questions about your rights? Learn more