The UK Government announced that EU citizens living in the UK and their family members will need to apply under the settlement scheme to obtain their new UK immigration status if they wish to continue staying in the UK.

The Immigration Minister, Mrs Caroline Nokes confirmed that those applying under the scheme will only need to complete 3 simple steps online. They will need to prove their identity, show that they live in the UK, and declare that they have no serious criminal convictions.

The Home Office will check the employment and benefit records held by government which will mean that, for many, their proof of residence will be automatic.

In order to be eligible for settled status, the applicant must be an EU citizen or a family member of an EU citizen; have been living in the UK continuously for 5 years (‘continuous residence’) and have started living in the UK by 31 December 2020. If an applicant has lived in the UK for less than 5 years, they will generally be eligible for ‘pre-settled status’ instead. For a non-EU citizen, they will need to show your relationship to an EU citizen living here.

It is proposed that an application will cost £65 and £32.50 for a child under 16. For those who already have valid permanent residence or indefinite leave to remain documentation, they will be able to exchange it for settled status for free.


Those who have not yet lived in the UK for five years will be granted pre-settled status and be able to apply for settled status once they reach the five-year point. From April 2019, this second application will be free of charge.

The new online application system will be accessible through phones, tablets, laptops and computers. The Government will provide support for the vulnerable and those without access to a computer and continues to work with EU citizens’ representatives and embassies to ensure the system works for everyone.

The settlement scheme will open in a phased way from later this year and will be fully open by 30 March 2019. The deadline for applications will be 30 June 2021.

The Home Secretary, Mr Sajid Javid said the government's "default" position would be to grant, not refuse, settled status.

The scheme will operate online and via a smartphone app, Mr Javid said, and would be "as simple as people can reasonably expect", with most decisions turned around within two weeks or sooner.