How to Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (Settled Status)
The deadline for most EU citizens was 30 June 2021, but you can still make a LATE application with a valid reason. The application is app-based: prove identity, verify residence, and get settled (5+ years) or pre-settled status.
The Steps
Follow these in order
Each card shows the phase, expected time, and any cost. Data checked against official UK sources(2025-Latest).
0 of 6 steps
- Before You Go 20 min
Check whether you can still apply
You can apply late with "reasonable grounds": you did not know about the scheme, you were in care, illness or COVID prevented you, or you are joining a family member. Family members of EU citizens (including non-EU spouses) can also apply. The Home OfficeUK Home Office — The government department responsible for visas, immigration, and citizenship in the UK.Click for official info ↗ publishes a non-exhaustive reasonable-grounds list.
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- Fill / Prepare 30 min
Start the application online
The application is at: apply.eu-settled-status.homeoffice.gov.uk — free, and done in the "EU Exit: ID Document Check" app. Scan your passport/ID chip, take a selfie, and answer the residence questions. Non-EU family members send their BRPBiometric Residence Permit — The card proving your UK immigration status, permission length, and right to work. Being replaced by eVisas.Click for official info ↗/passport details instead.
Click to mark as done
- Fill / Prepare 30 min
Verify your UK residence
For settled status you need 5 years of continuous residence; the system usually auto-checks HMRCHM Revenue & Customs — The UK tax authority. It collects income tax, issues National Insurance numbers, and runs Self Assessment.Click for official info ↗ and DWPDepartment for Work and Pensions — The UK department for benefits and pensions, including Universal Credit and State Pension.Click for official info ↗ records (a National Insurance numberNINO — Your UK tax and social security number. You need it to work, pay tax, and claim benefits.Click for official info ↗ speeds this up). If the records are missing, upload documents: P60s, payslips, bank statements, utility bills — one per year (or per 6 months for pre-settled).
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- Wait Days to 5 weeks
Wait for the decision
Most straightforward cases are decided within 5 working days, often faster. You get an email decision letter; your status is digital (viewable in your UKVI account and shareable via a "share codeUK immigration share code — A 9-character code that proves your UK immigration status to an employer or landlord. Generated online, valid 90 days.Click for official info ↗" for employers and landlords).
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- Follow Up 30 min when eligible
Pre-settled? Upgrade to settled status
Pre-settled status (under 5 years residence) lasts 5 years. Under the 2023 court ruling and Home OfficeUK Home Office — The government department responsible for visas, immigration, and citizenship in the UK.Click for official info ↗ policy, it is extended automatically until you qualify, but apply for settled status once you reach 5 years — you must do this BEFORE your status window closes.
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- Receive 5 min
Use your status with share codes
Prove your rights to employers, landlords, and the NHSNational Health Service — The UK's publicly funded healthcare system. Most services are free at the point of use; access depends on immigration status and the immigration health surcharge.Click for official info ↗ with a share codeUK immigration share code — A 9-character code that proves your UK immigration status to an employer or landlord. Generated online, valid 90 days.Click for official info ↗ from your UKVI account (view-and-prove service). Unlike a BRPBiometric Residence Permit — The card proving your UK immigration status, permission length, and right to work. Being replaced by eVisas.Click for official info ↗, there is no physical card — the digital record is the legal proof.
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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as "reasonable grounds" for applying late?
The list is generous: not knowing about the scheme, serious illness, being a child whose parent failed to apply, domestic abuse, and modern slavery are all accepted. The Home OfficeUK Home Office — The government department responsible for visas, immigration, and citizenship in the UK.Click for official info ↗ decides case by case and grants discretion widely — apply rather than assume you missed out.
Can I count time outside the UK?
Continuous residence allows absences under 6 months in any 12 (12 months for one important reason like childbirth, study, or a posting). A single absence of over 12 months breaks continuity and resets the clock.
Does settled status expire?
Settled status lapses only after 5 consecutive years outside the UK. Pre-settled status lasts 5 years and is being extended automatically, but you should switch to settled status as soon as you have 5 years of residence.
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