Settlement Scheme

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Brexit Issues

Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (settled and pre-settled status)

If you stop working or start work in another EU country

You and your family members can get settled status with less than 5 years’ continuous residence in certain situations.

If you have to stop working

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen you may be able to get settled status if you have to stop working or being self-employed because of an accident or illness (known as ‘permanent incapacity’).

The EEA includes the EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

You may be able to get settled status if either:

  • you have lived continuously in the UK for the 2 years immediately beforehand
  • the permanent incapacity was the result of an accident at work or an occupational disease that entitles you to a pension from a UK institution

You can also get settled status if you’re married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen.

If you’re the family member of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen at the time they stopped working you may also be eligible for settled status.

If you reach State Pension age or retire early

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen you may be able to get settled status if you reach State Pension age or retire early.

If you’re the family member of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen at the time they reach State Pension age or retire early you may also be eligible for settled status.

If you reach State Pension age

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you can get settled status if you stopped working when you reached State Pension age and either:

  • you worked continuously or were self employed for 1 year beforehand and have lived continuously in the UK for 3 years
  • your spouse or civil partner is a British citizen

If you retire early

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen you can get settled status if you retire early and either:

  • you worked continuously (for someone other than yourself) for 1 year beforehand and have lived continuously in the UK for 3 years
  • your spouse or civil partner is a British citizen

If you start work or self-employment in another EU country

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen you can get settled status if you start work or self-employment in another EU country and you both:

  • have lived and worked or been self-employed in the UK continuously for 3 years beforehand
  • usually return to your UK home once a week

If you’re the family member of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen at the time they start work or self-employment in another EU country you may also be eligible for settled status.

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