EU Settlement Scheme · IAA-regulated advice
EU Settled Status Advice in Birmingham & London
Move from pre-settled to settled status, apply for the first time, or apply late with reasonable grounds. We check your residence and absences, build your evidence and prepare your application, for a fixed fee agreed in writing.
Last checked 11 October 2026 · Reviewed by Vishal Gautam, IAA-regulated adviser
Overview
What is EU settled status?
Settled status is indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). It lets you live in the UK permanently, work, study, use the NHS and claim benefits if you’re eligible, and it’s the usual first step to becoming British.
Most people qualify after 5 years’ continuous residence, often after holding pre-settled status first. The Home Office may move you to settled status automatically, but you can apply yourself as soon as you’re eligible. It’s free to apply.
✓This is the right route if…
- You’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, or their family member, and you or they were living in the UK by 31 December 2020
- You have pre-settled status and have now lived in the UK for 5 years
- You’ve not been away more than 6 months in any 12 months, or (with pre-settled status) more than 30 months in the last 5 years
- You missed your deadline but have reasonable grounds for applying late
→Look at another route if…
Quick check
Could you qualify? Six questions, one minute
Answer honestly. Nothing is saved or sent: this is a general guide, not advice on your case.
Are you an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, or their family member, and were you or they living in the UK by 31 December 2020?EEA also covers Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Family members who joined later can qualify too.
Do you have pre-settled status, or are you applying within your deadline?No deadline applies if you already have pre-settled status. For most first applications it was 30 June 2021.
Have you lived in the UK for 5 years in a row?Some people qualify sooner, for example children of a parent with settled status, or people who retire or have to stop working.
In those 5 years, have you stayed within the absence rules?No more than 6 months away in any 12 months, or, with pre-settled status, no more than 30 months away in the last 5 years.
Have you avoided serious or repeated criminal convictions?A minor conviction alone usually won’t stop you. Spent convictions and cautions don’t need declaring.
Can you prove your identity with a valid passport or national identity card?Non-EEA family members can use a passport or a UK-issued biometric residence card that expired no more than 5 years ago.
Eligibility
EU settled status requirements
You must meet the requirements on the day you apply, or on the day the Home Office considers moving you to settled status automatically.
Who can get settled status
- EU, EEA or Swiss citizens who started living in the UK by 31 December 2020
- Their family members, including those who joined later, if the relationship began by 31 December 2020 (children born or adopted later also count)
- Some others, such as former family members after a divorce, a death or domestic abuse, and family members of an eligible person of Northern Ireland
- Irish citizens don’t need to apply, but can choose to
If you already have indefinite leave to remain, you don’t need settled status, but you can choose to apply.
5 years’ continuous residence
- You’ve been in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least 6 months in every 12-month period
- One absence of up to 12 months for an important reason, such as childbirth, serious illness, study or an overseas work posting, doesn’t break it
- Compulsory military service, Crown service postings and work in the UK marine area don’t break it either
- A prison sentence, or a deportation or exclusion decision, does break it
Away for more than 12 months because of COVID-19? Special rules may apply: ask us.
Moving from pre-settled status
- With pre-settled status, you qualify if you’ve been away no more than 30 months in total in the last 5 years, or you meet the 6-month rule
- The Home Office may move you automatically, using tax, benefit and travel records. It emails you if it’s considering you, then again with the result
- You can apply yourself, free, as soon as you’re eligible, unless you’ve had that first email
- There’s no deadline to apply for settled status while you hold pre-settled status
If your passport or details have changed since you got pre-settled status, update your UKVI account before you apply.
Qualifying before 5 years
- Children of a parent with settled status
- EU, EEA or Swiss workers who retire, reach State Pension age or have to stop working because of illness or an accident, if they meet the conditions, and their family members
- Family members of a worker who has died, in some cases
- Partners whose relationship has broken down because of domestic abuse, if they have pre-settled status as a partner
Each early route has its own conditions: we check them against your history.
Criminality and suitability
- If you’re 18 or over, the Home Office checks for serious or repeated crimes and security risks
- You must declare convictions on your UK or overseas record, but not spent convictions, cautions or alternatives to prosecution such as speeding fines
- A minor conviction alone usually won’t stop you; others are decided case by case
Not sure whether something in your history matters? Tell us at the consultation: it’s confidential.
Documents
Settled status documents: the easy part
Most people can list the documents. Problems come from gaps in the residence record, absences that need explaining, and evidence that doesn’t match the Home Office’s data.
What everyone needs
- Your valid passport or national identity card
- Your National Insurance number, for the automated residence check
- Proof of residence for any period the records don’t cover
- The dates of, and reasons for, longer trips abroad
- Proof of your relationship and your family member’s status, if you apply as a family member
- Details of any convictions you must declare
Plus a digital photo of your face, evidence of reasonable grounds if you’re applying late, and certified English translations of anything not in English.
Costs & timeline
Settled status cost and processing time
Applying to the EU Settlement Scheme is free, and there’s no health surcharge. The Home Office estimates about a month for a straightforward application, and 3 or 6 months where it needs more information or checks.
Applying to the EU Settlement Scheme
| Home Office application feethe EU Settlement Scheme is free | £0 |
| Immigration Health Surchargenot charged on EUSS applications | £0 |
| Home Office total, per applicantbefore any translation costs | £0 |
Fee and surcharge position from GOV.UK, checked 11 October 2026. Processing times are the Home Office’s own estimates, not a guarantee. British citizenship later costs £1,709 plus a £130 citizenship ceremony fee (Home Office fees table from 8 October 2026). Our consultation fees →
Check your residence
Before you applyWe count your absences over the last 5 years against each rule and check what the tax and benefit records will show.
Apply, or be moved automatically
Week 0Free online application, with your ID checked by app or post. If you’ve had an email saying you’re being considered for automatic conversion, don’t apply.
Decision
Usually 1 to 6 monthsYou get a decision letter and your status as an eVisa in your UKVI account. The letter itself isn’t proof of your status.
Prove your status
Whenever you need toGet a share code online for employers or landlords. It lasts 90 days. Keep your passport details up to date, especially before you travel.
British citizenship
Usually 12 months after settled statusNo wait if you’re married to a British citizen. You’ll need the Life in the UK test, English and good character.
Avoid a refusal
Common settled status refusal reasons
Most problems come down to residence and absences, not eligibility. These are the issues we check first.
Gaps in the records
If tax and benefit records don’t show 5 years, you’ll be asked for documents. Missing months can mean pre-settled status instead.
We check: your residence year by year, and fill the gaps with the right evidence.
Too long away
More than 6 months away in a 12-month period breaks continuous residence unless an exception applies. With pre-settled status, the 30-month rule may help instead.
We check: every trip against both rules, and any exception that applies.
Applying late without evidence
If you missed your deadline, you must show reasonable grounds covering the whole delay, with evidence for each reason.
We check: whether your reasons are likely to count, and what evidence supports them.
Relationship not proven
Family members must prove the relationship and their family member’s status. Durable partners must show the partnership was durable by 31 December 2020.
We check: your relationship evidence and your family member’s status before you apply.
Convictions not declared
You must declare convictions on your UK or overseas record. Status granted on false or misleading information can later be cancelled.
We check: what you need to declare, and how to present it.
Out-of-date details
If your passport or details have changed since you got pre-settled status, you must update your UKVI account before you apply.
We check: your UKVI account details match your documents.
How we help
Our settled status services
Choose a one-off consultation, or let us handle your application from start to finish for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We look at your residence, absences and history, and tell you whether you qualify now, and the risks.
Residence and evidence review
We check your absences against the rules and fill any gaps in the record.
Full application
We prepare and submit your application, with an explanation of any absences or gaps.
British citizenship
We help you apply to become British once you’re eligible.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. If you’re refused and need an appeal, we explain your options and refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser straight away.
FAQs
Settled status questions, answered
Will my pre-settled status change to settled status automatically?
It may. The Home Office uses tax, benefit and travel records to move eligible people to settled status, and emails you if it’s considering you, then again with the result. You can apply yourself, free, as soon as you’re eligible, unless you’ve already had that first email.
What counts as continuous residence?
Being in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least 6 months in every 12-month period. One absence of up to 12 months for an important reason, such as childbirth, serious illness, study or an overseas posting, is allowed. With pre-settled status, you can also qualify if you’ve been away no more than 30 months in total in the last 5 years.
How long can I spend outside the UK with settled status?
Up to 5 years in a row without losing it, or 4 years if you’re a Swiss citizen or their family member. Any visit to the UK restarts the count. If you do lose it, you’ll usually need a visa to come back to live and work.
When can I apply for British citizenship?
Usually once you’ve had settled status for 12 months and lived in the UK for 5 years. If you’re married to a British citizen, you don’t need to wait the 12 months. The fee is £1,709 plus a £130 citizenship ceremony fee.
How do I prove my settled status?
Your status is an eVisa, a digital record in your UKVI account; the decision letter itself isn’t proof. To show an employer or landlord, get a share code online, which lasts 90 days. Keep your passport details up to date in your account, especially before you travel.
Will my children born in the UK be British?
If you have settled status when your child is born in the UK, they’re automatically British. If you had pre-settled status at the time, they can get pre-settled status, and can usually be registered as British once you get settled status, while they’re under 18.
Can my family join me if I have settled status?
Close family members can usually apply to the EUSS if your relationship began by 31 December 2020 and still exists; children born or adopted later also qualify. If you got together after 2020, your partner would usually need a family visa instead, such as a spouse visa.
Can I apply if I missed the deadline?
Yes, if you’re eligible and can show reasonable grounds for the delay, with evidence covering the whole period since your deadline. Examples include serious illness, care needs, an abusive relationship, or a parent who didn’t apply for you as a child. Until you have a certificate of application, your rights aren’t protected.
Related routes
Other EU Settlement Scheme pages
Ready when you are
Settled, sorted.
Book a consultation, or start with the free quick check on this page.