EU Settlement Scheme · IAA-regulated advice
EU Settlement Scheme Advice in Birmingham & London
Missed the deadline, joining family, or applying for a child? You can still apply to the EU Settlement Scheme in some cases. We check whether you can apply, 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 the EU Settlement Scheme?
The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) lets EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who were living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and their family members, stay in the UK. EEA means Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. If you’re granted, you get settled or pre-settled status, which lets you work, study and use the NHS.
The deadline for most people was 30 June 2021, but the scheme is still open: to late applicants with reasonable grounds for the delay, to family members joining someone with status, and to children. It’s set out in Appendix EU of the Immigration Rules.
✓This is the right route if…
- You’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and you missed the deadline for a reason you can explain and evidence
- You’re joining a family member who has EUSS status, and your relationship began by 31 December 2020 (later-born or adopted children can qualify)
- You need to apply for a child born, adopted or arriving in the UK
- You hold pre-settled status and want to understand your next step
→Look at another route if…
- You’re outside the UK and need permission to travel to join familyEUSS family permit →
- You met or married your partner after 31 December 2020Spouse visa →
- You have pre-settled status and are ready to move to settled statusSettled status →
- You have had settled status for at least 12 monthsBritish citizenship →
Quick check
Could you still apply? Six questions, one minute
Answer honestly. Nothing is saved or sent: this is a general guide, not advice on your case.
Are you, or the family member you’re joining, an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020?Some other groups can apply too, such as family of an eligible person of Northern Ireland.
Is your deadline still open, or can you show reasonable grounds for applying late?30 June 2021 for most people. Joining family members: 3 months from when they last arrived.
If you’re joining family, did your relationship begin by 31 December 2020, and does it still exist?Children born or adopted after that date can still qualify.
Do you have a valid passport or national identity card?Not an EEA citizen? A UK biometric residence card that expired no more than 5 years ago also works.
Can you show where and how long you’ve lived in the UK?Your National Insurance number allows an automated check of tax and benefit records.
Are you free of serious or repeated criminal convictions?Minor convictions usually don’t stop a grant. Others are decided case by case.
Eligibility
EU Settlement Scheme requirements
You must meet the requirements on the date you apply. Which status you get usually depends on how long you’ve lived in the UK.
Who can still apply
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who started living in the UK by 31 December 2020
- Their family members, if the family member from the EU, EEA or Switzerland has settled or pre-settled status
- Some others, such as former family members (after divorce, death or domestic abuse), family of an eligible person of Northern Ireland, and family of a frontier worker
- You don’t need to apply if you’re Irish or already have indefinite leave to remain, and you can’t apply if you’re British
Some groups can’t use the online form and must ask the EUSS Resolution Centre for a paper form.
Your deadline and reasonable grounds
- If you missed your deadline, you must show reasonable grounds for the delay
- Examples: a serious medical condition, care or support needs, an abusive or controlling relationship, or a parent or local authority who didn’t apply for you as a child
- Your evidence must explain why you couldn’t apply, and cover the whole period since your deadline
- If the Home Office doesn’t accept your reasons, the application is rejected as invalid
Applying late? Until you have a certificate of application, you can’t work, rent a home in England or use free NHS care.
Continuous residence
- Continuous residence usually means at least 6 months in the UK in any 12-month period
- One absence of up to 12 months for an important reason, such as childbirth, serious illness, study or a work posting, doesn’t break it
- With 5 years’ continuous residence you usually get settled status; with less, pre-settled status
- Some people qualify for settled status sooner, for example the child of a parent with settled status
Arrived by 31 December 2020? You also need to show you were living here by then.
Applying as a family member
- Spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner: the relationship must have started by 31 December 2020 and still exist
- Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren under 21, or older if dependent, of the EU, EEA or Swiss citizen or their spouse or civil partner
- Dependent parents, grandparents and great-grandparents
- Each family member applies separately, with their own evidence
Outside the UK? You may be able to apply from abroad, or you may need a family permit first.
Identity and suitability
- EU, EEA or Swiss citizens: a valid passport or national identity card, plus a digital photo
- Others: a valid passport, or a UK biometric residence card that expired no more than 5 years ago
- Not an EEA citizen and no biometric residence card (or it expired over 5 years ago)? You give fingerprints at a service point, unless you’re 5 or under
- If you’re 18 or over, the Home Office checks for serious or repeated crimes and security risks
You must declare convictions on your record in the UK or abroad, apart from spent convictions and cautions.
Documents
EU Settlement Scheme documents: the easy part
The list is short. Late and family applications succeed or fail on what the evidence shows, and whether it covers every point the Home Office checks.
What everyone needs
- Your passport or national identity card
- Proof of your residence in the UK, or your National Insurance number
- Proof of your relationship, if you’re applying as a family member
- Your family member’s EUSS status, or proof they’re eligible
- Proof of when you arrived, if you’re joining family
- Evidence of your reasonable grounds, if you’re applying late
Plus a digital photo of your face, and certified English translations of anything not in English.
Costs & timeline
EU Settlement Scheme cost and processing time
It’s free to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, and there’s no health surcharge. A straightforward application may be decided in about a month; where the Home Office needs more information or checks, it can take 3 or 6 months.
Applying in or outside the UK
| Home Office application feefree, in or outside the UK | £0 |
| Immigration Health Surchargenot charged on EUSS applications | £0 |
| Moving from pre-settled to settled statusalso free | £0 |
| Home Office total, per applicantbefore translations and any document costs | £0 |
Fees and processing times from GOV.UK, checked 11 October 2026. Processing times are the Home Office’s own estimates, not a guarantee. Our consultation fees →
Apply online
Day 0Prove your identity with the EU Exit: ID Document Check app, or by posting your document. Some people also give fingerprints.
Certificate of application
Once the application is validIt proves your rights while you wait, for example to work or rent. The Home Office may ask you for more evidence.
Decision
About 1 month, up to 6Longer where residence evidence, documents or a criminal record need checking. If you’re granted, you get an eVisa.
Pre-settled to settled
After 5 years’ residencePre-settled status is extended automatically and may be converted to settled status. You can also apply as soon as you’re eligible.
British citizenship
Usually 12 months after settled statusOnce you’ve held settled status for 12 months, you can usually apply to naturalise if you meet the other requirements.
Avoid a refusal
Common EU Settlement Scheme refusal reasons
Most problems come from deadlines and evidence, not from eligibility. These are the issues we check first.
Reasons not evidenced
A late application must explain why you couldn’t apply and cover the whole period since your deadline. If it doesn’t, it’s rejected as invalid.
We check: your reasons and evidence account for every month since your deadline.
Missing the joining-family deadline
Joining family members must usually apply within 3 months of last arriving in the UK. After that, you need reasonable grounds.
We check: your deadline from your arrival evidence, and apply in time.
Gaps in residence
Absences of more than 6 months in a 12-month period usually break continuous residence, unless an exception applies.
We check: your travel history against the exceptions before you apply.
Relationship formed too late
Partners must have been together by 31 December 2020. Unmarried partners need evidence the relationship was already durable by then.
We check: when your relationship began, and how best to evidence it.
The wrong ID document
An expired passport, or a residence card that expired more than 5 years ago, won’t do unless the Home Office agrees to other evidence.
We check: your identity document before you start the application.
Convictions not declared
Applicants aged 18 or over are checked against UK crime databases. Not declaring a conviction you should have declared can count against you.
We check: what you must declare, and tell you plainly about any risk.
How we help
Our EU Settlement Scheme services
Choose a one-off consultation, or let us handle your application from start to finish for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We check whether you can still apply, which deadline applies to you, and the risks.
Evidence review
We check your identity, residence, relationship and reasonable grounds evidence against Appendix EU.
Full application
We prepare and submit your application, with a cover letter where you need to explain the delay.
Settled status and citizenship
We help you move from pre-settled to settled status, then apply for British citizenship.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. We take on late applications where the reasons for the delay are straightforward. 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
EU Settlement Scheme questions, answered
Can I still apply to the EU Settlement Scheme?
Yes, if a later deadline applies to you, for example because you’re joining a family member or applying for a child, or if you have reasonable grounds for applying late. You must also meet the other requirements, including living in the UK by 31 December 2020 or being the family member of someone who did.
What counts as reasonable grounds for applying late?
GOV.UK gives examples such as a serious medical condition, lacking capacity, significant care needs, an abusive or controlling relationship, or a parent or local authority that didn’t apply for you as a child. Your evidence must explain why you couldn’t apply and cover the whole time since your deadline. A letter from a doctor, social worker or support organisation often helps.
What’s the difference between pre-settled and settled status?
Settled status is indefinite leave: you can stay as long as you like, and it’s usually lost only after more than 5 years in a row outside the UK (4 for Swiss citizens and their family). Pre-settled status is 5 years’ limited leave, extended automatically, and you can move to settled status once you have 5 years’ continuous residence. See our settled status and pre-settled status pages for the detail.
My child was born in the UK. Do they need to apply?
If you had settled status when your child was born here, they’re usually a British citizen automatically and don’t need to apply. If you have pre-settled status, they need their own application, made within 3 months of birth, and will usually get pre-settled status. If you have settled status, a child who applies with you will usually get settled status too.
Can I work while I’m waiting for a decision?
Once you’ve applied and received a certificate of application, you can use it to prove your right to work, rent and use the NHS until you get a decision or the outcome of an appeal. If you’re applying late, these rights aren’t protected until you have that certificate.
How long does an EU Settlement Scheme decision take?
The Home Office estimates about one month where it doesn’t need more information. It can take 3 months if it needs more evidence, for example about your residence, and 6 months where documents need verifying, you have a relevant criminal record or you’re interviewed.
What happens if my application is refused?
You can usually appeal to an independent tribunal: within 14 days if you’re in the UK, or 28 days if you’re outside it. EUSS administrative review has closed and been removed from the Rules. Appeals are outside our Level 1 scope, so we explain your options and refer you straight away. A late application rejected as invalid is not a refusal, and the options are different.
Can my family join me from abroad?
Usually yes, if you were living in the UK by 31 December 2020, have EUSS status, and your relationship began by then (children born or adopted later can qualify). EU, EEA or Swiss citizens with a biometric passport or ID card can apply to the scheme from abroad; others usually need an EUSS family permit first.
Related routes
Other EU Settlement Scheme pages
Ready when you are
Status, sorted.
Book a consultation, or start with the free quick check on this page.