Preparing to apply for pre-settled and settled status
This advice applies to Wales. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Scotland
The deadline for most people to apply for pre-settled or settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme was 30 June 2021.
You can only apply to the scheme after this deadline if you:
have a good reason for making a late application - check if you can make a late application
are upgrading from pre-settled to settled status
are applying to join a family member in the UK - find out more about joining family
have a valid work, study or family visa
You don't need to be in the UK to apply.
If you’re having problems applying to the scheme, talk to an adviser.
Members of your family might also be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme – even if they’re not from the EU, EEA or Switzerland.
They might be able to apply if both of the following are true:
you have pre-settled or settled status
your relationship with them started by 31 December 2020 – unless you’re a Swiss citizen
If your family member is a child born after 31 December 2020, you can also apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for them.
You can find out more about bringing family to the UK.
The EEA includes EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Gather everything you need to apply
You need:
an identity document - your passport, national identity card, biometric residence card or permit
a digital photo - you can take a selfie during the application
your National Insurance number or proof of how long you've lived in the UK
a mobile phone number
an email address - find out how to set up an email address on Which?
proof of your relationship if you're applying for a child or another family member - find out what evidence you can use
Decide which identity document to use
If your identity document has expired, you must renew it before you apply.
If you don’t have an identity document or can’t get hold of it, you should contact your nearest Citizens Advice.
Contact the EU Citizens Rights Service
If you need help gathering evidence, you can contact the EU Citizens Rights Service.
If you’re from the EU, EEA or Switzerland
You can use either your passport or a national identity card.
It is easier to apply if you choose an identity document that has a biometric chip. This means you can scan it and you don't have to send it to the Home Office.
If it has a chip, it will have this symbol on it:
If you’re from outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland
It is easier to apply if you use a residence card with a biometric chip - if you have one. This is known as a ‘biometric residence card’.
You have a biometric residence card if it says ‘Residence Card’ at the top and ‘EU Right to Reside’ on the back. It also has this symbol on it:
If you have a biometric residence card
You can scan your biometric residence card when you apply. This means you don’t have to send your passport to the Home Office. You also don’t have to prove your relationship to your EU, EEA or Swiss family member.
If you don’t have a biometric residence card
You can use your passport or a residence permit with a biometric chip. You have to send them to the Home Office.
You have to provide evidence of your relationship to your EU, EEA or Swiss family member.
You also need to have your fingerprints scanned and a photo taken. This is known as a biometric appointment. You are told how to do this at the end of the online application form.
Proving how long you’ve lived in the UK
You usually need to prove how long you’ve lived in the UK when you apply for settled or pre-settled status.
The easiest way to prove this is to give your National Insurance number when you apply. If you don’t give your National Insurance number, you have to provide documents.
If you’ve had months when you didn’t work or lived outside the UK, there might be gaps in your National Insurance record. You might need to provide documents to cover those gaps.
You don't need to prove how long you've lived in the UK if you have a 'permanent residence document', 'indefinite leave to remain' or 'indefinite leave to enter'.
If your child is under 21, you might have to prove they live in the UK. Find out how to apply for your family.
Find your National Insurance number
You can find your National Insurance number on a payslip or letter from HM Revenue and Customs. Phone the National Insurance helpline if you can’t find it.
HM Revenue and Customs National Insurance Helpline for employees and individuals
Telephone: 0300 200 3500
Textphone: 0300 200 3519
Telephone from outside the UK: +44 191 203 7010
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Saturday, 8am to 4pm
Your call is likely to be free of charge if you have a phone deal that includes free calls to landlines - find out more about calling 030 numbers.
Find out how to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Check how much evidence you need
You can include any time you’ve lived in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man as time lived in the UK.
If you’re making a late application for pre-settled status, you only need to show you:
lived in the UK for at least 1 day on or before 31 December 2020
haven’t left the UK for more than 6 months since 31 December 2020
To get settled status, you only need evidence for 6 months out of every 12 months for 5 years in a row. It doesn’t have to be the last 5 years. You can provide evidence for a different 5-year period - as long as you haven’t lived outside the UK for 5 years in a row since then.
You might be able to get settled status even if you've lived outside the UK for more than 6 months out of any 12 months, because you were:
giving birth, seriously ill, studying, training or sent to work abroad by your employer - for 1 period of up to 12 months
on compulsory military service - for any length of time
serving in the UK armed forces or a family member of someone in the armed forces
working for the UK, Scottish or Welsh governments, Northern Ireland executive or the British Council
a family member of someone working for the UK, Scottish or Welsh governments, Northern Ireland executive or the British Council
Contact your nearest Citizens Advice to get advice about what you can use as evidence for these periods outside the UK.
Check what documents you can use
All documents must have your name and a date on them.
It’s best to use documents that cover a longer period of time. You can only upload 10 documents when you apply. The Home Office will contact you if they need more documents.
If you’ve had gaps in employment
If you've had gaps in your employment, you might not have a full tax and benefits record. You'll be told during the application if you need to upload documents to prove you've been living in the UK in the periods when you weren't working.
Use evidence like:
council tax bills
mortgage statements for a house or flat
the written statement of your occupation contract and evidence you've made payments - for example a bank statement or receipt
annual bank statements or account summaries
payslips
water, gas or electricity bills
other bills for your home and evidence that you've paid them - for example for repairs, home insurance or taking a pet to the vet
If you’re self-employed or run a business
If you don't have a full tax and benefits record, use evidence like:
annual business accounts
council tax bills
mortgage statements for a house or flat
the written statement of your occupation contract and evidence that you've made payments - for example a bank statement or receipt
annual bank statements or account summaries
invoices for work you've done in the UK and evidence of payment - for example a bank statement
If you don’t work and your bills are in someone else’s name
If you don't have a full tax and benefits record and someone else pays the bills in your household, use evidence like:
letters or appointment cards from your GP, a hospital or other healthcare professional - for example a physiotherapist
annual bank statements or account summaries
monthly bank statements showing payments received or spending in the UK
a used airline, train, ferry or ship ticket that shows the date you entered the UK
a stamp in your passport showing you entered the UK
mobile phone bills in your name with your address in the UK
other bills for your home and evidence that you've paid them - for example for repairs, home insurance or taking a pet to the vet
If you can't get any evidence, talk to an adviser at your nearest Citizens Advice. You can ask the adviser to give you a letter proving you had an appointment.
You can also ask government departments or charities for a letter showing you had an appointment or they helped you.
If you live in a care home
If you live in a care home, use evidence like:
a letter from your registered care home showing you live there
annual bank statements or account summaries
pension statements
monthly bank statements showing payments you got or money you spent in the UK
letters or appointment cards from your GP, a hospital or other healthcare professional - for example a physiotherapist
If you live in a shared house
If you want to prove you’ve lived in the UK for a different 5 years
It’s best to use evidence that covers longer time periods. Use evidence like:
tax documents - for example your P60 or P45
a letter from your employer confirming your employment
pension statements showing your employer's pension contributions
council tax bills
mortgage statements for a house or flat
the written statement of your occupation contract and evidence that you've made payments - for example a bank statement or receipt
annual bank statements or account summaries
If you want to prove you arrived in the UK by 31 December 2020
You can use evidence like a:
used airline, train, ferry or ship ticket that shows the date you entered the UK
stamp in your passport showing you entered the UK
monthly bank statement showing money you've spent or received in the UK
mobile phone bill in your name with your address in the UK
council tax, water, gas or electricity bill
letter or appointment card from your GP, a hospital or other healthcare professional - for example a physiotherapist
If you can't get any evidence, talk to an adviser at your nearest Citizens Advice. You can ask the adviser to give you a letter proving you had an appointment.
You can also ask government departments or charities for a letter showing you had an appointment or they helped you.
If you have a 'permanent residence document'
This is sometimes called a ‘document certifying permanent residence’.
You need to enter your permanent residence document number when you apply.
You don't need to enter your National Insurance number or provide documents to show how long you’ve lived in the UK.
Find out how to apply for settled status.
If you have ‘indefinite leave to remain’
You don’t have to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to stay in the UK after Brexit. If you do apply, you need to enter the date you were given indefinite leave to remain. You might find it in a letter from the Home Office or on a stamp in your passport.
Find out more about staying in the UK after Brexit.
Find out how to apply for settled status.
If you’ve been convicted of a crime or are waiting for a trial
When you apply to the scheme, you need to answer questions about crimes you’ve been convicted of in the UK or in other countries that are on your criminal record there. You also need to answer questions on crimes you’re waiting to go to court for. You only need to do this if you’re 18 or over.
What counts as a crime in the UK
You have a criminal record if you were convicted of an offence at a magistrates’ court or crown court in England and Wales. If you were convicted of an offence in Scotland, it could have been at a justice of the peace court, sheriff court or high court.
You don't have to say if you:
went to court for something that wasn't criminal - this is called a civil matter and includes things like debt problems and family hearings
had a parking fine or a fine from a local council for breaking traffic rules - this is known as a 'penalty charge notice'
committed a driving offence and you didn't get a summons from a court
were given a warning or caution at a police station
If you think you have a criminal record or you're waiting to go to court, you should get advice from your nearest Citizens Advice before you apply.
Criminal records
The Home Office will check UK and international criminal records. Your application could be rejected if you lie about your criminal record or a crime you’ve been charged with.
If you’re under 18
You are not asked questions about crime but the Home Office will check criminal records in the UK. If you think you have a criminal record, you should get advice from your nearest Citizens Advice before you apply.
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Page last reviewed on 01 July 2021