European Nationals & EEA Applications

If you are a national of a country that is member of the EEA – European Economic Area, or a national of Switzerland, you have the right to live, work and study in the UK, as long as you are exercising treaty rights in the UK and are qualified person under the Immigration EEA Regulations 2006.

Family Permits

To apply for family permit you must be from outside the EEA, you must be a family or “extended” family member of an EEA national.

EEA Residence Card

As a non-EEA national applying for an EEA family permit, you will only be able to apply if the EEA citizen you are joining in the UK is already living in the UK or travelling with you to the UK within the next six months.

Once you have been given permission to join your partner in the UK you can apply for a residence card. A non-EEA family member of an EEA national (for example a spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, child, grandparent) who is already in the UK can apply for an EEA Residence Card so that they can remain in the UK with their EEA family member.

Settlement / Permanent Residence

An EEA national and their non-EEA family members can apply for settlement (permanent residence) after having resided together in the UK continuously for five years exercising treaty rights.

EEA Route To Permanent Residenceship

After Permanent Residence has been obtained in the UK you don’t have to exercise treaty rights anymore. Once 12 months have passed as a Permanent Resident you can apply for British Citizenship.

Countries within the European Economic Area (EEA) – not including the UK

Switzerland is not part of the EEA but operates a single market. Swiss nationals possess the same rights as EEA members when it comes to living and working in the UK.