Applying as the family member of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

You can apply as the family member of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein if all of the following are true:

  • they started living in the UK by 31 December 2020
  • they have settled or pre-settled status
  • you started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, or you’re joining them in the UK

If you started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, or you arrived after that date and you did not apply within 90 days of arriving, you can still apply. You’ll need to show ‘reasonable grounds’ for the delay in applying.

You can apply if you’re a non-British family member of an Irish citizen, even though they do not need to.

If you’re the family member of a person of Northern Ireland, there are different rules for how you can apply.

Your family relationship

You can apply if you’re in a relationship with someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein as their spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner. The relationship must have started by 31 December 2020 and must still exist.

You can also apply if you’re related to someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein - or you’re related to their spouse or civil partner - if you’re their:

  • child, grandchild or great-grandchild under 21 years old
  • dependent child, grandchild or great-grandchild over the age of 21

You can also apply as a dependent parent, grandparent or great-grandparent if you have a relevant document to prove your relationship.

You can apply as another type of dependent relative if both of the following apply:

  • you were living in the UK by 31 December 2020
  • you have a relevant document to prove your relationship

When to apply

You need to apply within 90 days of arriving in the UK.

If you do not apply within 90 days of arriving, or you started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you will need to show your reasonable grounds for the delay in applying.

Other types of family relationship

You may also be able to apply if:

  • you used to have a family member from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020 (but you’ve separated, they’ve died or the family relationship has broken down)
  • you’re the family member of a British citizen who is also a citizen of an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, and they lived in the UK as a citizen of one of these countries before getting British citizenship
  • you’re the child of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who used to live and work in the UK - you must be in education in the UK
  • you’re the family member of a person who is exempt from immigration control
  • you’re the family member of a ‘frontier worker’

You and your child can also apply if by 31 December 2020 you were the primary carer of a:

  • child of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who used to live and work in the UK - the child must be in education in the UK
  • self-sufficient child from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

How you apply is different for each of these criteria.

If you used to have a family member from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020

You may be able to apply if you used to have a family member who started living in the UK by 31 December 2020. This is called a ‘retained right of residence’.

If you’re eligible because you have a retained right of residence, you can apply using the online service.

If you started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, or you arrived after that date and you did not apply within 90 days of arriving, you can still apply if you have reasonable grounds for the delay in applying.

If you’re in education in the UK

You can apply if you’re in education in the UK and either of the following is true:

  • you’re the child of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and they have left the UK or died
  • one of your parents is the spouse or civil partner of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and they have left the UK or died

If you qualify through any of these circumstances, your parent is also eligible, providing they have custody of you.

If your family member has died

You can also apply if your family member who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020 has died, and you lived continuously in the UK as their family member for at least one year immediately before their death.

If you or a family member was previously married or in a civil partnership

You can apply if your marriage or civil partnership to someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020 ended with a divorce, annulment or dissolution, and you lived in the UK when it ended.

One of the following must also apply:

  • the marriage or civil partnership lasted for at least 3 years and you’d both been living in the UK for at least one year during that time
  • you have custody of their child
  • you have been given right of access in the UK to their child - the child must be under 18
  • particularly difficult circumstances apply - for example, you or another family member was the victim of domestic violence or abuse in the marriage or civil partnership

You can also apply if a family member had an eligible marriage or civil partnership and you lived in the UK when it ended. You must be their:

  • child, grandchild or great-grandchild under 21 years old
  • dependent child, grandchild or great-grandchild over the age of 21
  • dependent parent, grandparent or great-grandparent
  • other dependent relative

If you are a victim of domestic violence or abuse

You can apply if your family relationship to someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020 has broken down permanently because of domestic violence or abuse.

You can apply if you are or were their:

  • spouse or civil partner
  • unmarried partner
  • child, grandchild or great-grandchild under 21 years old
  • dependent child, grandchild or great-grandchild over the age of 21
  • dependent parent, grandparent or great-grandparent
  • other dependent relative

If you’re the primary carer of a child and they or their parent is from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

You may be able to apply if by 31 December 2020 you were the primary carer of either:

  • a self-sufficient child from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
  • a child of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

You both must have been living in the UK by 31 December 2020.

To be someone’s primary carer, you must be responsible for their day to day care, including making decisions about their education, health and finances. You must also be their:

  • parent or legal guardian
  • grandparent
  • brother or sister
  • spouse or civil partner
  • child
  • grandchild

You can share these responsibilities with someone else.

If you were the primary carer of a child of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, they must be in education in the UK. They must have a parent who has both:

  • lived and worked in the UK when the child lived in the UK
  • later stopped working in the UK, or left the UK

You cannot use the online service to apply if this is how you qualify for the scheme. Contact the Resolution Centre online to find out how to apply.

Any dependent children you have may also be able to apply.

If your spouse or civil partner is a Swiss citizen

You can apply as the spouse or civil partner of a Swiss citizen in the UK until 31 December 2025 if both of the following apply:

  • your relationship with them began after 31 December 2020 and by 31 December 2025
  • you’re still in the relationship when you apply
  1. Step 1 Check if you need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme

    You may need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK.

    1. Check if you need to apply
  2. Step 2 Find out what status you’ll get

    You’ll get settled or pre-settled status depending on how long you’ve been living in the UK. This might affect when you choose to apply.

    1. Find out what you’ll get
  3. Step 3 Check what you’ll need to apply

  4. Step 4 Apply

    The deadline for applying is 30 June 2021.

    1. Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme
  5. Step 5 After you've applied