Apply for a permit to join your EU or EEA family member in the UK

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EU Settlement Scheme family permit: join an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

You can apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit to come to the UK if all of the following are true:

  • you’re the eligible family member of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, or a ‘person of Northern Ireland’
  • your family relationship began by 31 December 2020
  • your family member was living in the UK by 31 December 2020
  • your family member is in the UK already or traveling with you to the UK within 6 months of your application

The EEA includes the EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Children who were born or adopted after 31 December 2020 may also be eligible, if they’re the child of either:

  • an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
  • an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen’s spouse or civil partner

Eligible family members

You can join your:

  • spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner
  • child or grandchild aged under 21
  • dependent child or grandchild of any age
  • dependent parent or grandparent

This includes family members who were adopted under an adoption order that’s recognised in UK law.

Spouses and civil partners of Swiss citizens

If you’re married to or in a civil partnership with an eligible Swiss citizen, the rules are different.

You’ll still be eligible if:

  • you got engaged or formed your partnership after 31 December 2020
  • you’re still together when you apply

Who you can join

The person you’re joining must be one of the following:

  • an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
  • a person of Northern Ireland
  • someone who lived in the UK as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen before also getting British citizenship
  • an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who is exempt from immigration control
  • an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who travels regularly to work in the UK but lives outside of the UK (also known as a ‘frontier worker’)
  • a British citizen who also has dual EU, EEA or Swiss nationality and was settled in the UK before 16 July 2012 without using their free movement rights (also known as a ‘McCarthy’ case)

Your family member must meet the eligibility criteria for the EU Settlement Scheme even if they have not applied or cannot apply. This means that they:

  • were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020
  • pass criminal record checks

If you’re joining a person of Northern Ireland

To be an eligible person of Northern Ireland, the person you’re joining must:

  • have been born in Northern Ireland
  • have British, Irish or dual British and Irish citizenship

At the time of your family member’s birth, one of their parents must have been:

  • a British citizen
  • a Irish citizen
  • a dual British and Irish citizen
  • entitled to reside in Northern Ireland with no restriction on their period of residence.

If you’re joining an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who lived in the UK before getting British citizenship

To be eligible the person you’re joining must:

  • be an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
  • have become a naturalised British citizen after working, studying or being self-sufficient in the UK

If you’re joining an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who is exempt from immigration control

The person you’re joining must be:

They cannot also be a British citizen.

If you’re joining a frontier worker

The person you’re joining must:

  • be an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
  • have been working in the UK by 31 December 2020 as an employee or self-employed person
  • be primarily resident in another country that is not the UK
  • have been a frontier worker continuously since 1 January 2021

They cannot also be a British citizen.

Documents you must provide

You must provide:

  • a valid passport
  • evidence of your relationship to your EEA family member, for example a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate or birth certificate

You can provide a valid national identity card instead of your passport if you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen.

If the EU, EEA or Swiss citizen family member you are joining has applied to the EU Settlement Scheme you must provide their application number.

If they have not applied to the EU Settlement Scheme you must provide both:

  • their valid EU, EEA or Swiss passport or national identity card
  • evidence that they would be eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme if they had applied

You’ll have to show that they meet the other eligibility criteria for the EU Settlement Scheme even if they cannot apply - for example, if they have British as well as EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship.

Evidence if you’re a spouse or civil partner

If you’re a spouse or civil partner, you must show that you were engaged or formed a civil partnership by 31 December 2020.

To do this, you must provide either:

  • a marriage or civil partnership certificate
  • a document issued under the EEA regulations as the spouse or civil partner of the EU, EEA or Swiss citizen - for example a family permit or residence card

If you’re married to or in civil partnership with a Swiss citizen who was resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, the rules are different. You may be eligible if you got married or entered into your partnership any time before 1 January 2026, and the relationship still exists when you apply.

Evidence if you’re an unmarried partner

If you’re an unmarried partner you’ll need to provide evidence that you were in your long-term relationship by 31 December 2020

This usually means showing that you had been living together for 2 years. Evidence could include:

  • bank statements, utility bills or official correspondence that shows you and your partner at the same address
  • documents showing joint finances, like a tax return
  • birth certificates or custody agreements showing that you shared responsibility for children while living together

You’ll also need to provide evidence that:

  • you’re still together when you apply
  • if you were resident in the UK before 1 January 2021, evidence that you were legally resident during that time

Evidence if you’re a dependent child, grandchild, parent or grandparent

You’ll have to provide evidence that you’re related to your EU, EEA or Swiss family member, such as a birth certificate.

You’ll also have to show that you are dependent on them if:

  • you’re over 21 and a dependent child or grandchild of your family member
  • your family member is under 18 and you’re their dependent parent or grandparent

Examples of the evidence you can provide include:

  • bank statements or money transfers that show you depend on them financially
  • evidence that you depend on them for health care, for example a letter from a hospital consultant

If you’re a dependent parent or grandparent, you will not need to show dependency if your spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner has successfully applied for either:

  • an EU Settlement Scheme family permit
  • the EU Settlement Scheme as the dependent parent of your EEA family member

Evidence if you’re the family member of a person of Northern Ireland

You’ll need to provide a birth certificate or passport showing that your family member was born in Northern Ireland.

If they qualify as an Irish citizen alone, you must provide their original passport or national identity card and not a copy.

You must also provide evidence that, at the time of your family member’s birth, one of their parents was:

  • a British citizen
  • a Irish citizen
  • a dual British and Irish citizen
  • entitled to reside in Northern Ireland with no restriction on their period of residence

Evidence if you’re joining a person who is exempt from immigration control

You’ll need to provide evidence showing that:

Evidence if you’re joining a frontier worker

You’ll need to provide their frontier worker permit, or evidence that shows that they would be issued one if they applied.

Evidence if you’re joining a person with dual citizenship

You’ll need to provide evidence that shows:

  • your family member is a British citizen - for example a copy of their passport
  • they’d meet the other eligibility criteria for the EU Settlement Scheme if they made an application before 1 July 2021, even though they cannot apply

If you’re applying on the grounds that your family member was settled in the UK before 16 July 2012 without using their free movement rights (also known as a ‘McCarthy’ case), you’ll have to show that on 16 July 2012 you had either:

  • a right of permanent residence in the UK
  • a document issued under EEA regulations, for example a residence card

Apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit

You must apply online for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit.

You must be outside the UK to apply.

There’s no deadline for applications.

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