News story

UK and EEA EFTA states strike agreement to protect citizens’ rights in a no deal scenario

The UK has reached an agreement with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to protect citizens’ rights in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

UK and EU flags

The UK has today reached an agreement with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (the EEA EFTA states) to protect citizens’ rights in a no deal scenario.

This agreement upholds the Prime Minister’s commitment from October 2018 that the rights of UK citizens in the EEA EFTA countries as well as those of EEA EFTA citizens living in the UK would be protected in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

In December we published a separation agreement with the EEA EFTA states, which covers citizens’ rights as well as other separation issues. The EEA EFTA separation agreement will apply if the Withdrawal Agreement is agreed with the EU. The citizens’ rights part of the EEA EFTA separation agreement broadly mirrors the arrangements agreed with the EU.

Together these agreements will provide EEA EFTA nationals in the UK and UK nationals in the EEA EFTA states with certainty about their rights going forward, ensuring that they can continue living their lives broadly as they do now.

EEA EFTA No Deal Citizens’ Rights Agreement and Explainer

Published 8 February 2019