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Guidance

EU Settlement Scheme: caseworker guidance

Immigration staff guidance on applications under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Updates to this page

From:
Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration
Published:
28 August 2018
Last updated:
12 October 2026
Show all updates

  1. Updated the EU Settlement Scheme: cancellation and curtailment guide to reflect the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 584, laid on 3 September 2026.

  2. Updated the EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members guide to reflect Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 259, laid on 9 July 2026. The guidance has also been updated to clarify where a relevant EEA citizen or relevant sponsor’s EUSS status will be considered to have been granted in error. Updated EU Settlement Scheme: family member of a qualifying British citizen to reflect that, under Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 259, laid on 9 July 2026, there is no deadline to apply for settled status where the applicant held extant pre-settled status as a family member of a qualifying British citizen before obtaining another form of immigration permission, such as under Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse.

  3. Added accessible version of EU Settlement Scheme: suitability requirements.

  4. 'EU Settlement Scheme: family member of a qualifying British citizen' updated with changes to signpost the EU Settlement Scheme Cancellation and Curtailment guidance published on 9 April 2026; and to reflect the concession for family members of a qualifying British citizen who obtain another form of immigration leave.

  5. The EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members guidance has been updated to reflect Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 1691, laid on 5 March 2026. EU Settlement Scheme: suitability requirements has been updated - a full list of changes can be found within the document.

  6. Added new guidance on cancellation and curtailment.

  7. The suitability requirements guidance has been updated to reflect changes in deportation thresholds as amended by the Sentencing Act 2026.

  8. Updated guidance on EU Settlement Scheme: derivative right to reside (Chen and Ibrahim/Teixeira cases). Changes have been made to add a new section setting out how to consider applications to switch from pre-settled to settled status.

  9. 'EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members' and 'EU Settlement Scheme: suitability requirements' updated to reflect Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 1491, laid on 9 December 2025. A list of the changes from the last version is in the document.

  10. The guide for EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members has been updated. A full list of changes is in the 'changes from last version of this guidance' section.

  11. The guidance has been updated to take account of: Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 836 which take effect on 16 July 2025; the use of Home Office travel data; pre-settled status holders being able to retain that status alongside obtaining another form of immigration leave.

  12. An accessible version of EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members guidance and person with a Zambrano right to reside guidance has been added.

  13. Guidance on suitability requirements and EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members has been updated to reflect changes to the Immigration Rules. Guidance on Zambrano right to reside has been updated to reflect Akinsanya & Anor, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, 2024, EWHC 469 (Admin) (11 March 2024) and Maisiri (EUSS; Zambrano; 'Realistic Prospect') Zimbabwe, 2024, UKUT 235 (IAC) (14 June 2024) and to add a new section 7 setting out how to consider applications to switch from pre-settled to settled status.

  14. Document 'EU Settlement Scheme EU, other EEA, Swiss citizens and family members' updated to take account of new processes under the EU Settlement Scheme for the automated conversion of pre-settled status to settled status.

  15. Updated the guidance on gender identity and sex markers on documents in line with changes to the biometric residence permit scheme,

  16. First document on page updated as detailed on page 14.

  17. An accessible version of EU Settlement Scheme: suitability requirements has been added.

  18. EU Settlement Scheme: suitability requirements has been updated. Amendments have been made to reflect changes in the EU Settlement Scheme pending prosecution policy.

  19. Updated EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members guidance to reflect the closure of the biometric residence card replacement service.

  20. Reinstated version 23 of EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members as version 24 information is not yet correct.

  21. Changes to reflect the closure of the biometric residence card replacement service.

  22. Added an accessible version of the guide for EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members.

  23. 'EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members' has been updated to reflect changes to the Immigration Rules made in Statement of Changes HC 590, laid on 14 March 2024, and in respect of reasonable grounds for delay in making an application (where further late applications are concerned) and validity consideration.

  24. Updated the EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members guidance to reflect changes to the Immigration Rules made in Statement of Changes HC 590, laid on 14 March 2024, and in respect of reasonable grounds for delay in making an application (where further late applications are concerned) and validity consideration.

  25. The EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members guidance has been updated.

  26. Updated the guidance for EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members.

  27. Accessible versions of the 'family member of a qualifying British citizen' and 'person with a Zambrano right to reside' guidance added.

  28. 'Person with a Zambrano right to reside': updated because the EU Settlement Scheme is closed to new applications from this group, where they do not already hold pre-settled status or a relevant EUSS family permit.

  29. 'EU Settlement Scheme: family member of a qualifying British citizen' - updated to reflect the closure of the EU Settlement Scheme to new applications from those applying as a family member of a qualifying British citizen, where they do not already hold pre-settled status or an EUSS family permit.

  30. Changes have been made in particular to reflect the changes to Appendix EU made in Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 1496, laid on 17 July 2023.

  31. Minor changes to family member of a qualifying British Citizen guidance in line with the Immigration rules changes and minor formatting changes throughout. Changes have been made to derivative right to reside (Chen and Ibrahim / Teixeira cases), EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members and EU Settlement Scheme person with a Zambrano right to reside guidance to reflect the Immigration Rules which come into force on 12 April 2023.

  32. Updated EU Settlement Scheme: derivative right to reside (Chen and Ibrahim / Teixeira cases) guidance.

  33. Added accessible versions of PDFs.

  34. Updated EU Settlement Scheme derivative right to reside (Chen and Ibrahim Teixeira cases).

  35. Updates made to EU Settlement Scheme: person with a Zambrano right to reside to reflect changes to Appendix EU made by the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 719 laid on 18 October 2022.

  36. Updated due to changes to changes in the Immigration Rules.

  37. Changes to the temporary concession to treat the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus as part of the European Economic Area where an accompanying family member of a member of HM Forces, who was posted there before the end of the transition period, otherwise meets the requirements as a 'family member of a qualifying British citizen'.

  38. Replaced EU Settlement Scheme: suitability requirements.

  39. Updated guidance on derivative right to reside (Chen and Ibrahim/Teixeira cases) published.

  40. Updated guidance on Zambrano right to reside published.

  41. Updated guidance 'EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members' to reflect the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules: HC 1118, laid on 15 March 2022.

  42. Updated EU Settlement Scheme: suitability requirements guidance.

  43. Updated 'EU Settlement Scheme: family member of a qualifying British citizen' guidance. For a full list of changes, see the 'Changes from last version of this guidance' section within.

  44. EU Settlement Scheme EU, other EEA, Swiss citizens and their family members - changes have been made in particular to reflect changes in the approach to contacting the applicant at the validity and eligibility stages where they have submitted fraudulent evidence.

  45. Updated version of "EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members" published, which includes guidance from the deleted document "EU Settlement Scheme: coronavirus (COVID-19)".

  46. EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members guidance updated following rules changes on 1 July.

  47. New EU Settlement Scheme: coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance added.

  48. 'EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members’ guidance updated. Updates to the tables setting out the countries that have extended the validity of their identity documents in response to the COVID-19 situation, which documents the extensions apply to, and the impact on the expiry date.

  49. Updated 'EU Settlement Scheme: person with a Zambrano right to reside' to reflect the changes to Appendix EU made in Statements of Changes in Immigration Rules, up to HC 1248, laid on 4 March 2021.

  50. Updated the 'EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members' document in line with Immigration Rules changes.

  51. Updated the EU Settlement Scheme suitability requirements document.

  52. Updated EU Settlement Scheme guidance for EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members.

  53. Updated 'EU Settlement Scheme: suitability requirements'. Document updated with guidance on pending prosecutions.

  54. Updated EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members with amendments to appendix EU made in statement of changes in immigration rules: HC 813, laid on 22 October 2020.

  55. 'EUSS suitability requirements' guidance updated to reflect end of transition.

  56. Updated 'EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members' main guidance to include a section on adults with care and support needs.

  57. Updated 'EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members' main guidance.

  58. Amendments have been made to the first document to reflect the changes to Appendix EU made in Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules: CP 232.

  59. Updated 'EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members' main guidance to include amendments made to reflect the changes to Appendix EU made in Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules: CP 232, laid on 14 May 2020.

  60. Updated the EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members document.

  61. Updated main guidance and suitability requirements to reflect changes to Appendix EU made by Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules: HC 120, 12 March 2020 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-120-12-march-2020).

  62. Guidance document "EU Settlement Scheme: person with a Zambrano right to reside" updated with minor amendments to clarify the stage by stage consideration process.

  63. EU Settlement Scheme - suitability requirements guidance updated.

  64. EU Settlement Scheme: derivative right to reside (Chen and Ibrahim/Texeira cases) guidance updated. EU Settlement Scheme: person with a Zambrano right to reside guidance updated. EU Settlement Scheme interim guidance: gender identity and sex markers on documents guidance added.

  65. Change to British citizen family member guidance to reflect amendments made to regulation 9 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 on 15 August 2019 and Appendix EU to the Immigration Rules by Statements of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 2631 (laid on 9 September 2019) and HC 170 (laid on 24 October 2019)

  66. First document has been updated. Amendments have been made to reflect the changes to Appendix EU, mainly in respect of provision for the operation of the EU Settlement Scheme in the event that the UK leaves the European Union without a deal.

  67. Updated main caseworker guidance

  68. Added guidance on persons with a Zambrano right to reside.

  69. New guidance on family member of a qualifying British citizen and derivative right to reside (Chen and Ibrahim/Teixeira cases) added.

  70. Added a link to the National Archives website for previous versions of this guidance, including those used for the testing phases of the EU Settlement Scheme.

  71. New guidance for applications made under the EU Settlement Scheme during the public beta phase.

  72. New EU Settlement Scheme guidance for staff on suitability requirements.

  73. New EU Settlement Scheme on EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members guide.

  74. Public test phase guidance added.

  75. EU citizens and their family members guidance pdf updated.

  76. Caseworker guidance about how to assess whether an applicant meets the suitability requirements of the scheme added.

  77. New guidance for applications made under the EU Settlement Scheme during the pilot taking place between 1 November and 21 December 2018.

  78. First published.

Documents

EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members (accessible)

HTML

EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members

PDF, 1.96 MB, 259 pages

EU Settlement Scheme: cancellation and curtailment (accessible)

HTML

EU Settlement Scheme: cancellation and curtailment

PDF, 328 KB, 34 pages

EU Settlement Scheme: derivative right to reside (Chen and Ibrahim/Teixeira cases) (accessible)

HTML

EU Settlement Scheme: derivative right to reside (Chen and Ibrahim/Teixeira cases)

PDF, 951 KB, 107 pages

EU Settlement Scheme: family member of a qualifying British citizen (accessible)

HTML

EU Settlement Scheme: family member of a qualifying British citizen

PDF, 534 KB, 52 pages

EU Settlement Scheme interim guidance: gender identity and sex markers on documents (accessible)

HTML

EU Settlement Scheme interim guidance: gender identity and sex markers on documents

PDF, 174 KB, 14 pages

EU Settlement Scheme: person with a Zambrano right to reside (accessible)

HTML

EU Settlement Scheme: person with a Zambrano right to reside

PDF, 744 KB, 83 pages

EU Settlement Scheme: suitability requirements (accessible)

HTML

EU Settlement Scheme: suitability requirements

PDF, 451 KB, 41 pages

Details

UK Visas and Immigration guidance on how staff consider applications made under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Find out more about the EU Settlement Scheme and how to apply.

Previous versions of this guidance, including those used for the testing phases of the EU Settlement Scheme, can be found on the National Archives website.

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