Guidance

EU Settlement Scheme: what the EU Settlement Scheme is

Published 11 June 2025

Version 2.0

This guidance is for His Majesty’s Passport Office staff dealing with passport applications for customers whose nationality claim is through a European Economic Area (EEA) citizen parent (or the family member of an EEA citizen) who was granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

About EU Settlement Scheme: what the EU Settlement Scheme is

This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff what the EU Settlement Scheme is and how it affects the British Nationality Act 1981 and passport applications. It also tells them how to complete an EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) check and what to do if UK Visas and Immigration incorrectly thought the customer was already a British citizen.

This guidance applies to children born to European Economic Area (EEA) citizens or their family members who have status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), for children born:
- on or after 28 August 2018 up to and including 30 June 2021 in the UK or British overseas territory - on or after 1 July 2021 in the UK or Crown Dependencies

You must deal with the application using the British citizenship guidance if at the time of the child’s birth, their parent already has:
- British citizenship - ILR (indefinite leave to remain) other than through the EUSS - ILE (indefinite leave to enter) other than through the EUSS - NTL (no time limit)

This guidance includes references to:

• settled status, which must be read to include EUSS:
  • indefinite leave to remain (ILR); or,
  • indefinite leave to enter (ILE)
• pre-settled status, which must be read to include EUSS:
  • limited leave to enter (LLE); or.
  • limited leave to remain (LLR)
• EEA citizen and when it does, it must be read to include European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) citizens and Swiss citizens

Contacts

If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the guidance has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the guidance was published:

• version 2.0
• published for Home Office staff on 6 May 2025

Changes from last version of this guidance

The guidance has been updated to remove reason code EUETRANSFER.

What the EU Settlement Scheme is

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, European Economic Area (EEA) nationals, Swiss citizens and their family members living in the UK by 31 December 2020, had to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021.

The EUSS webpage on GOV.UK tells customers who can apply, how to do it and what they will get if they are successful.  

If a customer submits an application to the EU Settlement Scheme, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will give the customer a unique application number. This:

• is a 16 digit number in the format ‘xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx’
• starts with 1212 (for the first few thousand cases) or 3434

If an EEA citizen is granted settled status or pre-settled status:

• they could continue living in the UK lawfully after 30 June 2021
• UKVI will have sent them a grant letter or email that:
  • has their name and EUSS unique application number (a 16 digit number in the format ‘xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx’, that starts with 1212 (for the first few thousand cases) or 3434
  • tells them the email or letter on its own is not evidence of their status under the EU Settlement Scheme but they can use the digital confirmation as evidence of their status
  • tells them they confirm their status using the Home Office online checking service and how to do it

How the EUSS affects the British Nationality Act 1981

The British Nationality Act 1981 confirms a child born in the UK on, or after 1 January 1983 automatically becomes a British citizen if their parent was settled at the time they were born (for example, they had settled status).

This also means a child born on or after 21 May 2002 in a British overseas territory automatically becomes a British citizen if their parent was settled in the UK at the time they were born. For example, they acquired a right of permanent residence by exercising Treaty rights in the UK before the child was born in the British overseas territory.

The British Nationality Act 1981 (Immigration Rules Appendix EU) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 confirms in some cases, a child born in the UK is also automatically British if their parent was granted settled status under the EUSS after they were born (see Settled status granted after the child was born).

The British Nationality Act 1981 (Immigration Rules Appendix EU) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 do not apply to children born in a British overseas territory.

How the EUSS affects passport applications

A passport application for a child born to an EEA citizen or the family member of an EEA citizen, may depend on whether:

• their parent applied for status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• UKVI granted them status under the EUSS

We ask parents to confirm their status under the EUSS by:

• including their EUSS unique application number (UAN) on section 8 of their paper passport application (if they apply by post)
• sending us a copy of their EUSS grant letter or email, or a signed and dated letter which includes their UAN reference number (if they apply online)
• an email from the email address entered on their application (where the number is requested after application)

This is because you must have the customer’s UAN before you can do any searches using UK Visa and Immigration’s Atlas system, unless they meet an exception.

This guidance refers to an EUSS application because there is only one application for the customer to fill in but there is more than one outcome in line with the outcome reason codes. The customer can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme more than once. For example, they may have been granted pre-settled status and they apply again for settled status.

When this guidance tells you to check when the customer submitted their EUSS application, you (the examiner) must make sure you are checking the application date for the correct EUSS outcome.  

For example, if you are checking when the customer applied for ILR, you must ignore any other application dates where they previously applied for and were granted pre-settled status.

EUSS application: child born in Jersey, Guernsey or Gibraltar

The British Nationality Act 1981 (Immigration Rules Appendix EU) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (legislation.gov.uk) cover the UK.

Crown Dependencies and British overseas territories (BOTs), Jersey, Guernsey and Gibraltar apply different provisions for EEA citizens resident there to apply for immigration status.

Therefore, you must raise a guidance query to ask how to deal with the application if the child was born in Jersey, Guernsey or Gibraltar and any of the following apply:

• UKVI granted the parent’s settled status after the child was born but their EUSS application was received on or before 30 June 2021
• the parent’s EUSS application is ongoing
• the parent’s EUSS application was unsuccessful
• the parent has not made an EUSS application

EEA citizens could not exercise free movement rights in BOTs (other than Gibraltar). This means:

• the citizens’ rights agreement does not apply to these territories
• these territories do not need to have their own EU-exit scheme

How to complete an EUSS check

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff how to complete an EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) check.

The Person Summary View (PSV) on the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Atlas system will show if a European Economic Area (EEA) citizen or their family members made an EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) application. It will show:

• if the EEA citizen or their family member made the EUSS application
• when UKVI received the EUSS application
• when UKVI made a decision on the EUSS application

How you do an EUSS check will depend on if you have access to the UKVI Atlas system and had training on how to use it.

EUSS check: if you have access to the UKVI Atlas system

If you have the customer’s UAN (Unique Application Number) and access to the UKVI Atlas system, you must use the EEA citizen’s personal details first (their name and date of birth) to search:

• if they made an EUSS application
• when they made an EUSS application (for passport applications for children born on or after 1 July 2021)
• the outcome of the EUSS application
• the date UKVI made the decision on the EUSS application (for passport applications for children born on or after 1 July 2021)

If you have the customer’s UAN but cannot find the customer’s records on the UKVI Atlas system using the Name and Date of birth sections, you must do a search using their UAN (Unique Application Number).

If you do not have the EEA citizen’s or their family member’s UAN, you must not search UKVI’s Atlas system unless they meet an exception.

You must make sure you are using the correct person’s records by cross referencing the information in the passport application and supporting documents against the information in the Atlas record.

If you are not certain, (see Balance of probabilities: checking and accepting alternative evidence) you must ask the customer for the EEA citizens or their family member’s UAN and check the details again.

EUSS check: if you do not have access to the UKVI Atlas system

If you do not have access to the UKVI Atlas system, a trained member of staff in your office will carry out the check for you. You must:

1. Fill in the EUSS verification form.

2. Create an email and add the EEA citizen’s Unique Application Number (UAN) in the subject header of the email.

3. Attach the EUSS verification form to the email.

4. Send the EUSS verification form to the correct trained member of staff in your office, using your team’s mailbox.

5. Add a case note to say:

‘referred for EUSS check’

6. Wait for a response.

7. Do not ask the customer for more information or evidence until you receive the result of the check.

The team member doing the check will:

• use the EUSS verification form to check the UKVI system for both parents; and,
• return the form to your team’s mailbox with the results of the check

If you did not give the team member doing the check the customer’s UAN, they will return the form to your team’s mailbox and tell you to give them the UAN.

EUSS checks: outcome reason codes

We will deal with the child’s application depending on when they were born and the outcome of their parent’s EUSS application shown on UKVI systems. UKVI systems will include a reason code which explains the outcome decision made on the EUSS application.

The table below confirms the UKVI reason codes and outcomes:

Reason code	EUSS application outcome
EUEGRANTI	successful – leave to remain (ILR) granted (also known as settled status)
EUEGRANTIQ	successful – leave to remain (ILR) granted (also known as settled status)
EUEGRANTLQ	successful - limited leave to remain granted (also known as pre-settled status)
EUEGRANTL	successful - limited leave to remain granted (also known as pre-settled status)
EUERIGLNAR	successful - limited leave to remain granted and ILR refused (also known as pre-settled status)
EUEVGEILR	unsuccessful - customer was previously granted ILR under the EUSS
EUEVVOL	unsuccessful - customer has already been granted ILR
EUEREJABC	unsuccessful - customer is a British citizen
EUEVBC	unsuccessful - customer is a British citizen
EUEVROA	unsuccessful - customer has the Right of Abode in the UK
EUEVEIC	unsuccessful - customer’s circumstances mean they are exempt from immigration control and could enter the UK freely (this is no longer used as the customer can make an application to the EUSS)
EUEREJBIO	unsuccessful - customer failed to enrol their biometric data
EUEREJID	unsuccessful - customer did not provide evidence to confirm their identity
EUEREJFEE	unsuccessful - customer did not pay the EUSS application fee (this is no longer used as there is no fee for an EUSS application)
EUERSCNAR	unsuccessful - customer’s criminality record means they do not meet the suitability threshold, or the case has been referred to the Criminal Casework Team
EUERERSNAR	unsuccessful - residency related reasons
EUERERLNAR	unsuccessful - customer has failed to provide evidence of relationship or failed to provide evidence of residence in the UK
EUEWAPP	unsuccessful - customer has withdrawn their EUSS application
EUEVAD	unsuccessful - customer has died since submitting their EUSS application

EUSS application: UKVI incorrectly considered the customer a British citizen

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff what to do if a customer’s EU Settlement Scheme application is considered to be invalid (void) because UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) incorrectly believed they are a British citizen.

When dealing with a passport application, you may discover a parent’s EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) application is invalid (void) because UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) believed they were a British citizen.

If you are satisfied the customer is not a British citizen and UKVI’s decision was incorrect, you must:

1. Email the European Casework Briefing and Response team to: - explain they may have incorrectly voided the customer’s EUSS application - explain why the customer does not appear to be a British citizen - ask them if they can review the decision they made - ask them to contact the customer to resolve any errors (for example, to explain they do not appear to be a British citizen)

2. Consider if the passport application relies on UKVI reviewing the customer’s EUSS application.

If the passport application does not rely on UKVI reviewing the customer’s EUSS application, you must:

1. Add a case note to show the actions and decisions you made.

2. Continue to process the passport application (in line with current guidance).

If the passport application does rely on UKVI reviewing the customer’s EUSS application, you must:

1. Store the application (or put it on hold, if the application is on Digital Application Processing).

2. Regularly check Atlas to show for any new outcomes for the customer’s EUSS application.

3. Continue to process the passport application based on any new outcomes for the customer’s EUSS application.