Official Statistics

EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics, June 2023

Published 24 August 2023

1. Introduction

In line with the Citizens’ Rights Agreements, the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) enables EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK by the end of the transition period at 11pm on 31 December 2020, and their family members, to obtain a UK immigration status. Further information about the EUSS, including eligibility requirements and details regarding making a late application, can be found on the GOV.UK EU Settlement Scheme webpage.

1.1 About this release

This publication takes an in-depth look at applications to the EUSS and covers the period from the launch of the first private beta scheme on 28 August 2018 to 30 June 2023.

Applications to the scheme and their outcomes are presented by nationality, age and geography (which includes constituent parts of the UK, region and local authority), along with analysis of applications received after the 30 June 2021 deadline.

Following the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EUSS by those resident in the UK by the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, the scheme continues to receive applications. These are from 3 categories of applicants: late applications, repeat applications and joining family members. Please see the EU Settlement Scheme user guide for more information on these.

Individuals who have made repeat applications to the EUSS are referred to as ‘Repeat applicants’ within this report. Figures on their applications and outcomes are included in this publication, reflecting a data matching methodology which enables us to link multiple applications to individual applicants. Additional detail on repeat application data can be found in the About these statistics section and in section 5.2 and 5.3 in the Home Office EUSS: user guide. Where this report references ‘people’, this refers to individual applicants, including ‘repeat applicants’ and those who have made only one application.

2. Key points

This report covers the period from 28 August 2018 to 30 June 2023.

• the total number of applications received up to 30 June 2023 was 7,400,720

• the total number of applications received from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023 was 1,330,640; of those, 505,330 (or 38%) were late applications

• 7,246,400 applications had been concluded up to 30 June 2023

• of the 7.4 million applications made, an estimated 6.2 million people have applied to the scheme, of which 5.6 million people had obtained a grant of status (with 2.1 million holding pre-settled status as at 30 June 2023)

• of the estimated 6.2 million people applying to the scheme, 1,076,140 (17%) were repeat applicants, of which 57% (608,380) have moved from pre-settled to settled status

Figure 1: EU Settlement Scheme: Total and cumulative number of applications received and concluded by quarter since the start of the scheme

Source: Table EUSS_MON, EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics tables

Figure 1 above shows the total applications and conclusions by quarter since the start of the scheme. There are peaks in applications and conclusions in Q3 (July to September) and Q4 (October to December) of 2019 during key EU negotiation periods. Applications also increased in Q4 (October to December) 2020 and in Q2 (April to June) 2021, which reflected the applications received before the 30 June 2021 deadline for those resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 to apply. Applications since 30 June 2021 have remained steady, averaging 56,000 per month.

2.1 Applications received

As of 30 June 2023, 7.4 million (7,400,720) applications had been received, with 89% received in England, 5% in Scotland, 2% in Wales and 2% in Northern Ireland.^{[footnote 1]}

Of the 7.4 million applications received, 91% (6.7 million) were from EEA nationals, with the highest number of applications from Romanian (1,538,980), Polish (1,208,030) and Italian (641,390) nationals.

8% (607,960) of applications were from non-EEA nationals, with the highest number of applications from Indian (95,810), Pakistani (83,070) and Brazilian nationals (66,370).

2.2 Applications concluded

7.2 million (7,246,400) applications had been concluded up to 30 June 2023.

Of the concluded outcomes, 49% (3,586,620) were granted settled status, 38% (2,768,840) were granted pre-settled status and 12% had other outcomes (including 574,590 refused applications, 170,750 withdrawn or void applications, and 145,610 invalid applications).

Of the refusals, 99% were refused on eligibility grounds and less than 1% were refused on suitability grounds.^{[footnote 2]}

3. Applications post 30 June 2021 deadline – 2 years on

Applications from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023 show:

• there were 505,330 late applications

• 473,320 applications were from repeat applicants (including those moving from pre-settled to settled status)

• 340,640 applications were from joining family members

• 11,360 applications were from derivative rights applicants (see section 7 for more information on these)

Figure 2: EU Settlement Scheme: Applications by type post 30 June 2021, 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023

Source: Table EUSS_POST_30_JUNE, EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics tables

Figure 2 shows the number of applications post 30 June 2021 by quarter with Q3 (July to September) 2021 having just over 84,000 late applications submitted to the scheme. This has decreased (down 40%) to 50,160 late applications submitted in Q2 (April to June) of 2023.

3.1 Concluded applications by type, post 30 June 2021

For applications received from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023, 1,196,020 were concluded, of which:

• 440,940 were from late applicants (with 42% granted status)
• 443,680 were from repeat applicants (with 91% granted status)
• 300,730 were from joining family members (with 52% granted status)
• 10,670 were from derivative rights applicants (with 37% granted status)

4. Repeat applicants

Of the 7.4 million applications received up to 30 June 2023, an estimated 6.2 million people (6,158,460) had applied to the scheme, with 5.6 million people (5,625,920) obtaining a grant of status.^{[footnote 3]} 1,076,140 (or 17%) were repeat applicants where the vast majority made just one further application (88%).

It is estimated that a total of 5,663,800 EEA nationals and 486,800 non-EEA national applicants had applied to the scheme.^{[footnote 4]}

Of the repeat applicant cohort, as of 30 June 2023:

• 88% (945,480) of repeat applicants have received a grant of status

• 57% (608,380) had moved from pre-settled to settled status

4.1 Repeat applicants by nationality

As of 30 June 2023, there were 968,900 EU national repeat applicants, with Romanian nationals (309,680) submitting the highest number of repeat applications (29%). Italian (120,460, 11%) and Polish (101,900, 9%) nationals made the second and third highest numbers of repeat applications.

99,610 (9%) of repeat applicants were non-EEA nationals.

4.2 Repeat applicants moving from pre-settled to settled status by nationality

As of 30 June 2023, just over a quarter (159,970, 26%) of those moving from pre-settled to settled status were Romanian nationals, followed by Italian nationals (94,660, 16%).

Figures on repeat applicants by nationality can be found in data Table EUSS_RA_01- EUSS_RA_04 EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics tables.

More detail on repeat applicants definitions and methodology can be found in the EUSS user guide.

4.3 Applicants who have moved from pre-settled to settled status

Figure 3: EU Settlement Scheme: Repeat applicants moving from pre-settled to settled status by month, 28 August 2018 to 30 June 2023

Source: Table EUSS_MON, EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics tables

Figure 3 shows the number of applicants who have moved from pre-settled to settled status per month since the launch of the scheme. There has been a steady increase in numbers from December 2019 onwards, with June 2021 seeing the largest number of people moving from pre-settled to settled status (25,220 applicants), followed by May 2022 (25,060). December 2021 and April and December 2022 saw dips in these figures, which reflected the low number of applications overall for those months. There has been an average of 20,200 applicants moving from pre-settled to settled status in Q2 (April, May and June) of 2023. This is similar to Q1 (January, February and March) 2023 (21,100).

5. Applications by nationality

In total, there were 6,714,910 applications received from EU nationals, 70,280 received from other EEA and Swiss nationals and 607,960 received from non-EEA nationals. The top 3 nationalities with the highest number of applications received were:

• Romanian (1,538,980), of which 454,470 were post 30 June 2021
• Polish (1,208,030), of which 96,960 were post 30 June 2021
• Italian (641,390), of which 91,760 were post 30 June 2021

Romanian nationals accounted for a third (34%) of all applications received from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023.

5.1 Applications from non-EEA nationals

There were 607,960 applications from non-EEA nationals.

The top 3 non-EEA nationalities reflect a similar pattern to applications received through the EUSS family permit route, which were published in the latest Immigration Quarterly statistics. EUSS family permits enable family members of EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens, resident in the UK by the end of the transition period (and who, with some exceptions, have pre-settled or settled status under the EUSS), and of qualifying British citizens returning to the UK after living in the EEA or Switzerland, to join them in the UK. Once here, the family member can then apply to the EUSS for the immigration status they need to continue living in the UK.

Applications and outcomes data for both the EEA and EUSS family permits were revised in the August 2023 publication. This is due to a reclassification of a number of EEA family permit applications and case outcomes as EUSS family permits. For more information, please see section 3.5 in the Immigration System Statistics user guide.

The top 3 non-EEA nationalities to have applied to the scheme up to 30 June 2023 were:

• India (95,810)
• Pakistan (83,070)
• Brazil (66,370)

This has remained fairly consistent with no change from the previous quarter.

Figures on applications by non-EEA nationals can be found in data Tables EUSS_NON_EEA_01 and EUSS_NON_EEA_02 EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics tables

5.2 Concluded applications by nationality

There were 6,590,790 concluded applications from EU nationals, 69,290 from other EEA and Swiss nationals, and 579,050 from non-EEA nationals. Similar to the number of applications received, the top 3 nationalities with the highest number of concluded applications were:

• Romanian (1,484,920)
• Polish (1,196,290)
• Italian (635,150)

For non-EEA nationals, the top 3 nationalities in concluded applications were:

• Indian (92,420)
• Pakistani (79,930)
• Brazilian (61,460)

Figure 4: EU Settlement Scheme: number and proportion of concluded applications by nationality and outcome, 28 August 2018 to 30 June 2023 - top 10 nationalities (and non-EEA nationals) by number of concluded applications

Source: Table EUSS_03_UK, EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics tables

As seen in Figure 4, non-EEA nationals had a greater proportion of pre-settled outcomes (54%) than settled outcomes (28%).

6. Applications to the EU Settlement Scheme by local authority

Applications to the EUSS were made from 376 UK local authorities.^{[footnote 5]} Birmingham saw the highest number of applications to the scheme overall (181,210), followed by Newham (178,110). The volume of applications and conclusions by local authority have remained stable over the course of the scheme. Please see EU Settlement Scheme local authority tables for further information.

7. Applications based on a derivative right to reside

Derivative rights applicants are applicants who did not qualify for a right of residence under the Free Movement Directive but may have had a right to reside in the UK before the end of the transition period derived from other EU law. Derivative rights applicants can apply to the EUSS under one of the following routes:

• Chen
• Ibrahim & Teixeira
• Family Member of a British Citizen (Lounes & Surinder Singh)
• Zambrano

More information on these routes and their eligibility requirements can be found in the Home Office EU Settlement Scheme statistics: user guide.

Table 1: EU Settlement Scheme: Derivative Right to Reside applications by route and outcome type, 28 August 2018 to 30 June 2023

	Chen	Family Member of a British citizen	Ibrahim/Teixeira	Zambrano
Applications recieved	2,310	12,920	470	15,110
Applications concluded	2,220	12,450	420	14,630
of which
Settled	600	4,320	200	1,300
Pre-settled	1,070	6,800	110	850
Refused	480	990	90	11,790
Withdrawn or Void	60	240	20	400
Invalid	20	100	*	300

Source: Table EUSS_DR_01, EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics tables

Notes

1. Lounes and Surinder Singh applications are recorded as Family Member of a British citizen in the statistics.

When looking at the refusals in the derivative rights applications, Table 1 shows that Zambrano applications accounted for 88% (11,790) of total refusals (13,350).

8. About these statistics

The findings presented here are based on data collected from Home Office administrative systems. These systems hold records of individual applications that have been received to the EU Settlement Scheme and their outcomes (settled or pre-settled status, and other outcomes). As these are sourced from live operational systems, numbers may change and may not precisely reflect other published statistics produced at a different point in time. The majority of applicants to the scheme are EEA nationals, but non-EEA nationals are eligible to apply in some cases. Non-EEA nationals who have submitted an application to the scheme are included in these statistics.

8.1 About the data

The EU Settlement Scheme statistics were designated as ‘Official Statistics’ from May 2022. For more information, please see Section 3 in the Home Office EU Settlement Scheme statistics: user guide

Figures in this publication refer specifically to flows of applications made to the EU Settlement Scheme, including repeat applications as people transition from pre-settled to settled status. These figures cannot be directly compared with estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. Figures in this report include non-EEA national family members, eligible EEA nationals not resident in the UK and some who may have subsequently left the UK. These are not usually included in estimates of the resident EU/EEA population, or the census where they are not in the UK. Furthermore, the population estimates do not take account of people’s migration intentions and will include people who have come to the UK for a range of purposes, including some who have no intention to settle in the UK.

8.2 Repeat applications

The data in this report account for the number of applications to the system, including individuals making applications on more than one occasion. An individual who has been granted pre-settled status can make a new application at a later stage for settled status. As these are separate applications with separate outcomes, they are counted separately in the statistics. There are several case working systems used to administer applications to the scheme, with each application having a unique application number but not a single person identifier to distinguish repeat applicants. Analysis using probabilistic data matching methods have been developed to better understand the number of repeat applicants to the scheme. This allows us to provide more accurate figures on the number of people who have applied to the EU Settlement Scheme overall, including their outcomes. More information regarding the methodology is provided in section 5.3 of the Home Office EU Settlement Scheme statistics: user guide

8.3 User Guide

The Home Office EU Settlement Scheme statistics: user guide provides further details on this topic including, definitions used, data conventions, methods, data quality, and issues arising from figures based on data sourced from a live operational database.

9. Other related data

The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) family permit enables family members of EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK by the end of the transition period (and who, with some exceptions, have pre-settled or settled status under the EUSS), and of qualifying British citizens returning to the UK after living in the EEA or Switzerland, to join them in the UK. Once here the family member can then apply to the EUSS for the immigration status they need to continue living in the UK. Data on EUSS family permits are published as part of the quarterly Home Office “Immigration System Statistics” and are covered in the chapter ‘Why do people come to the UK? For family reasons’. The latest quarterly Immigration Statistics report was published on 24 August 2023.

9.1 Feedback

We welcome feedback on the ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ publications. Additionally, we’re always looking to improve the accessibility of our documents. If you find any problems, or have any feedback relating to accessibility or otherwise, please contact us by emailing MigrationStatsEnquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please include the words ‘EUSS PUBLICATION FEEDBACK’ in the subject of your email.

10. Data tables

Further data on the EU Settlement Scheme for the period 28 August 2018 to 30 June 2023, are available in:

• EUSS_01 to EUSS_05, EUSS_DR_01, EUSS_POST_30_JUNE, EUSS_RA_01 to EUSS_RA_04 , EUSS_MON, EUSS_Non_EEA_01 and EUSS_Non_EEA_02 EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics tables

• EUSS_LA_01 to EUSS_LA_03, EU Settlement Scheme quarterly local authority tables

10.1 Upcoming publications

The next quarterly EU Settlement Scheme release is due for publication on 23 November 2023.

1. The EUSS user guide (section 3.6) provides information on applications where locational data is not available or in an analysable format from live systems. This proportion (3%) includes applications associated with a non-UK address. ↩

2. Figures on repeat application analysis may not exactly match those in the analysis of cases processed ↩

3. Figures in this publication refer specifically to applications made to the EUSS, including repeat applications as people transition from pre-settled to settled status. These estimates cannot be directly compared with estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. Please see the EUSS user guide (section 6.1) for more information. ↩

4. Refusals by suitability stand at less than 0.1% of total refusals as of 30 June 2023. ↩

5. Local Authority Districts (August 2022) Names and Codes in the United Kingdom ↩