Accredited official statistics

How many grants of settlement are made via the EU Settlement Scheme?

Published 22 May 2025

Back to ‘Immigration system statistics, year ending March 2025’ contents page.

Data relates to the year ending March 2025 and all comparisons are with the year ending March 2024 (unless indicated otherwise).

The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) enables EU, other European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss citizens who were resident in the UK before the end of the post-EU exit transition period at 11pm on 31 December 2020, as well as their family members, to obtain permission to remain in the UK.

The deadline for most people to apply to the EUSS was 30 June 2021. However, individuals with pre-settled status can still apply for settled status beyond this deadline, subject to the completion of a continuous qualifying period of 5 years residence in the UK, which can include time spent in the UK prior to being granted pre-settled status. Additionally, late applications may be accepted in certain circumstances where there are reasonable grounds for the delay and certain family members can apply to the EUSS to join an EU, other EEA or Swiss citizen in the UK. More information on the scheme can be found at the EU Settlement Scheme webpage.

As of 31 March 2025, there had been 8.5 million applications made to the scheme, of which 98% have been concluded since the EUSS was launched on 28 August 2018.

For more details on total applications and conclusion to the scheme please refer to EU Settlement Scheme summary tables, year ending March 2025

1. Settled status

This section relates to the number of applications with grants of settled status, not the number of people. An individual may have submitted more than one application to the scheme. The 6,287 automated casework grants between January to March 2025 have also been included in the overall total of settled status grants.

Settled status is a form of indefinite leave to enter or remain, granted under the EUSS. It is available to EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens who were residing in the UK before the end of the transition period, as well as their eligible family members, who may be either EU or non-EEA nationals. Settled status permits individuals to reside permanently in the UK and enables them to continue living and working in the UK, with an eligibility to access healthcare, education and benefits.

1.1 How many applications have been granted settled status

While there has been a small decline in settled status grants in recent quarters, the total number of settled status grants has increased slightly in the latest year, when compared to the previous year.

Figure 1: Total number of applications granted settled status, 28 August 2018 to 31 March 2025

Source: Table EUSS_MON, EU Settlement Scheme summary tables, year ending March 2025

Figure 1 illustrates that just under 4.2 million applications have been granted settled status since the EUSS was launched in 2018, including the scheme testing phase. Most settled status grants (68%) were issued before the 30 June 2021 application deadline. Since that time, the number of grants has declined and have subsequently stabilised, with quarterly averages falling just below 88,000 grants since July to September 2021.

The total number of settled status grants has increased by less than 2% in the year ending March 2025, compared with the previous year.

Since January to March 2024, there has been a slight decline in settled status grants each quarter. This downward trend is largely attributable to a broader reduction in the number of individuals transitioning from pre-settled status to settled status.

Since the launch of the EUSS, 99% of refusals have been on based on eligibility grounds, typically due to insufficient evidence of residence. Less than 1% of refusals have been based on suitability grounds, which relate to the persons circumstances, such as being subject to a deportation order.

Full definitions of eligibility and suitability can be found in the EU Settlement Scheme caseworker guidance.

Table 1: Grants of settled status by region (EU and Non-EEA nationality group)

Region	Grants of Settled status year to March 2024	Proportion of total grants of Settled status year to March 2024	Grants of Settled status year to March 2025	Proportion of total grants of Settled status year to March 2025
EU, other EEA and Swiss	297,056	90%	288,539	86%
Non-EEA	32,383	10%	46,238	14%

Source: Table EUSS_D02, EU Settlement Scheme detail tables, year ending March 2025

Table 1 outlines the number of settled status grants under the EUSS for EU, other EEA, or Swiss nationals and non-EEA nationals over the latest year, along with their respective proportions of the total. Non-EEA nationals are eligible to apply to the EUSS if they are family members of EU, other EEA, or Swiss citizens who were residing in the UK by 31 December 2020.

EU citizens continue to be issued most settled status grants, although there has been a growing proportion of non-EEA nationals granted settled status in the last 12 months. The top 3 non-EEA nationalities granted settled status in the past year are India (8,945), Pakistan (7,557), and Brazil (4,328).

1.2 What types of application have been granted settled status since the 30 June 2021 deadline

Repeat applications (primarily the transition from pre-settled to settled status) have accounted for most grants of settled status since the scheme deadline of 30 June 2021.

Figure 2: Total number of applications granted settled status by application, 1 July 2021 to 31 March 2025

Source: Table EUSS_POST_30_JUNE, EU Settlement Scheme summary tables, year ending March 2025

The deadline for most people to apply to the EUSS was 30 June 2021, but joining family members, individuals with pre-settled status and those late applicants with reasonable grounds for delay may still apply to the scheme beyond this deadline. Further details on application types can be found in the EUSS section of the Immigration system statistics user guide.

Of those applications concluded since the 30 June 2021 deadline, there have been just under 1.1 million grants of settled status. Figure 2 illustrates:

• most grants (82%) were repeat applications, followed by late applications (13%)
• joining family members accounted for 4% and
• derivative rights applications represented less than 1%
• automated grants, recently introduced as an operational case working process represent a small proportion of all grants

Repeat applications: Repeat applications refer to individuals who apply to the scheme more than once. This includes pre-settled status holders later applying for settled status, as well as those granted a different outcome after a previous decision.

In the latest year, there has been a 2% increase in repeat applicants granted settled status.

Automated grants of settled status: From January 2025, pre-settled status holders meeting relevant criteria may be granted settled status automatically, without the requirement for submitting a manual application, unless their case requires further review. These are reported separately as automated grants of settled status.

In January to March 2025, 6,287 grants were issued - less than 1% of total grants of settled status to date - but this number is expected to increase as the automation process is further embedded within EUSS case working.

Late applications: Late applications may be accepted where there are reasonable grounds for missing the deadline.

In the latest year, there has been a 6% decline in late applications granted settled status. This is likely a result of the increasing time passing since the deadline and fewer new applicants meeting the reasonable grounds threshold, late applicants still account for 8% of the total settled status grants.

The number of invalid applications has increased since August 2023, following changes to the validity criteria in the Immigration Rules. Between 1 July 2021 and 31 March 2025, 191,257 applications were concluded as invalid. Of these, 121,112 (63%) were assessed under the revised validity criteria, with the majority being late applications without reasonable grounds for delay.

Joining family members: Joining family members are eligible to apply to the EUSS as relatives of an EU, other EEA, or Swiss citizen resident in the UK before the end of the transition period, provided the relationship existed before the end of the transition period (unless the person is a child born or adopted since then) and continues to exist at the date of application.

In the latest year, there has been a 39% decrease in settled status grants for joining family members. This reflects both a decline in application volumes since the 30 June 2021 deadline and a rise in invalid applications. This follows the October 2024 policy change requiring applications within 3 months of first arrival in the UK since the end of the transition period.

From 1 July 2021, 58,664 joining family member applications have been deemed invalid. This includes 27,239 invalid applications since October 2024 - which represents just under half of all cases which were concluded as an invalid joining family member application since 1 July 2021.

Derivative rights: Applicants with derivative rights did not qualify for a right of residence under the Free Movement Directive but may have had a right to reside in the UK under other provisions of EU law prior to the end of the transition period. While the number of applications has declined, settled status grants issued for derivitive right applications were 11% higher in the latest year, rising from 1,258 to 1,400, the majority of which were cases categorised as family members of a British citizen (Lounes and Surinder Singh).

Figure 3: Applicants moving from pre-settled to settled status, 28 August 2018 to 31 March 2025

Source: Table EUSS_MON, EU Settlement Scheme summary tables, year ending March 2025

Figure 3 above illustrates the number of individuals, including those whose applications have been processed through both automated and non-automated case work, transitioning from pre-settled to settled status since the scheme began. The number of individuals transitioning from pre-settled status to settled status has generally increased since the scheme launched. However, this growth appears to have plateaued and declined since January to March 2024.

2. How many people currently hold pre-settled status via the EU Settlement Scheme

This section relates to the number of people with grants of pre-settled status, not the number of applications granted pre-settled status.

The number of people holding pre-settled status continues to decline as more people transition to settled status.

As of 31 March 2025, an estimated 1.6 million people hold pre-settled status, with the top 5 nationalities being:

• Romania (401,750)
• Italy (136,590)
• Bulgaria (133,670)
• Poland (133,520)
• Spain (111,550)

In total, there are an estimated 1.42 million EEA nationals holding pre-settled status, alongside 198,000 non-EEA nationals.

These figures represent estimates of individuals holding pre-settled status at a specific point in time who may be eligible to gain settled status, subject to meeting the relevant criteria. Morover, these figures should not be interpreted as reflecting the resident UK population, as some individuals with pre-settled status may have left the country or may not intend to return to the UK.

For further information, refer to the ‘Note on the difference between ONS population estimates by nationality and Home Office EU Settlement Scheme statistics’.

3. Applications based on a derivative right to reside

Derivative rights applicants are individuals who did not qualify for residence under the Free Movement Directive but may have had a right to reside in the UK derived from other EU law before the end of the transition period. More information on these routes and their eligibility requirements can be found in the EU Settlement Scheme caseworker guidance. These derivative rights routes include:

• Chen
• Ibrahim and Teixeira
• family member of a British citizen (Lounes and Surinder Singh)
• Zambrano

Figure 4: EU Settlement Scheme: derivative right outcome types, 28 August 2018 to 31 March 2025

Source: Table EUSS_DR_01, EU Settlement Scheme summary tables, year ending March 2025

Notes:

1. Lounes and Surinder Singh applications are recorded as family member of a British citizen in the statistics.
2. The family member of a qualifying British citizen (also known as ‘Surinder Singh’) and Zambrano routes were closed to new applications at 11:59pm on 8 August 2023.

Since the launch of the EUSS, a total of 33,575 derivative rights applications have been concluded, with 27% (8,941) resulting in a grant of settled status. In the year ending March 2025, there were 1,832 concluded derivative rights applications, reflecting a 35% decrease from the previous 12 months (2,815). Of the concluded applications in the year ending March 2025, 78% (1,421) were granted settled status, a notable increase compared to 45% (1,276) in the previous year.

4. EUSS family permit

Applications and grants of EUSS family permits have continued to fall over the last 12 months.

The EUSS family permits enables certain family members of EU, other EEA, and Swiss citizens with EUSS status to join them in the UK and later apply to the scheme. Applications have steadily declined from a peak of 105,403 in 2021 to 26,076 in the year ending March 2025.

In the latest year, a total of 11,169 EUSS family permits were granted, marking a 24% decrease from the previous 12 months. Since the launch of the EUSS, a total of 143,865 family permits have been issued, with the highest numbers granted to nationals from India (28,400), Pakistan (27,930), and Bangladesh (10,785).

5. About these statistics

This report is based on Home Office administrative data tracking EUSS applications and outcomes. As figures come from live systems, they may change and differ from other publications. While most applicants are EEA nationals, some non-EEA nationals are also included. Since May 2022, these statistics have been ‘Official Statistics,’ with most figures unrounded except for estimated repeat applications.

The publication covers all applications, including repeat ones, as individuals transition from pre-settled to settled status. These figures are not directly comparable with UK resident population estimates, as they include non-EEA family members, eligible EEA nationals outside the UK, and those who may have left the UK. Population estimates also do not reflect migration intentions. More details are in the Immigration system statistics user guide.

Repeat applications

This report counts applications to the EUSS, including repeat applications as individuals move from pre-settled to settled status. Each application is recorded separately, as case working systems do not have a single identifier for repeat applicants. Probabilistic data matching has been developed to better estimate the total number of unique applicants and their outcomes. More details are available in the EUSS section of the Immigration system statistics user guide.

6. Data tables

Data on the EUSS for the period 28 August 2018 to 31 March 2025, is available in:

• EU Settlement Scheme - summary tables, year ending March 2025
• EU Settlement Scheme local authority - summary tables, year ending March 2025
• EU Settlement Scheme - detailed tables, year ending March 2025

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