Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (settled and pre-settled status)

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Applying if you're the family member of an eligible person of Northern Ireland

You can apply if you have a family member who is an eligible person of Northern Ireland. You do not have to be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.

The person of Northern Ireland who is your family member must:

  • be a British, Irish or dual British and Irish citizen
  • have been born in Northern Ireland
  • at the time of their birth, have at least one parent who held British, Irish or dual British and Irish citizenship (or was without any restriction on their period of residence)
  • have been living in the UK by 31 December 2020

If your family member could not return to the UK by 31 December 2020

You will be able to apply if all of the following are true:

  • you are not from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
  • your family member is a British citizen or dual British and Irish citizen
  • your family member meets the other criteria to be an eligible person of Northern Ireland, but they were not able to come back to the UK to live here by 31 December 2020 while you remained outside the UK

They must have been unable to come back to the UK for ‘compelling practical or compassionate reasons’ - for example, if both of the following applied:

  • you could not get a visa or permit to come back with them to the UK by 31 December 2020
  • they could not leave you to come back to the UK because you were dependent on them for care

You will not need to show you have ‘reasonable grounds’ for the delay in applying.

What documents you’ll need

If you’re applying now because your family member could not return to the UK without you by 31 December 2020, you will need to apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit to come to the UK.

Once you’re in the UK, you can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. You can use the same evidence you used to apply for the family permit.

If you did not apply by 30 June 2021

You need to provide a birth certificate or passport showing that your family member was born in Northern Ireland.

You also need evidence of a parent’s citizenship (or evidence showing no restriction on their period of residence) at the time of your family member’s birth. This could be the parent’s:

  • passport
  • British naturalisation certificate or registration certificate, and photo ID of the parent
  • certificate of Irish citizenship, and photo ID of the parent
  • biometric residence card or permit, or other Home Office document or stamp, showing no restriction on their period of residence, and photo ID of the parent

You will also need the usual evidence required in an application, which is:

  • your own identity and continuous residence
  • your relationship to your family member
  • your family member’s identity and continuous residence
  • the reasonable grounds for the delay in applying (where relevant)
View a printable version of the whole guide

Part of Stay in the UK ('settled status'): step by step

  1. Step 1 Check if you need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme

    You may need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK.

    1. Check if you need to apply

  2. Step 2 Find out what status you’ll get

    You’ll get settled or pre-settled status depending on how long you’ve been living in the UK. This might affect when you choose to apply.

    1. Find out what you’ll get

  3. Step 3 Check what you’ll need to apply

    1. What you'll need to apply

    Check what you need to do if:

  4. Step 4 Apply

    The deadline for applying for most people was 30 June 2021.

    1. Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme

  5. Step 5 After you've applied

    1. What happens after you’ve applied