Apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit to join family in the UK

Apply if you're joining a family member from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

You can apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit to come to the UK if all of the following are true:

you’re the eligible family member of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
your family relationship began by 31 December 2020
your family member was living in the UK by 31 December 2020
your family member will be in the UK when you apply, or will travel there with you up to 6 months later

You might still be eligible if you were living with your family member in the UK by 31 December 2020 but they have died, left the UK or the relationship has broken down. This is known as having ‘retained the right of residence’.

Children who were born or adopted after 31 December 2020 may also be eligible, if they’re the child of either:

someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020
the spouse or civil partner of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and where the family relationship began before that date

If your family member is an eligible person of Northern Ireland, there are different rules for applying for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit.

Eligible family members

You can apply if you’re one of the following family members:

spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner
child or grandchild under 21
dependent child or grandchild over 21
dependent parent or grandparent

This includes family members who were adopted under an adoption order that’s recognised in UK law.

You can also apply if you’re one of the following family members of the spouse or civil partner:

their child or grandchild aged under 21
their dependent child or grandchild over 21
their dependent parent or grandparent

Spouses and civil partners of Swiss citizens

If you’re married to or in a civil partnership with an eligible Swiss citizen, the rules are different.

You’ll still be eligible if:

you got married or formed your civil partnership between 31 December 2020 and 1 January 2026
you’re still married or in a civil partnership when you apply

Who you can join

The person you’re joining must be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. This includes if they:

are exempt from immigration control (for example, they’re a foreign diplomat posted in the UK)
travel regularly to work in the UK but live outside of the UK (also known as a ‘frontier worker’)
are a British citizen who has dual citizenship with an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, and they settled in the UK before 16 July 2012 without using their free movement rights (also known as a ‘McCarthy’ case)
are a British citizen who is also a citizen of an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, and they were working, self-employed, studying or living self-sufficiently in the UK before becoming a British citizen (also known as a ‘Lounes’ case)

Your family member must usually have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or have applied and they’re waiting for a decision.

If your family member does not have settled or pre-settled status

If your family member did not need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, or could not apply because they’re a British citizen, you can apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit. Your family member must meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme.

If you were living in the UK by 31 December 2020

You can apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit to return to the UK to join your family member, even if they have not applied to the EU Settlement Scheme.

You must not have broken your ‘continuous residence’. This usually means you must have not left the UK for more than 6 months in any 12 month period, unless you have an important reason. For example, this could be because of childbirth, serious illness, study, vocational training, an overseas work posting or coronavirus (COVID-19).

You will have to provide evidence to show that:

your family member is a citizen of an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein - by providing their valid passport or national identity card
your family member was living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and that they still are
you’re their family member, and have been since before 31 December 2020

Documents you must provide

You must provide proof of your identity, which can be either:

a valid passport
a valid national identity card, if you’re from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

You may be able to use other proof of your identity and nationality if you cannot provide either of these because of a ‘compelling practical or compassionate’ reason. For example, you cannot travel to get this document because of an illness.

When you apply, you will need to explain why you cannot provide a passport or national identity card, and provide supporting evidence.

You must provide your family member’s application number to the EU Settlement Scheme, unless they did not need to apply or could not apply because they’re a British citizen. This is a 16 digit number - for example, ‘1234-5678-1234-5678’ - in the email your family member got confirming their settled or pre-settled status.

Where your family member did not need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, or could not apply because they’re a British citizen, you’ll need to provide evidence that shows they meet the eligibility criteria.

You need evidence that shows they:

were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020
have not broken their continuous residence in the UK
pass criminal record checks

Evidence if you’re a spouse or civil partner

You must show that you’re currently married to or in a civil partnership with the person you’re joining and that the relationship began by 31 December 2020. To do this, you must provide either:

a marriage or civil partnership certificate
a document issued under the EEA regulations showing you’re their spouse or civil partner - for example an EU Settlement Scheme family permit or residence card

If you’re married to or in civil partnership with a Swiss citizen who was living in the UK by 31 December 2020, the rules are different. You may be eligible if you got married or entered into your partnership any time before 1 January 2026, and the relationship still exists when you apply.

If you got married or formed your civil partnership after 31 December 2020, you’ll also need evidence that you were their unmarried partner before that date.

Evidence if you’re an unmarried partner

If you’re an unmarried partner, you’ll need to provide evidence that you were in your long-term relationship by 31 December 2020.

This usually means showing that you had been living together for 2 years. Evidence could include:

bank statements, utility bills, a tenancy or mortgage agreement, or other official correspondence that shows you and your partner at the same address
documents showing joint finances, like a tax return
documents showing joint business ventures or commitments, like business contracts or investments you’ve made together
birth certificates or custody agreements showing that you shared responsibility for children while living together

You’ll also need to provide evidence that:

you’re still in the relationship when you apply
if you were living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you were legally living here during that time

Evidence if you’re a dependent child, grandchild, parent or grandparent

You’ll have to provide evidence that you’re related to your family member, such as a birth certificate. Depending on your circumstances you may also need to provide evidence that shows your dependency.

Examples of the evidence you can provide include:

bank statements or money transfers that show you depend on them financially
evidence that you depend on them for health care, for example a letter from a hospital consultant

You need to provide evidence you’re dependent on them if:

you’re over 21 and a dependent child or grandchild of your family member
you’re their dependent parent or grandparent and your family member is under 18 (or was under 18 on 31 December 2020 and you were living in the UK by then)
you’re their dependent parent or grandparent and your family member is over 18 and you were not living in the UK by 31 December 2020

If you’re a dependent parent or grandparent, you will not need to show dependency if your spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner has successfully applied for either:

an EU Settlement Scheme family permit, as the dependent parent or grandparent of your family member
the EU Settlement Scheme, as the dependent parent or grandparent of your family member

Evidence if you’re joining a person who is exempt from immigration control

You’ll need to provide evidence showing that they’re from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein - for example, their valid passport or valid national identity card.

You also need to provide evidence that either they:

have settled or pre-settled status
are exempt from immigration control - for example a letter from a UK or foreign ministry - and that they would have met the other eligibility criteria for the EU Settlement Scheme if they had applied by 30 June 2021

Evidence if you’re joining a frontier worker

You’ll need to provide their frontier worker permit, or evidence that shows that they would be issued one if they applied.

Evidence if you’re joining a person with dual citizenship

You’ll need to provide evidence that shows:

your family member is a British citizen - for example a copy of their passport
they would have met the other eligibility criteria for the EU Settlement Scheme if they had applied by 30 June 2021 (even though they could not actually apply)

If you’re applying on the grounds that your family member was settled in the UK before 16 July 2012 without using their free movement rights (also known as a ‘McCarthy’ case), you’ll have to show that on 16 July 2012 they had either:

a right of permanent residence in the UK
a document issued under EEA regulations, for example a residence card