Accredited official statistics

How many people have been granted settlement via the EU Settlement Scheme?

Published 27 February 2025

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1. How many applications have been made to the EU Settlement Scheme?

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. Further information about the EUSS can be found on the EU Settlement Scheme webpage.

As of 31 December 2024, there have been 8.4 million EUSS applications made since the scheme was launched on 28 August 2018. These applications relate to 6.3 million people (some people will have multiple applications). Of these, 5.7 million people currently hold a grant of status through the scheme (4.1 million settled status and 1.7 million pre-settled status).

Figure 1: Number of EUSS applications received and concluded since the start of the scheme

Source: Table EUSS_MON, EU Settlement Scheme summary tables , year ending December 2024.

Figure 1 illustrates that the number of applications to the scheme were high at the outset, notably in Q3 (July to September) and Q4 (October to December) 2019, with 952,989 and 899,674 applications submitted per quarter, respectively. Further peaks occurred in Q4 2020, coinciding with the end of the EU exit transition period (11 pm on 31 December 2020), with 854,292 applications, and in Q2 (April to June) 2021, leading up to the deadline for most individuals to apply to the EUSS, with 745,237 applications.

Since the deadline of 30 June 2021, the volume of applications submitted each quarter has sharply declined. In the most recent quarter, Q4 2024, there were 140,357 applications - an 81% reduction compared to the 745,237 applications submitted in Q2 2021.

The deadline for most people to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme was 30 June 2021. However, individuals with pre-settled status can still apply for settled status beyond this deadline. Additionally, late applications may be accepted in certain circumstances where there are reasonable grounds for the delay. More information on late applications can be found at the EU Settlement Scheme webpage.

Applications post 30 June 2021 have continued at an average of 164,799 per quarter, See section 2.1 below.

2. Applications concluded

As of 31 December 2024, 98% (8.2million) of all applications submitted have been concluded, of which 50% (4.1 million) were granted settled status, 35% (2.9 million) were granted pre-settled status and 15% had other outcomes (including 758,058 refused applications, 219,415 withdrawn or void applications, and 272,504 invalid applications).

This section relates to the number of applications concluded, not the number of people.

Individuals may have submitted a single application, or multiple applications - for instance, an initial application granting pre-settled status, followed by a subsequent application to transition to settled status. Statistics on the number of individuals with settled and pre-settled status are detailed in the ‘Repeat applications’ section.

Of the refusals, 99% were refused on eligibility grounds (issues with the application, such as providing no evidence of residence) and less than 1% were refused on suitability grounds (issues with the applicant, such as being subject to a deportation order). Full definitions of eligibility and suitability can be found in the EU Settlement Scheme caseworker guidance.

2.1 Applications made and concluded by type, post 30 June 2021

A total of 2.3 million applications had been received after the June 2021 deadline up to 31 December 2024, of which 2.1 million had been concluded.

Of the 2.3 million applications received from 1 July 2021 to 31 December 2024:

• 686,304 were late applications
• 1.1 million applications were repeat applicants (including those moving from pre-settled to settled status)
• 532,659 applications were from joining family members
• 14,499 applications were derivative rights applicants (see section 4 for more information on these)

Of the 2.1 million applications concluded from 1 July 2021 to 31 December 2024:

• 646,211 were from late applicants (with 38% granted status)
• 990,715 were repeat applicants (with 88% granted status)
• 498,479 were from joining family members (with 44% granted status)
• 13,985 were derivative rights applicants (with 47% granted status)

In 2024, repeat applicants make up the largest proportion of applications to the scheme (67% of the total). This trend is driven by a decrease in late, derivative rights, and joining family member applications, alongside a growing number of pre-settled status holders reaching the 5-year continuous residence qualifying period and applying for settled status.

Figure 2: Concluded applications submitted, 1 July 2021 to 31 December 2024

Source: Table EUSS_POST_30_JUNE, EU Settlement Scheme - summary tables, year ending December 2024.

The number of applications concluded as invalid has increased since August 2023, following updates to the validity criteria. More information on the validity criteria is available in the Immigration Rules.

From 1 July 2021 to 31 December 2024, 165,602 applications were found invalid. Of these, 100,922 (61%) were decided under the revised validity criteria, with most being late applications without reasonable grounds for delay.

The deadline for a joining family member to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme was revised in October 2024 to three months from their first (not most recent) arrival in the UK following the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. Joining family members may still apply after their applicable deadline if they can demonstrate reasonable grounds for the delay in applying.

Since the scheme’s launch, there have been 45,890 invalid joining family member conclusions, with 14,465 found invalid in Q4 2024. This represents the peak in invalid conclusions for joining family members since the scheme began accounting for just over a third of all such invalid cases.

3. Repeat applicants

Individuals moving from pre-settled to settled status, those granted pre-settled or settled status after another outcome, and those not granted any status are referred to as ‘Repeat applicants’ in this report.

Where figures are provided on individuals’ status, these reflect the latest outcomes. When this report references ‘people,’ it refers to individuals, including ‘repeat applicants’ and those who have made only one application, rather than separate applications. More information on details of repeat applications is provided in EU Settlement Scheme section of the Immigration system statistics user guide.

As of 31 December 2024, an estimated 6.3 million people have applied to the scheme since it began in 2018, of which 74% (4.7 million) made one application and 26% (1.6 million) made at least one repeat application.

It is estimated that a total of 5.8 million EEA nationals and 510,500 non-EEA national applicants had applied to the scheme since it opened. EEA and non-EEA nationals are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme as family members of individuals from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, provided both parties arrived in the UK by 31 December 2020. Those arriving after this date, or yet to arrive, can also apply if their EU, EEA, or Swiss close family member was living in the UK by 31 December 2020 and holds settled or pre-settled status. The family relationship must have existed by 31 December 2020 (unless a child has been born or adopted since then) and must still exist at the date of application. See GOV.UK EU Settlement Scheme.

Of the repeat applicant cohort, as of 31 December 2024:

• 90% (1.5 million) had received a grant of status

Of which:

• 65% (1.1 million) had moved from pre-settled to settled status
• 8% (138,470) were granted settled status following another outcome
• 16% (258,000) were granted pre-settled status following another outcome

Additionally, 10% (168,990) had received an outcome of refused, invalid, void or withdrawn, and less than 1% (2,490) were awaiting an outcome.

Figure 3: Repeat applicants moving from pre-settled to settled status since the start of the scheme

Source: Table EUSS_MON, EU Settlement Scheme summary tables, year ending December 2024

Figure 3 shows an upward trend in the number of individuals transitioning from pre-settled to settled status since the scheme’s launch. This trend reflects the growing number of people with pre-settled status completing the required 5-year qualifying period of residence in the UK. However, 2024 saw a slight decline in these transitions. In Q4 2024, 70,420 individuals moved from pre-settled to settled status, down from 77,950 in Q3 2024 and further below the peak of 83,130 recorded in Q1 (January to March) 2024. Figures on repeat applicants by nationality can be found in summary tables EUSS_RA_01 - EUSS_RA_04.

4. 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. These applicants can apply to the EUSS through the following routes:

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

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. More information on these routes and their eligibility requirements can be found in the EU Settlement Scheme caseworker guidance. Individuals with pre-settled status or an EUSS family permit granted under Surinder Singh or Zambrano can still make an application under the scheme.

Table 1: EU Settlement Scheme: derivative right to reside applications by route and outcome type, 28 August 2018 to 31 December 2024

	Chen	Family Member of a British citizen	Ibrahim/Teixeira	Zambrano
Applications received	2,548	15,363	528	15,463
Applications concluded	2,464	15,002	501	15,123
of which:
Settled	727	6,046	218	1,530
Pre-settled	1,092	7,268	115	882
Refused	538	1,145	138	11,940
Withdrawn or   Void	68	281	16	409
Invalid	39	262	14	362

Source: EUSS_DR_01, EU Settlement Scheme summary tables, year ending December 2024.

Notes

1. Lounes and Surinder Singh applications are recorded as Family Member of a British citizen in the statistics.
2. Table 1 shows that the number of refused Zambrano applications (11,940) accounted for 87% of total number of refusals for derivative rights applications (13,761).

5. Other related data

There were 13,250 EUSS family permits granted in the year ending 31 December 2024, a 21% reduction from the number of family permits granted in the year ending 31 December 2023.

EU Settlement Scheme family permits were launched alongside the EU Settlement Scheme. The permit enables certain family members of EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 and have status under the EUSS, to join them in the UK. Once here, the family member can then apply to the EUSS to continue living in the UK. Further information can be found in the Family section of the user guide.

Applications for EUSS family permits have shown a steady decline in recent years, decreasing consistently from a peak of 105,403 in the year ending December 2021 to 29,102 in 2024. The fall in applications is closely reflected in the corresponding drop in grants, which peaked at 54,973 (in 2021) and have since steadily decreased to 13,250 in 2024 .

Since its launch, a total of 141,894 EUSS family permits have been granted, with the highest numbers issued to nationals from India (28,087), Pakistan (27,694), and Bangladesh (10,688) - all non-EU countries.

6. About these statistics

The findings presented here are based on data collected from Home Office administrative systems. These systems hold records of individual applications 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. Most applicants to the scheme are EEA nationals, but non-EEA nationals are also eligible to apply to apply in some cases. Non-EEA nationals who have applied to the scheme are included in these statistics.

The EU Settlement Scheme statistics were designated as ‘Official Statistics’ from May 2022. For more information, please see the EU settlement scheme data quality section of the Immigration system statistics user guide. In line with other official statistics published in the Immigration system statistics, most figures are presented as unrounded and representative of the figure at the time of publishing. However, this excludes figures presented on repeat applications, which are estimates and remain rounded.

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. More information can be found at ‘Note on the difference between ONS population estimates by nationality and Home Office EU Settlement Scheme statistics’. 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.

6.1 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 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 EU Settlement Scheme section of the Immigration system statistics user guide.

7. Data tables

Data on the EU Settlement Scheme for the period 28 August 2018 to 31 December 2024, is available in:

• EU Settlement Scheme - summary tables, year ending December 2024
• EU Settlement Scheme local authority - summary tables, year ending December 2024
• EU Settlement Scheme - detailed tables, year ending December 2024

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