EU and EEA Nationals
The United Kingdom left the EU on 31 January 2020 and at present, the transitional period ends on 31 December 2020.
Wiltshire Council has been working with our partners to minimise the impact of any disruption to our residents and businesses; and has been sharing any advice, guidance and information that is available.
We value the contribution of EEA citizens that are Wiltshire residents and would encourage them to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme.
The UK Government has put this scheme in place to allow you to demonstrate your continued right to be here. While Wiltshire Council is not responsible for checking that you have registered, EU settlement scheme registration is an important step towards you retaining the benefits afforded to you as a resident of the UK. Evidence of your status will be important if you are, for example, changing jobs, agreeing a tenancy or opening a bank account.
The scheme is open to nationals from the EEA and Switzerland and their family members. This means that you can apply if you area national of any of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. If you are a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, you do not have to apply.
If you have been in the UK for five years or more, you should be granted settled status. Settled status allows an individual to live and work in the UK indefinitely and will be lost only once an individual has been absent from the UK for five years. If you have been in the UK for less than five years, you should be granted pre-settled status.
This can be converted to settled status at the five-year point, provided that you have not had excessive absences from the UK during the five-year period. All EEA and Swiss nationals and their non-European family members who reside in the UK on or before 31 December 2020 are able to apply for settled or pre-settled status. For the latest information visit Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (settled and pre-settled status).
The application process is straightforward. You can apply online by completing two steps:
- Prove your identity
You can verify your identity by scanning the passport and uploading a selfie to an app. You can also send the documents required to verify your identity by post or get the documents scanned in person at an application centre. See EU Settlement Scheme: Assisted Digital service guidance for further details, including a list of locations where you can get your documents scanned.
- Complete an application form
The online form will automatically search the HM Revenue and Customs and Department for Work and Pensions databases to establish continuous residence. There will be an opportunity for you to upload further evidence of residence where there are gaps in these databases, to allow you every opportunity to establish continuous residence.
If you need additional information or support about the application process, you can contact the EU settlement resolution centre. Details are available at EU Settlement Scheme: applicant information. The UK Government has provided a deadline for submitting an application of 30 June 2021 (with a withdrawal deal agreed). However, you should check Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (settled and pre-settled status) for the latest information.
We appreciate that an application for settled or pre-settled status is a personal matter for you. It is up to you when to submit your application. Wiltshire Citizens Advice however can provide support with individual applications for those that struggle with IT and library staff are always willing to help with using websites.