What Part 3 did
Part 3 of the Immigration (EEA) Regulations 2006 set out the documents the Home Office issued to evidence the rights in Part 2. The rights existed without them, but they were the practical proof for employers, landlords and border staff.
The documents
| Document | For whom | How it worked |
|---|---|---|
| Registration certificate | An EEA national who was a qualified person | Issued immediately on application with a valid identity card or passport and proof of qualified-person status. For a worker, confirmation from the employer was enough. |
| Residence card | A non-EEA family member of an EEA national | Issued within six months of application, valid for five years. |
| Document certifying permanent residence, and permanent residence card | An EEA national, or a non-EEA family member, with a permanent right of residence | Issued on proof of five years’ qualifying residence, or an earlier basis. The card was valid for ten years. |
| Derivative residence card | A person with a derivative right, such as a primary carer | Issued on proof of the right, and valid for five years. |
What the documents show now
A card issued under the 2006 Regulations is evidence of a right that existed at the time. It does not itself give permission to live in the UK today. A holder who did not apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by the deadline needs to show reasonable grounds for a late application. See old EEA documents and European migrants in the UK.
