What the permit is
The EU Settlement Scheme family permit lets certain family members who are outside the UK come to join a relative who is settled here. It is free to apply for. It lets you come to the UK for up to six months, and to work, study and travel in and out during that time. Once here, you apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for longer-term status. See the EU Settlement Scheme.
Who can apply
You may qualify if you are a family member of:
- a citizen of an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who was settled in the UK by 31 December 2020, or
- an eligible person of Northern Ireland, that is, someone born in Northern Ireland who is an Irish, British or dual citizen.
You must be outside the UK when you apply. You may still qualify if your family member has since died or left the UK, or the relationship has ended, under what are called retained rights, in some cases.
Family members who count
The scheme is built around close family: a spouse or civil partner, a durable partner, children and grandchildren under 21 or dependent, and dependent parents and grandparents. Extended family members, such as other relatives who are dependent on the sponsor, may apply but are treated more strictly. The relationship and dependency must be proved with documents.
The Surinder Singh route
The Surinder Singh route was a way for a British citizen to bring a non-EU family member to the UK after living with them in another EU country, exercising free-movement rights there. It no longer operates as it did, but people who lived in the EU before the end of 2020 may still be able to rely on it, in whole or in part, through the EU Settlement Scheme family permit. Whether it can help depends on where you lived, when, and in what role. We assess the dates and documents carefully, because the evidence of genuine residence and work in the other country is central.
What you will need
- Your passport and proof of identity.
- Proof of your relationship to the sponsor.
- Proof of the sponsor’s status or eligibility.
- For dependency, financial evidence of support.
- For a Surinder Singh claim, evidence of the sponsor’s work or other genuine residence abroad.
If it is refused
A refusal of an EU Settlement Scheme family permit carries a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal, and the deadline is 28 days from outside the UK. See immigration appeals.
How we help
We assess your eligibility, collect the evidence, apply for the permit, and prepare the application to the scheme once you arrive. Book a consultation below.
