Information for EU nationals

As part of the UK Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union (and similar agreements with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (EEA) and Switzerland) following Brexit, the UK government created a scheme to protect the rights of EU, EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members who were resident in the UK before the end of the Brexit transition period (31 December 2020).

This is known as the EU Settlement Scheme (or EUSS).

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members who were resident in the UK prior to 31 December 2020 could apply to the EU Settlement scheme in order to retain their rights to reside in the UK.

In some cases, family members (for example, a child or partner) of someone with status under the EU Settlement Scheme, may still be able to join their relevant family members in the UK and obtain status under the EU Settlement Scheme themselves.

Note for Irish nationals: The rights of Irish nationals already living in or coming to the UK are protected under the UK-Ireland Common Travel Area arrangements. This means that Irish citizens do not need to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme or other types of immigration permission in the UK.

The deadline for applying to the scheme was 30 June 2021 for those already resident in the UK. However, there is some provision to make an application after this deadline if you can show that you have 'reasonable grounds' for making a late application.

For example: if you don’t currently hold status because you were a child at the time of the deadline and your parents did not realise that they had to apply for status for you.

For further information on making a late application, please see the Settled Website and contact the Student Advice team urgently for advice.

There are different deadlines which apply to joining family members.

If you have status (Settled or Pre-Settled Status) under the EU Settlement Scheme you are not restricted on where or what you study, and you do not have work restrictions.

For detailed information about Brexit and the EU Settlement Scheme, please visit:

• UKCISA EU Settlement Scheme
• Settled.org.ukGo to EU settlement scheme page on settled.org
• GOV.uk

If you currently hold Pre-Settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme, please contact the Student Advice team to discuss recent changes to the status and your options for study with this status.

Under the EU Settlement Scheme, two types of residence status are issued. Settled and Pre-Settled Status. There is some difference between Settled and Pre Settled Status

Settled Status

Settled Status allows the holder to remain in the UK indefinitely and is normally granted to those who have been resident in the UK for five years continuously.

Settled Status grants permanent rights in the UK including the right to work, study, receive healthcare under the National Health Service (NHS) and the right to claim benefits, public funds and state pensions in the same way as British citizens.

Settled status is indefinite and can normally only be lost if you spend five years continuously outside of the UK without returning (or four years for Swiss citizens with Settled Status) or in certain other restricted circumstances such as criminality.

A loss of Settled Status in these cases is referred to as lapsing leave or cancellation/curtailment of permission.

Pre-Settled Status

Pre-Settled Status is initially granted for a period of five years where someone has not already lived in the UK for five continuous years.

People with Pre-Settled status should have their rights protected in the UK for the duration of the status, including the right to work, study, receive healthcare under the National Health Service (NHS) and the right to claim benefits, public funds and state pensions in the same way as British citizens.

Absence from the UK can impact on Pre-Settled Status and ability to upgrade to Settled Status

Generally, someone with Pre-Settled status can lose their ability to later obtain Settled status if they are absent from the UK for a total of 6 months in any 12-month period.

In limited cases, there is a possibility of a single absence of up to 12 months for specific reasons such as study abroad, serious illness or childbirth.

It is, therefore, important to keep track of any absences from the UK to avoid this possibility.

In July 2025 the Government introduced some changes to the EU Settlement Scheme rules which include a new rule on how absence can be calculated for the purposes of upgrading Pre-Settled Status to Settled Status.

The new rules allow Pre-Settled status holders to prove they have been resident in the UK for at least 30 months in the last 60 months to show that they have completed a five-year continuous qualifying period and to be eligible for Settled Status.

Upgrading Pre-Settled Status to Settled Status

Once someone with Pre-Settled status has lived in the UK for five continuous years, they can apply for Settled status. Alternatively, the Home Office can automatically upgrade your status to Settled if there is sufficient evidence available to them (ie: via HMRC) that you meet the continuous residence requirements.

In May 2023 the UK Government announced automatic extensions to the five-year Pre-Settled Status for an additional two-year period and later in May 2024, the government announced a further automatic extension of Pre-Settled Status for an additional five-year period. 

Similarly, the UK Government announced that from January 2025 and where they have evidence (mainly through HMRC records), they would automatically upgrade Pre-Settled Status to Settled Status.

Not everyone will receive an automatic upgrade to Settled Status and some people will need to apply for an upgrade to Settled Status with a manual application.

Please note, the absence rules for obtaining Settled Status still apply.

If you currently hold Pre-Settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme, please contact the Student Advice team to discuss recent changes to the status and your options for study with this status.

For more information on the government announcements on extensions to Pre-Settled Status, upgrades to Settled Status and other changes to the EU Settlement Scheme as well as general information on the scheme please see the 3 Million website.

There have been a number of changes to the EU Settlement Scheme mainly impacting on those with Pre-Settled Status including the following:

• Changes to absence relating to continuous residence to achieve Settled Status.
• Changes to lapsing leave (when you can lose your status due to absence).
• Automatic extensions to Pre-Settled Status (where permission is not cancelled).
• Automatic upgrades from Pre-Settled Status to Settled Status in limited cases.
• Considerations for late applications to the EU Settlement Scheme

You can find more detailed information about these changes to the EU Settlement Scheme on the 3 Million website.

If you currently hold Pre-Settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme, please contact the Student Advice team to discuss recent changes to the status and your options for study with this status.

For more information about the EU Settlement Scheme visit the UKCISA EU Settlement Scheme or the GOV.UK EU Settlement Scheme pages.

After the end of the Brexit transition period, EU, EEA & Swiss nationals and their family members who were not already resident in the UK are mainly liable to pay “international” rate tuition fees and ineligible for UK government(s) student support.

EU nationals and their family members who started their course prior to the September 2021 academic year, remain eligible to pay ‘Home’ rate fees and remain eligible for financial support for the duration of their course.

You can find more information about fee status and funding options on our Funding pages.

If you are an EU/EEA national and have Pre-Settled Status or Settled Status under the EU settlement Scheme, you may qualify for the 'Home' rate fee and student finance.

The type of support you may receive will depend on how long you have lived in the UK or EEA, and/or whether you or a family member have been working in the UK.

More information is on our Funding for EU, EEA and Swiss students page.

If you are an EU/EEA national who does not have Pre-Settled or Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme for EU/EEA nationals and family members living in the UK prior to the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020, you can come to the UK to study either as a visitor (for short courses) or with a Student visa (usually for longer courses). 

Please see the section below entitled “Do I need a visa to come to the UK?”

For the latest information on which EU/EEA nationals may qualify for the ‘Home’ fee rate and Student Finance, please read up-to-date information on the GOV.UK and UKCISA websites.

If you are an international student and you have been accepted on an undergraduate programme starting from September 2022 on the basis of having an eligible EU qualification, you'll be awarded a tuition fee reduction which will align your fee more closely to that of UK students for the first year of your studies.

For more information, see the EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme.

If you do not qualify for the EU Settlement Scheme (see above), and you are coming to the UK to study on a degree course which is longer than six months, you will normally need to apply for a Student Visa.

For further information about this student visas please see our Student visa pages.

If you are coming to the UK to study on a course which is shorter than six months, you will normally be able to come to the UK as a visitor.

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals are “non-visa nationals” for most short visits to the UK (including for study on short courses) of less than six months and can therefore, normally come to the UK without a visa.

Please note: The UK government is introducing an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirement for all non-visa nationals coming to the UK for visits of less than six months.

From 2 April 2025, all nationals of European Union member states as well as nationals of Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland are required to obtain an ETA prior to travelling to the UK as visitors.

Nationals of the Republic of Ireland are not required to obtain an ETA.

For further information about the ETA, please see our Visitor pages.

Note: If you already hold status under the EU Settlement Scheme, a Student visa or other type of immigration permission in the UK, you do not require ETA approval prior to travel to the UK. An ETA is a requirement for visitors to the UK who do not require or already hold a UK visa.

If you applied for your Student Visa using the UK immigration: ID Check app

You’ll need to provide:

• Your online status. You can show/share this by providing your share code (you can get a share code via Gov.uk)
• Original copies of your academic qualifications
• Proof of any fee payments made or scholarship/funding letters
• Evidence of your Student Finance Tuition Fee Loan, if you’ve applied for this

You’ll also need to provide evidence of the date you entered the UK:

• If you received a visa entry stamp in your passport on entry to the UK, you’ll need to provide a copy of this stamp
• If you did not receive a visa entry stamp, you’ll need to show other evidence of your arrival date, such as your boarding pass or flight tickets

If you have a Settled or Pre-Settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

You’ll need to provide:

• Your online status. You can show/share this by providing your share code (you can get a share code via Gov.uk)
• Original copies of your academic qualifications
• Proof of any fee payments made or scholarship/funding letters
• Evidence of your Student Finance Tuition Fee Loan, if you’ve applied for this

If you made a late application to the EU Settlement Scheme or you are still waiting for a decision, and you are unable to obtain a share code, you can provide your COA (Certificate Of Application) to enrol.

If you have not received a COA, please contact Student Advice.

If you’re arriving in the UK as a visitor

If you’re studying on a course lasting more than six months, you will not be able to enrol with a Standard Visitor Visa. You should contact Student Advice as soon as possible as you may be required to leave the UK to apply for an appropriate visa for your studies.

If you’re studying on a course lasting less than six months, you’ll need to provide evidence of the date you entered the UK:

• If you received a visa entry stamp in your passport on entry to the UK, you’ll need to provide a copy of this stamp
• If you did not receive a visa entry stamp, you’ll need to show other evidence of your arrival date, such as your boarding pass or flight tickets

Further information

Full details about enrolment, including the deadline you need to enrol by, can be found on our Enrolment for new students page.

You can also find additional information on our Enrolment for new international students page.

All EU, EEA and Swiss nationals resident in the UK before 31 December 2020 could work in the UK without restriction. To retain these rights, EU nationals must have applied for, and obtained UK immigration status under the EU Settlement Scheme (see above).

If you have status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you can share your digital status work rights to your employer by using the View and Prove your Immigration Status system on GOV.UK.

If you do not qualify for the EU Settlement Scheme and are in the UK on a different study or work visa, you'll be subject to the work rules attached to your visa.

For more information on working with a Student visa see our Student visa pages.

If you enter the UK as a Standard Visitor, you are not permitted to work.

If you have not worked in the UK previously, you must apply for a National Insurance number, if you want to start work. 

Students pay income tax in the same way as other workers, but often do not earn enough to pay tax. The tax-free allowance for a single person in 2026–27 is £12,570 (April to April). You can find out more on the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group website.

Rights and access to medical treatment in the UK is different depending if you have UK immigration status under the EU Settlement Scheme, if you have a Student visa or if you are in the UK as a visitor.

In the UK with a Student visa or status under the EU Settlement Scheme

Generally, if you hold a Student visa or if you have status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you are able to access medical treatment in the same way as other settled residents in the UK.

You can find more information on access to healthcare if you are living in the UK with a Student visa or with status under the EU Settlement Scheme on the GOV.UK website.

In the UK as a visitor

Generally, if you are in the UK as a visitor, you will require travel or health insurance and a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). 

You can find more information on healthcare in the UK for visitors from EU/EEA countries on the GOV.UK website.

You can also find useful information about healthcare in the UK on the United Kingdom Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.

If you are travelling to the UK, you will not be able to use your ID card to enter the UK and will be required to present your passport (unless you have status under the EU Settlement Scheme and were resident in the UK before 31 December 2020).

If you have a passport issued by an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland (and some other countries), you should be able to use the e-gates at the UK border if you have a biometric passport.

For information on entering the UK please visit the GOV.UK website.

If you are studying on a course of more than six months, you will need to obtain the correct Study visa unless you hold immigration status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme or another status which permits study.

Please see our information for studying with a Student visa.

If you are studying on a course of less than six months, you may be able to enter the UK as a visitor. You will need to meet the requirements for entry as a visitor. 

Please see our information for study as a visitor.

You cannot study on a course that lasts longer than six months if you are in the UK as a visitor. You will not be able to apply for a Student visa in the UK if you arrive as a visitor.

In such cases, you will normally need to apply for the required Study visa in your home country and only travel to the UK once your visa has been granted.

For up-to-date information on entering the UK, please see the links below:

• Visiting the UK after Brexit
• UK border control