An EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) family permit is a document that lets an eligible family member of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, or of an eligible person of Northern Ireland, travel to the UK. It lasts 6 months, is free and must be applied for from outside the UK.
Key points
- You must be outside the UK to apply. The application is online and there is no fee.
- The permit is valid for 6 months from the date of decision. You can work and study and come and go while it is valid.
- Without a permit, you might not get a boarding pass or may be refused entry to the UK.
- You usually need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme within 3 months of arriving in the UK to stay after the permit expires.
- There is no deadline for applying for the permit, but your family member must have been living in the UK by 31 December 2020.
How an EUSS family permit works
An EU Settlement Scheme family permit makes it easier to travel with your family member to the UK or to join them there.[1]Home Office, Apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit to join family in the UK You may be able to get one if you are the family member of someone from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, or the family member of an eligible person of Northern Ireland.[1]Home Office, Apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit to join family in the UK
The permit lets you come to the UK for up to 6 months. You can work and study, and come and go as many times as you want before it expires.[1]Home Office, Apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit to join family in the UK Without a permit, you might not get a boarding pass or may be refused entry to the UK.[1]Home Office, Apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit to join family in the UK It is free to apply, and you must apply online from outside the UK.[1]Home Office, Apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit to join family in the UK
The permit is valid for 6 months from the date of the decision on the application.[2]Home Office, EU Settlement Scheme family permit: After you get a permit It is not the same as settled or pre-settled status. See our page on settled vs pre-settled status.
Who can apply
If you are joining a family member from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, GOV.UK says all of the following must be true:[3]Home Office, EU Settlement Scheme family permit: Joining a family member from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- you are the eligible family member of that person
- your family relationship began by 31 December 2020
- your family member was an EU or EEA national and living in the UK by 31 December 2020
- your family member will be in the UK when you apply, or will travel there with you up to 6 months later
Eligible family members include a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner, a child or grandchild under 21, a dependent child or grandchild over 21 and a dependent parent or grandparent.[3]Home Office, EU Settlement Scheme family permit: Joining a family member from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein Children born or adopted after 31 December 2020 may also be eligible in certain cases.[3]Home Office, EU Settlement Scheme family permit: Joining a family member from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein You might also qualify if you lived with your family member in the UK by 31 December 2020 and they have since died, left the UK or the relationship has broken down. This is known as having retained the right of residence.[3]Home Office, EU Settlement Scheme family permit: Joining a family member from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
Who you can join
The person you join may be:
| Type of family member | What GOV.UK says |
|---|---|
| A person from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein | They must usually have settled or pre-settled status under the scheme |
| A person exempt from immigration control, such as a diplomat | You must show they are from one of those countries and would have met the other criteria had they applied by 30 June 2021 |
| A frontier worker | You provide their frontier worker permit, or evidence they would be issued one |
| A British citizen who is also a citizen of one of those countries | Rules for what GOV.UK calls Lounes and McCarthy cases apply |
| An eligible person of Northern Ireland | Different rules apply, set out on a separate GOV.UK page |
A person of Northern Ireland must be a British, Irish or dual British and Irish citizen who was born in Northern Ireland. They must have been living in the UK since before 31 December 2020 and have settled or pre-settled status, or show they were eligible for it.[4]Home Office, EU Settlement Scheme family permit: Joining a person of Northern Ireland
If you are joining a frontier worker, someone who lives outside the UK but regularly works here, you provide their frontier worker permit or evidence that they would be issued one.[3]Home Office, EU Settlement Scheme family permit: Joining a family member from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
After you arrive
You can use your permit to come and go while it is valid. You can use an automatic ePassport gate if you are from certain countries, including Australia, Canada, the EEA, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Switzerland. Otherwise you see a border control officer, who will check your permit.[2]Home Office, EU Settlement Scheme family permit: After you get a permit
To stay after the permit expires, you can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. You usually need to apply within 3 months of arriving in the UK. You might be able to apply later if you can show reasonable grounds for not having applied before.[2]Home Office, EU Settlement Scheme family permit: After you get a permit
Example
Lena is a Romanian citizen living in the UK with pre-settled status. She has lived here since 2018. Her husband, Daniel, is a Moldovan citizen living abroad. They married in 2016, so the relationship began before 31 December 2020. Daniel applies online for a family permit from outside the UK. If it is granted, it is valid for 6 months. He arrives and applies to the EU Settlement Scheme within 3 months. This example uses invented facts. It is not advice on a real case.
What people get wrong
The permit is for entering the UK and lasts 6 months. It does not give settled status. Someone who arrives on a permit and does not apply to the EU Settlement Scheme will have only the permit, and it expires 6 months after the decision date.
GOV.UK says the permit is valid for 6 months from the date of decision.[2]Home Office, EU Settlement Scheme family permit: After you get a permit
A second mistake is thinking the scheme deadline of 30 June 2021 applies to the permit. GOV.UK says there is no deadline for applications for the permit, but the family member must still meet the conditions, such as living in the UK by 31 December 2020.[3]Home Office, EU Settlement Scheme family permit: Joining a family member from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
The bottom line
An EU Settlement Scheme family permit is a free, 6-month permit for eligible family members to enter the UK. You apply online from outside the UK. It helps you travel and live here for a short time. To stay longer, you usually apply to the EU Settlement Scheme within 3 months of arriving. Check the current GOV.UK pages before you apply.
Common questions
No. GOV.UK says it is free to apply for the permit. You must apply online and you must be outside the UK when you apply.
It is valid for 6 months from the date of the decision on your application. While it is valid you can work or study in the UK and come and go as many times as you want.
You can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to stay longer. You usually need to apply within 3 months of arriving in the UK. You might apply later if you can show reasonable grounds for not applying earlier.
GOV.UK says there is no deadline for applications for the permit. Your family member must meet the conditions, including living in the UK by 31 December 2020 and a relationship that began by that date.
Sources
We cite the Immigration Rules, legislation and GOV.UK guidance directly. Rules change, so each source shows the date we last checked it.
- Home Office. Apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit to join family in the UK. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. EU Settlement Scheme family permit: After you get a permit. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. EU Settlement Scheme family permit: Joining a family member from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. EU Settlement Scheme family permit: Joining a person of Northern Ireland. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩