How to get the right to permanently reside in the UK? (for “EU citizens“)
It will apply specifically to the EU people living in the United Kingdom for more than 5 years. This procedure will lead to the acquisition after a year of the UK citizenship.
It is not mandatory to have a document that certifies your “permanent residence status” (the right to live in the UK), but you can request it if you want:
- To prove on paper that you have this right;
- To apply for British citizenship.
How to get the permanent residence status
As previously mentioned, you achieve a permanent residence status (sometimes called the “permanent right to reside”) if you have lived in the UK for 5 years as a “qualified person” (or before 5 years in some situations, for example, if you reach retirement age).
You need to send documents with your application. This could include:
- Evidence that you’ve been living in the UK, such as gas, electricity and council tax bills, and letters from government departments.
- Evidence from the UK government that you have paid taxes. For instance, all the p60s, p45s and payslips.
You can also include close or extended family members on this form.
Close family members
A spouse or civil partner counts as a family member.
A close family member also includes the qualified person’s (or their spouse or civil partner’s):
- Child or grandchild who is either under 21 or a dependent;
- Dependent parents or grandparents.
Extended family members
Extended family members include the qualified person’s (or their spouse or civil partner’s):
- Brother or sister;
- Cousin;
- Aunt or uncle;
- Niece or nephew;
- Relative from a different generation, such as a great-aunt, great-nephew or second cousin;
- Relative by marriage.
How to apply for a permanent residence document
You can apply online for it if you are a qualified person.
You cannot apply online if you are a student dependent on the family income or a not self-sufficient person. Nevertheless, you can make a paper application.
You can use the permanent residence document to apply for the British citizenship after you have lived in the UK for 6 years.
You need to wait for 12 months after you get that document, however, if you have already lived in the UK for 6 years or more, you can apply as soon as your permanent residency status is confirmed.
There are also some cases in which you can get permanent residence before 5 years, for example:
- Accident or illness: for free professionals who have lived uninterruptedly in the United Kingdom for 2 years and are incapable of working either because of an accident or illness (permanent incapacity);
- People who have lived uninterruptedly in the UK for 3 years: in this case, permanent residency is given to those who have reached retirement age (but you must have been free practitioners or have worked steadily in the UK for at least 1 year).
Contact us for more information.
Source: gov.uk
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