EUSS for Irish Citizens
Irish citizens have a right to live in the UK that does not depend on the UK's former EU membership, so they do not need EU Settlement Scheme status — though they can apply if they wish. Their non-Irish, non-British family members are in a different position and will usually need to apply.
On this page
In brief
- Irish citizens do not need to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme, but can if they want to.
- A person who is British — including a dual British and Irish citizen — cannot be granted EUSS status; an application would be void.
- Family members who are not Irish or British and have no UK leave will need to apply, whether or not the Irish citizen has.
- Family members of a relevant person of Northern Ireland can apply under special provisions, with specific evidence.
Do Irish citizens need EU Settlement Scheme status?
No. The Home Office guidance says Irish citizens enjoy a right of residence in the UK that does not rely on the UK's membership of the EU, so they do not need to apply for status under the scheme. Nonetheless, they can apply if they wish. An Irish citizen, for these purposes, is someone who is an Irish citizen as a matter of Irish law.
Ireland is listed among the EEA countries in Appendix EU, so an Irish citizen who does apply is assessed in the same way as other relevant EEA citizens.
How ENS can help Irish citizens and their families
Most questions here are about family members: who needs to apply, and what evidence about the Irish citizen is needed.
Check who needs status
We can confirm which members of your household need to apply and on what basis.
Plan the evidence
We can explain what evidence is needed about the Irish citizen, including their residence.
Prepare a straightforward application
Where the matter falls within our Level 1 authorisation, we can help prepare and present a family member's application.
Our regulatory scope. ENS Immigration Advice is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. We advise on straightforward EUSS applications within our authorised competence. Where a matter involves contested Northern Ireland or citizenship evidence, a late application, a refusal or a suitability issue, we will say so after an initial assessment and direct you to the appropriate next step. IAA regulation · Refusal or complex issue → specialist referral.
What if an Irish citizen chooses to apply?
An Irish citizen can make an EUSS application in the normal way and, if the requirements are met, be granted settled or pre-settled status. The application is assessed like that of any other EEA citizen. Holding EUSS status can also make it simpler for a family member to show the Irish citizen's status, as explained below.
If the Irish citizen has no passport or identity card
The guidance says that where there are circumstances beyond their control, or compelling practical or compassionate reasons, why an Irish citizen cannot provide the required identity document, alternative evidence may include their full Irish birth certificate or an Irish certificate of naturalisation. This can be accompanied by photographic identity, such as a driving licence or Irish Public Service Card. EUSS identity documents and the application process →
Can a dual British and Irish citizen apply under the EUSS?
No. A British citizen, including one with dual nationality, has the right of abode in the UK and cannot be granted leave under the Immigration Act 1971. The guidance says an EUSS application from a British citizen must be treated as void. A dual British and Irish citizen does not need status anyway, because they are British.
Being British does not stop a dual citizen's family members from applying in some cases. For example, a person born in Northern Ireland who is British, or British and Irish, can be a “relevant person of Northern Ireland” on whom a family member relies — see below.
Do family members of Irish citizens need to apply?
Usually, yes. The guidance says family members of an Irish citizen who are not themselves Irish or British, and who do not have leave to enter or remain in the UK, will need to apply for status under the scheme. They can do so whether or not the Irish citizen has applied. The ordinary EUSS family-member rules then apply.
- Spouse, civil partner or durable partner
- Child, grandchild or great-grandchild (including of the spouse or civil partner)
- Dependent parent, grandparent or great-grandparent (including of the spouse or civil partner)
- Dependent relative, in some cases
As with other EEA citizens' family members, a person applying as a family member must generally have been resident in the UK by 11pm GMT on 31 December 2020 on that basis and not broken the continuity of their residence since. A family member who arrived later may be able to apply as a joining family member of a relevant sponsor. A family member outside the UK may also consider an EUSS family permit — see GOV.UK family permits.
EUSS family members and relationship evidence →
A Turkish spouse of an Irish citizen
Scenario. Kerem is a Turkish citizen married to Siobhán, an Irish citizen. They married in 2017 and have lived in the UK since 2018. Siobhán has never applied to the EU Settlement Scheme. Kerem has no other UK immigration permission.
- ApplicantTurkish citizen, no UK leave
- SponsorIrish citizen
- In the UK since2018
- Sponsor applied?No
What this shows: an Irish citizen's own position does not cover a non-Irish, non-British family member. The family member applies in their own right, whether or not the Irish citizen has applied.
Senaryo. Kerem, İrlanda vatandaşı Siobhán ile evli bir Türk vatandaşıdır. 2017'de evlendiler ve 2018'den beri BK'da yaşıyorlar. Siobhán hiç EUSS başvurusu yapmadı. Kerem'in BK'da başka bir göçmenlik izni yok.
- BaşvuranTürk vatandaşı, BK izni yok
- Sponsorİrlanda vatandaşı
- BK'da2018'den beri
- Sponsor başvurdu mu?Hayır
Bu örnek neyi gösteriyor? İrlanda vatandaşının kendi durumu, İrlanda ya da BK vatandaşı olmayan aile üyesini kapsamaz. Aile üyesi, İrlanda vatandaşı başvurmuş olsun ya da olmasın, kendi adına başvurur.
Illustrative example only, not a guaranteed outcome; each case depends on its own facts and the rules in force at the time. Yalnızca açıklayıcı bir örnektir; garanti edilen bir sonuç değildir ve her başvuru kendi koşullarına bağlıdır.
Official guidance: EU Settlement Scheme on GOV.UKWhat evidence is needed about the Irish citizen?
A family member's application depends on the Irish citizen, so the family member must prove the Irish citizen's identity and nationality and, for applications made on or after 1 July 2021, their residence or status. Where the Irish citizen has never applied, the family member shows instead that the Irish citizen would have been granted status had they applied before 1 July 2021.
| Irish citizen's position | Examples of evidence the guidance mentions |
|---|---|
| Has EUSS status | Confirmation that they have been granted settled or pre-settled status — for example the reference number for their EUSS application |
| Has never applied | Evidence that they would have been granted status had they applied before 1 July 2021. Where the family member is applying for settled status, the guidance's example is the Irish citizen's valid passport or national identity card plus evidence of 5 years' continuous qualifying residence in the UK that began before 11pm on 31 December 2020 |
Where the application depends on the Irish citizen having qualified for settled status — for example a child applying for settled status on the basis of a parent's settled position — the guidance's examples include evidence of the Irish citizen's 5-year continuous qualifying period. The Home Office can accept alternative evidence of the Irish citizen's identity where the family member cannot obtain the required document for reasons beyond their control or compelling practical or compassionate reasons.
The Irish citizen does not have to apply first — but if they have not, their residence history still has to be evidenced in the family member's application. Gathering this early is usually the most practical step.
Who is a relevant person of Northern Ireland?
A relevant person of Northern Ireland is someone who is British, Irish, or both, and who was born in Northern Ireland to at least one parent who, at the time of the birth, was British, Irish, both, or otherwise entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any time limit. Their family members can apply under the EUSS in the same way as the family members of a relevant EEA citizen.
The guidance says applications from family members of a relevant person of Northern Ireland have been possible since 24 August 2020. The test the Home Office applies to the relevant person of Northern Ireland depends on their citizenship:
| Relevant person of Northern Ireland is | What the family member must show about them |
|---|---|
| Irish only | Broadly the same as for any Irish citizen: that they hold EUSS status, or would have been granted it had they applied before 1 July 2021 |
| British, or British and Irish | That they would have been granted EUSS status had they applied before 1 July 2021, but for the fact that they are British |
In both cases, the person's continuous qualifying period of residence in the UK must generally have begun before 11pm GMT on 31 December 2020. The exception is a “specified relevant person of Northern Ireland”.
What is a specified relevant person of Northern Ireland?
It is a relevant person of Northern Ireland who is British or dual British and Irish — not solely Irish — and who is relied on by a non-EEA citizen applying in one of two specific ways. Since 1 July 2021, this lets certain family members apply even though the person's own residence did not begin before the end of 2020.
- As a joining family member, where the specified person is their relevant sponsor and the applicant shows that, for compelling practical or compassionate reasons, the person could not return to the UK before the end of 2020 while the applicant remained outside the UK; or
- As a dependent relative, where the specified person is their sponsoring person and the applicant relies on an EUSS family permit granted as the dependent relative of a specified relevant person of Northern Ireland.
These are specialist provisions. Joining family members →
What evidence shows someone is a relevant person of Northern Ireland?
The family member must provide the “required evidence of being a relevant person of Northern Ireland”. The guidance says the Home Office must see evidence that the person was born in Northern Ireland and of their relationship to their parent, plus evidence of at least one of three things about that parent's status at the time of the birth.
| What must be shown | Examples from the guidance |
|---|---|
| Required: born in Northern Ireland | Birth certificate, or British or Irish passport showing birth in Northern Ireland |
| Required: relationship to the parent | Birth certificate naming the parent, linked to the person by valid photo ID |
| At least one of: parent was British at the birth | The parent's British passport valid at the time, or Home Office naturalisation or registration records |
| Parent was Irish at the birth | The parent's Irish passport valid at the time, or their certificate of Irish citizenship with photo ID |
| Parent was otherwise entitled to reside without time limit | For example evidence of right of abode, indefinite leave or “no time limit” status, or a Windrush Scheme document |
For the last category, what counts depends on when the person was born. The guidance gives date bands: for births on or after 29 April 2006, a parent with a right of permanent residence under EU free movement law; and for earlier periods, certain non-Irish EEA citizens exercising free movement rights or covered by specific EU provisions. Copies may need to be backed by originals, and documents not in English by a certified translation.
Whether a parent was British or Irish at a particular date depends on the nationality rules in force at the time. Where this is uncertain, it is usually a matter for specialist advice.
Frequently asked questions
Why don't Irish citizens need EU Settlement Scheme status?
The Home Office guidance says Irish citizens have a right of residence in the UK that does not rely on the UK's former membership of the EU. Because of that, they do not need status under the scheme to keep living in the UK, although they can still choose to apply if they wish.
Does my non-Irish partner need to apply if I am an Irish citizen?
Usually, yes. Family members of an Irish citizen who are not Irish or British themselves, and who do not have UK leave, will need to apply under the scheme. They apply under the normal EUSS family-member rules, so the relationship and residence requirements for their category must be met.
Does the Irish citizen have to apply before their family member can?
No. The guidance says family members can apply whether or not the Irish citizen has done so. If the Irish citizen has not applied, the family member will need to show that the Irish citizen would have been granted status, for example with their passport or identity card and evidence of their UK residence.
Can a dual British and Irish citizen get EUSS status?
No. A British citizen, including a dual citizen, has the right of abode and cannot be granted leave under the scheme, so an application would be void. A dual British and Irish citizen does not need status, and in some cases can still be the person a family member relies on.
What can an Irish citizen use if they have no passport or identity card?
Where there are circumstances beyond their control or compelling practical or compassionate reasons, the guidance says alternative evidence may include a full Irish birth certificate or an Irish certificate of naturalisation, with photographic identity such as a driving licence or Irish Public Service Card.
What is a relevant person of Northern Ireland?
It is a British citizen, Irish citizen or dual citizen who was born in Northern Ireland to at least one parent who, at the time of the birth, was British, Irish, both, or otherwise entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any time limit. Their family members can apply under the EUSS.
What documents prove someone is a relevant person of Northern Ireland?
The Home Office must see evidence of birth in Northern Ireland, such as a birth certificate or passport showing it, evidence of the relationship to the parent, and evidence that the parent was British, Irish, or otherwise entitled to reside without time limit when the person was born.
Source basis: Home Office caseworker guidance, EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members, version 32.0, published 30 July 2026. Immigration Rules and guidance can change; confirm the current position on GOV.UK before applying.
Need help with an Irish family member's EUSS application?
If your partner, parent or child is an Irish citizen, we can confirm who needs to apply and what evidence about the Irish citizen is needed.