EU Settled Status
Settled status is the EU Settlement Scheme name for indefinite leave to enter or remain (ILE or ILR). The most common route is a continuous qualifying period of 5 years, but Appendix EU also has other routes — including for people moving up from pre-settled status, family members and specialist categories.
On this page
- What is settled status?
- How ENS can help
- Who can qualify?
- The 5-year route
- Does 31 December 2020 matter?
- Pre-settled to settled status
- Automatic conversion
- Other routes to settled status
- Family members and specialist routes
- Absences
- Evidence
- How to apply
- Suitability and losing status
- Settled status and citizenship
- FAQs
In brief
- Settled status is indefinite leave under the EUSS.
- The main route needs a continuous qualifying period of 5 years — a defined EUSS concept, not just five years at a UK address.
- Pre-settled status holders may qualify with 30 months' residence in the most recent 60 months, and some are converted automatically.
- Settled status is not British citizenship, and it can lapse after a long continuous absence.
What is EU settled status?
Settled status is the name the EU Settlement Scheme uses for indefinite leave to enter (ILE) or indefinite leave to remain (ILR) granted under Appendix EU. It gives an eligible person indefinite immigration permission in the UK. Pre-settled status, by contrast, is 5 years' limited leave. EU pre-settled status →
| Feature | Settled status | Pre-settled status |
|---|---|---|
| Type of leave | Indefinite leave to enter or remain (ILE / ILR) | Limited leave to enter or remain |
| Length | No fixed expiry date | 5 years |
| Typically granted when | The requirements for indefinite leave are met — commonly a 5-year continuous qualifying period | The requirements for limited leave are met, but not yet those for settled status |
Five years of residence does not on its own guarantee settled status. The applicable eligibility and suitability requirements must still be met.
How ENS can help with settled status
If you are not sure whether you have reached settled status, we can identify your EUSS route and check the residence history and evidence that matter for it.
Identify your settled-status route
Five-year route, pre-settled conversion, family member or another category — we identify which applies.
Review your residence history
We can review your qualifying residence and absences, and the evidence needed where records fall short.
Prepare a straightforward application
Where the matter falls within our Level 1 authorisation, we can help prepare and present your application.
Our regulatory scope. ENS Immigration Advice is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. We advise on straightforward settled-status applications within our authorised competence. Where a case involves disputed residence, a refusal, suitability issues or a specialist route that becomes complex, we will say so after an initial assessment and direct you to the appropriate next step. IAA regulation · Refusal or complex issue → specialist referral.
Who can qualify for settled status?
Appendix EU sets out several ways of qualifying for indefinite leave, not just one. Depending on the category, they include:
- A relevant EEA citizen with a documented right of permanent residence
- A relevant EEA citizen who held qualifying indefinite leave before the end of the transition period
- A relevant EEA citizen with a 5-year continuous qualifying period
- Certain people who have ceased activity, and their family members
- Family members of relevant EEA citizens, including certain children under 21
- Joining family members of relevant sponsors
- People with a retained right of residence
- People relying on derivative or Zambrano rights to reside
- Family members of qualifying British citizens
To see which categories the scheme covers in the first place, read who can apply for the EU Settlement Scheme →
The main route: a 5-year continuous qualifying period
For many applicants, settled status is based on completing a continuous qualifying period of 5 years of residence in the UK and Islands. Once that period is complete, it can be relied on when applying for settled status, subject to the other requirements.
What is a continuous qualifying period?
“Continuous qualifying period” is a defined EUSS term. It is the period of residence that satisfies the EUSS rules on qualifying residence and absences — not simply having had a UK address for five years. The rules deal with matters such as absences and the reasons for them, Crown service, imprisonment, deportation or exclusion decisions, earlier qualifying periods, and specific provisions for family-member and specialist routes.
When do I reach 5 years?
The date depends on when your qualifying residence began and whether anything since has broken it or counts as an exception under the EUSS rules.
Qualifying residence begins
The start of your continuous qualifying period.
Residence continues
Continuity is kept under the EUSS rules on absences.
5 years completed
The continuous qualifying period reaches 5 years.
Settled status
Potentially available, if the other requirements are met.
An illustrative timeline only. The EUSS definition of a continuous qualifying period must be applied to your own circumstances.
Does 31 December 2020 matter for settled status?
For many EUSS routes, the qualifying residence must have begun before the end of the transition period at 11pm GMT on 31 December 2020. But this is not a rule for every settled-status category — joining family members, retained rights, derivative and Zambrano cases, qualifying British citizens and other specialist categories have their own provisions.
It is also not accurate to say you need “five years from 31 December 2020”. The five years run from when your own continuous qualifying period began.
Can I change from pre-settled status to settled status?
Yes, if you meet the requirements. A person who was previously granted pre-settled status can apply for settled status once they qualify — through the standard 5-year continuous qualifying period, or through a specific provision for pre-settled status holders based on residence in the most recent 60 months.
30 months in the most recent 60 months. The guidance says a person who previously held pre-settled status may qualify for settled status where their continuous qualifying period began at least 60 months ago and they have been resident in the UK for at least 30 months in total in the most recent 60-month period, subject to the other requirements. Figures as at guidance version 32.0 (30 July 2026) — confirm on GOV.UK.
This is a route for certain people who previously held pre-settled status — it is not a general rule for everyone. The 30 months can be any 30 months within that 60-month period.
Not meeting the 30-month requirement does not necessarily rule out settled status. A person may still rely on the other continuous-residence requirements where they apply — for example, where absences of more than 30 months in the most recent 60 were for a reason permitted under Appendix EU, such as compulsory military service.
Pre-settled to settled status — the 30-in-60-months provision
Scenario. Elif is a German citizen who moved to the UK in March 2020 and was granted pre-settled status. From late 2022 she spent 28 months in Germany caring for her mother, then returned to the UK. In October 2026 she wants to apply for settled status.
- Status heldPre-settled status
- Residence beganMarch 2020
- Time abroad28 months
- ApplyingOctober 2026
What this shows: a long absence does not automatically rule out settled status for someone who previously held pre-settled status. The test looks at any 30 months of UK residence within the most recent 60.
Senaryo. Elif, Mart 2020'de Birleşik Krallık'a taşınan ve pre-settled status (5 yıllık sınırlı izin) alan bir Alman vatandaşıdır. 2022 sonundan itibaren annesine bakmak için 28 ay Almanya'da kaldı, ardından BK'ya döndü. Ekim 2026'da settled status (süresiz oturum) için başvurmak istiyor.
- Mevcut statüPre-settled status
- İkamet başlangıcıMart 2020
- Yurt dışında geçen süre28 ay
- BaşvuruEkim 2026
Bu örnek neyi gösteriyor? Daha önce pre-settled status sahibi olan biri için uzun süre yurt dışında kalmış olmak, settled status almayı otomatik olarak engellemez. Bakılan şey, son 60 ay içinde herhangi bir zamanda toplam en az 30 ay BK'da ikamet edilmiş olmasıdır.
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.UKCan pre-settled status be converted automatically?
In some cases, yes. In January 2025, the Home Office introduced a process to convert eligible pre-settled status holders to settled status automatically, where possible, without an application. Where a National Insurance number is available, HMRC and certain DWP records can be checked to see whether the person has completed 5 years' continuous qualifying residence and whether a later “supervening event” has occurred.
Not everyone is converted automatically. Automatic conversion depends on what the records show. If you have not been converted, you may still be able to apply for settled status yourself.
Asking for the assessment to be looked at again
A person can ask, through the Home Office Resolution Centre, for a manual reconsideration of the assessment of continuous residence behind an automatic-conversion decision. The guidance says this involves checking HMRC and certain DWP records, and that the person should be told the outcome within one month of the date the request is received.
Other ways to qualify for settled status
Besides the 5-year route, Appendix EU provides other ways of qualifying for indefinite leave in specific circumstances.
Permanent residence document
Certain EEA citizens with a documented right of permanent residence may qualify.
Existing indefinite leave
Certain applicants who held indefinite leave before the end of the transition period may qualify.
Ceased activity
Specific provisions apply to relevant EEA citizens, and certain family members, where the relevant person has ceased activity.
Death of the relevant EEA citizen
Specific provisions apply to certain family members where the relevant EEA citizen has died.
Children under 21
In specified circumstances, an EEA citizen child under 21 of a relevant EEA citizen (or their spouse or civil partner) can qualify even with less than 5 years' qualifying residence. This does not apply to all children under 21.
Settled status for family members and specialist routes
Family members and joining family members
Family members may qualify for settled status based on their own qualifying residence and their relationship to the relevant EEA citizen or relevant sponsor. Appendix EU has separate provisions for family members of relevant EEA citizens and for joining family members. EUSS family members →
Retained right of residence
A person who has retained a right of residence may qualify for settled status once the continuous qualifying period requirements are met. In some retained-right cases, the family relationship no longer needs to continue.
Derivative rights (Chen and Ibrahim / Teixeira) and Zambrano
Certain people relying on a derivative right to reside may qualify for settled status after meeting the route requirements and completing the required qualifying residence. Under the Zambrano provisions, a person may qualify for indefinite leave after completing a 5-year continuous qualifying period and meeting the other requirements. Specialist EUSS routes →
Family members of qualifying British citizens
This separate route can lead to settled status after a 5-year continuous qualifying period, and the guidance allows certain earlier qualifying periods in other EUSS categories to count towards it.
How do absences from the UK affect settled status?
Absences can affect whether you have kept a continuous qualifying period. The rules are more detailed than a single “too long abroad” limit: there are specific exceptions and different provisions depending on the reason for the absence and your circumstances.
EUSS rules, not Appendix Continuous Residence. Absences for settled status are assessed under the EUSS rules in Appendix EU, which differ from the rules for most other settlement routes — see continuous residence for other routes.
What evidence do I need for settled status?
Evidence usually relates to identity, nationality and residence, plus the family relationship or route requirements where relevant.
Where you give a National Insurance number, the Home Office can check HMRC and certain DWP records to establish your residence. If those records do not show the full period needed, you may be asked for further documentary evidence — a National Insurance number on its own does not prove five years' residence.
How do I apply for settled status?
Before you apply, work through these questions. This is a preparation checklist, not an eligibility test.
- Which EUSS category am I relying on?
- When did my qualifying residence begin, and have I completed the required period?
- Have any absences affected continuity?
- If I hold pre-settled status, have I checked both the 5-year route and the 30-in-60-months provision?
- Am I relying on a family relationship, and can I evidence it?
- Do I have identity and nationality evidence, and residence evidence if the records may not show the full period?
- Are there any suitability issues to consider?
Then complete the EUSS application and wait for the Home Office decision. The EUSS application process →
Suitability, and can settled status be lost?
Suitability
Meeting the residence requirements does not mean suitability can be ignored. Every EUSS application is also assessed against the EUSS suitability requirements. EUSS suitability requirements →
Can settled status lapse?
Settled status is indefinite, but it is not permanent in every circumstance. The guidance says it lapses after a continuous absence from the UK and Islands of more than 5 consecutive years — or more than 4 consecutive years for Swiss citizens and their family members — with exceptions for those overseas on Crown service and those accompanying them. Figures as at guidance version 32.0 (30 July 2026).
Appendix EU also has provisions on cancellation and curtailment. Cases involving loss of status are usually complex — immigration help.
Is settled status the same as British citizenship?
No. Settled status is an immigration status under the EU Settlement Scheme. A person with settled status may later qualify for British citizenship under the separate nationality rules, but that is a different application with its own requirements. British citizenship by naturalisation →
Frequently asked questions
What is EU settled status?
Settled status is the EU Settlement Scheme name for indefinite leave to enter or remain (ILE or ILR) granted under Appendix EU. It gives an eligible person indefinite immigration permission in the UK. It is different from pre-settled status, which is 5 years' limited leave, and from British citizenship.
How many years do I need for settled status?
The main route is a continuous qualifying period of 5 years. Other routes exist: for example, some pre-settled status holders can qualify with 30 months' residence in the most recent 60 months, and certain children under 21 and family members of a relevant EEA citizen who has died or ceased activity have their own provisions.
Do I automatically get settled status after 5 years in the UK?
Not necessarily. The five years must be a continuous qualifying period under the EUSS rules, not just five years at a UK address, and the other requirements, including suitability, must also be met. Some pre-settled status holders are converted automatically, but only where the records show they qualify.
Can I change from pre-settled status to settled status?
Yes, if you meet the requirements. You can qualify through the standard 5-year continuous qualifying period, or through the provision for people who previously held pre-settled status: a continuous qualifying period that began at least 60 months ago, with at least 30 months' residence in the most recent 60 months.
What is the 30 months in 60 months rule?
It is a provision for certain people who previously held pre-settled status. They may qualify for settled status where their continuous qualifying period began at least 60 months ago and they have been resident in the UK for at least 30 months in total in the most recent 60 months. It is not a general rule for every applicant.
Can absences from the UK affect settled status?
Yes. Absences can affect whether you have kept a continuous qualifying period. The EUSS rules include specific exceptions depending on the reason for the absence, so they are more detailed than a single time limit. They are also different from the absence rules for most other settlement routes.
Can settled status expire?
Settled status has no fixed expiry date, but it can lapse. The guidance says it lapses after more than 5 consecutive years' absence from the UK and Islands, or more than 4 consecutive years for Swiss citizens and their family members, with exceptions for those overseas on Crown service and those accompanying them.
Do I need evidence of residence for settled status?
Not always. If you provide a National Insurance number, the Home Office can check HMRC and certain DWP records. But if those records do not establish the full qualifying period, you may be asked for further documentary evidence of residence.
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, with the EUSS guidance on the Zambrano right to reside (v9.0), derivative rights to reside (v7.0) and family members of qualifying British citizens (v10.0). Immigration Rules and guidance can change; confirm the current position on GOV.UK before applying.
Discuss your settled status application
If you are unsure whether you have reached settled status, we can identify your EUSS route, review your residence history and explain the evidence to prepare.