Children of EU citizens need their own immigration status to live in the UK. The legal status of children will not always be the same as their parents. This means that under the EU settlement scheme, children will not automatically get settled or pre-settled status even if their parents hold this immigration status. Some children born in the UK to EU parents may even be British citizens by birth. It’s a complex area to navigate and as a result, many children may lack immigration status by no fault of their own, or their parents – they may simply be unaware that they need their own lawful immigration status.
To help support EU citizens understand if their children need to make an EUSS application or if they should apply for a British passport, we’ve added a new webpage dedicated to this topic.
It includes information about the possible legal status of your children, which children should apply to the EUSS, which children may be British, and what details to keep in mind when figuring out what application to make.
It also includes an interactive questionnaire that can guide you in the right direction through simple prompts about the parents’ status when the child was born.
View the new page “Children of EU parents” to learn more.
Research news
The issue of EU children lacking secure immigration status has also been highlighted in a recent report from Settled. Analysing data from the Office of National Statistic and their advice service, they point out that thousands of children in the UK may have missed out on securing their immigration status, even if they have a right to be in the UK in principle. You can read their findings and the full report in our Research Hub.
You can read their findings and the full report in our Research Hub.
If you are looking for more information about children’s immigration status you can also rewatch our Live session from October 2025:
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