What are your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement?

You can continue living in the UK as your pre-settled status or settled status proves that you have a valid immigration status in the UK. Your status can be seen as an ‘eVisa’ in your UK Visa and Immigration account (UKVI account). If you have pre-settled status you can apply to upgrade to settled status once you qualify; in most cases this is when you have lived in the UK for five continuous years. 

You will keep your residence status indefinitely, as long as:

• you are not outside the UK for too long (how long you can be away for differs if you have pre-settled status or settled status)
• you do not commit any criminal offences that could lead to your residence status being removed

In some cases sponsored family members may lose their residence status if their relationship to their EU sponsor breaks down. 

You can continue living in the UK as your pre-settled status or settled status provYour eligible family members are entitled to residence status under the EUSS to live with you in the UK. Eligible family members who do not live with you in the UK at the moment, can apply to come and live with you in the future. Future children born to you inside or outside the UK (or are adopted) are also entitled to EUSS status.

You can travel freely in and out of the UK and you do not need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to return to the UK as you are exempt from ETA because you have EUSS status. 

You can carry on using your national ID card to travel to the UK as well as your passport. Note that it may be necessary to get a biometric national ID card for travelling in 2026 onwards. 

You should always try to keep your UKVI account up to date with any new passport or national ID card you get, as this should minimise any delays you might face when travelling. If there are any issues confirming your EUSS status carriers can use a 24-hour phone line to contact the Home Office to confirm you are permitted to travel to the UK.

If you have a certificate of application because you are waiting for a decision on your EUSS application, ensure you read this Home Office guidance before you travel outside the UK.

You are entitled to work for most employers in the UK and carry out self-employed activities (e.g. set up a business).

UK employers are required to check that all their employees have legal status that permits them to work. This means your existing employer, or a potential employer is likely to ask you for a ‘share code’ generated from your UKVI account as evidence of your right to work. Employers only need to check your right to work once, regardless of whether you have pre-settled or settled status. 

If you are renting accommodation in England your landlord (or agent acting on behalf of a landlord), is required to check all potential tenants have legal status that permits them to rent. 

This means your existing landlord, or a potential landlord is likely to ask you for a ‘share code’ generated from your UKVI account as evidence of your right to rent. Landlords only need to check your right to work once, regardless of whether you have pre-settled or settled status. 

Landlords in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are not required to carry out any checks on your status. You should not be asked for a ‘share code’ if you are renting accommodation in these countries.

There are no restrictions on you buying property in the UK. 

You can go to school, colleague or university in the UK and can provide a ‘share code’ generated from your UKVI account to an education provider, to show your EUSS status. 

Generally, you will be entitled to home student fees rather than international student fees if you meet the residence criteria. However, student fees are a devolved matter and therefore the rules in each UK nation are different.

You may be entitled to student financial support (e.g tuition fee loan, maintenance loan) for your studies however, what is available to you may differ depending on whether you have pre-settled or settled status and which UK nation you intend to study in. 

You are entitled to free NHS treatment. 

Temporary absences from the UK (e.g. holidays abroad) do not affect your right to free NHS care. If you move abroad to live then you may no longer qualify for free NHS healthcare (this may not apply if you retire abroad having worked in the UK).   

If you meet the relevant qualifying conditions you can access Department of Work and Pension benefits (e.g. Universal Credit), HMRC benefits (e.g. child benefit) and local government support (e.g. homelessness support). 

Settled status holders are able to access benefits on the same eligibility basis as British nationals. Pre-settled status holders must satisfy additional criteria to access benefits (generally this means showing a ‘right to reside’ but there may be situations where benefits should be granted if the pre-settled status holder is destitute).  

Any state pension contributions you have made in EU countries and the UK are protected, and you will receive pension payments from each country you have made contributions in when you reach the qualifying pension age (in the UK this is current 66 years old but will be raised in the future). 

Pension contributions you have made in the UK will be ‘uprated’ (increased each year), if you live in the UK or in an EU Member State. You can claim your pension in the country you have retired in or the last country you worked in. If this is the UK you can apply to the International Pension Centre to coordinate the pension contributions you have made in different countries. Private pensions and workplace pensions are not affected by the Withdrawal Agreement.  

You can continue to rely on any non-UK professional qualifications that have been recognised in the UK by 31 December 2020, or you applied by 31 December 2020 for the UK to recognise (and are successfully recognised). This is subject to any conditions to maintain the professional qualification (e.g. Continuing Professional Development requirements). 

Please read the information on this page if you think that your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement have not been respected.