Living and working in the UK

This content applies to England only.

Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland

Nationals of all EU/EEA countries share many of the same basic rights relating to living and working in other member states.

It is important to remember that having the right to live and work in the UK, does not necessarily give you rights to housing or benefits. Your eligibility for these will depend on which EU/EEA country you are from and how long you have been in the UK.

What rights do I have?

If you are a national of any EU/EEA country, your rights include:

the general right to 'free movement' within the EU/EEA. This means that you are 'legally present' in the UK but doesn't necessarily mean you have a right to live here permanently - see below.
the right to live in the UK for up to three months. This does not mean that you are entitled to any benefits or help with housing.
the right to live in the UK as a student
the right to live in the UK if you are able to support yourself financially
the right to seek work (which may mean that you are also entitled to claim some benefits if you are not an A2 national)
the right to work (although people from the A2 need to seek authorisation before they can do so)
the right to enter self-employment or set up a business.

Can I become a permanent resident?

EU and EEA citizens who have had a right to reside (of any type) in the UK for five years automatically get the right to permanent residence. Permanent residence means that you are eligible to apply for social housing and can get help from the council if you become homeless.

Some people get a right of permanent residence before five years, if:

you had to stop working because of an accident or illness that means you can no longer work, the five-year qualifying period drops to two years
you had to stop working because of an accident or illness that was work-related, you get a right of permanent residence immediately
you reach retirement age (or take early retirement) while you are in the UK, you can become a permanent resident if you have worked or been self-employed for at least 12 months before reaching pension age, and you have lived in the UK for at least three years.

If you have never worked in the UK then you do not qualify to become a permanent resident.

What about healthcare?

All EEA/EU nationals are also entitled to healthcare through the National Health Service (NHS). However, you may have to pay for some treatments if you don't normally live in the UK. In most cases other than emergencies you will have to show a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or passport or ID card to get this.

What about my family?

The rights listed above also apply to the family members of all EU/EEA nationals. People who are classed as family members include:

a husband, wife or registered civil partner
a child who is under the age of 21 or is dependent on you
dependant relatives, which could include unmarried partners, although special rules apply in some circumstances, and also
former partners if they are responsible for any children of a worker who are under the age of 18 and still at school.