FAQ

I don’t have a valid passport or national identity card, how can I apply to the EU Settlement Scheme?

If you have an expired passport or national identity card, first check the Home Office EUSS Guidance (search for the section called ‘Required proof of identity and nationality’) to see whether your nationality is in a list of countries that have extended the validity of your identity document. You can still use the online application to apply  when using identity documents with extended validity.

If you are able to use an expired identity document as described above, you will not be able to use the App to scan the expired document. You will instead need to progress straight to the online application page and when you reach the page “How can we check your identity document” select the option to “Enter my document details online and send my identity document by post”. When you reach the page to enter your passport or national identity card number select “No” for the question “Does your passport/card have an expiry date”. You will be given details of the address to post the document as you progress with the application. When posting your identity document, make sure you send it recorded delivery, and that the return envelope you supply is also franked for recorded delivery.

If you don’t have a valid identity document, contact the EU Settlement Resolution Centre  (contact details on this page under the heading “Get help”) as soon as possible and ask for a paper application form. You will need to explain in detail why you are applying late, and why you cannot get a valid identity document and provide evidence if possible. You must also contact your embassy or consulate to try to get a valid identity document as soon as possible. 

We would strongly recommend you get help with your application if you are in this situation, especially because the rules around late applications have changed - see this FAQ on late applications.