Frequently Asked Questions
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EU students
Student FAQs - Disclaimer
For official information and updates, please consult UK Government sources (www.gov.uk) and sources from other key institutions such as Universities UK (https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk) or the UK Council of International Students’ Affairs (https://www.ukcisa.org.uk).
In our answers, we refer to all individuals eligible for status under the EU Settlement Scheme as ‘EU citizens’. However, some categories of citizens (e.g. Irish citizens) might benefit from different arrangements and exceptions.
Other resources
Useful resources:
Your Europe: EU Nationals in the UK (contains lots of links to other guidance and q&a documents from the European Commission)
UK Government: ask a question about the EU Settlement Scheme
What do I need to do if I am an existing student?
If you are already in the UK and intend to stay after 31 December 2020, make sure you apply by 30 June 2021 for settled/pre-settled status to secure your rights to stay in the UK. For more information about settled/pre-settled status and how to apply you can visit the Government’s website.
I have already started university in the UK (online) but haven’t yet entered the country. What are my options?
If you are an EU citizen and are studying at a university in the UK already (you started your course before August 2021), you will be eligible for home fees for the duration of your degree. However, you need to enter the UK before 31 December 2020 to be eligible for settled/pre-settled status. If you do not enter the UK before this date, you will have to apply for a student visa under the new Immigration System.
What can I do if I do not have settled/pre-settled status and I cannot return to the UK/have not arrived in the UK yet due to the pandemic and my course has started online?
So far, the Government has not published any additional guidance on this topic.
If you enter the country before 31 December 2020, you can apply for Pre-Settled Status.
EU citizens who do not have Settled/Pre-Settled Status and enter the country after the end of the transition period (from January 2021) must apply for a visa. If you are a student, you will need to apply for a student visa under the new Immigration System. We will update this answer if we receive more guidance from the Government on this topic.
I have pre-settled status but cannot return to the UK due to the pandemic. Will this have an impact on my status?
With pre-settled status, you lose your status if you leave the UK for a period of 2 consecutive years, whereas with settled status you can be away for 5 years.
However, your ‘continuous residence’ will reset to 0 if you are away for more than 6 months in any 12 month period with pre-settled status.
This means that you will only be eligible for settled status five years after you re-enter the country ( provided that you re-enter the UK before 31 December and re-apply for pre-settled status - to ensure that your pre-settled status will still be valid when you reach five years' continuous residence).
More information about this is available here.
I have pre-settled/settled status and intend to apply to start a university course after 2020/2021. Will I be eligible for home fees?
It has been confirmed that, if you are an EU citizen and already hold pre-settled/settled status and meet the relevant eligibility requirements (see here for more details) , you will be eligible for home fee status and financial support. For the full statement, please visit this page.
I have settled/pre-settled status and intend to start a postgraduate degree. Will I be eligible for home fees?
It has been confirmed that, if you are an EU citizen and already hold pre-settled/settled status and meet the relevant eligibility requirements (see here for more details), you will be eligible for home fee status and financial support. For the full statement, please visit this page.
What documents will be required to be able to stay in the UK for a study or work period from 2021?
If you enter the UK before 31 December 2020, you need to apply for pre-settled status. If you enter the UK after this date, you will have to apply for a visa under the new Immigration System.
What does the new Immigration System entail?
On 13 July 2020, the UK Government launched a UK points-based immigration system. These new arrangements will affect workers, students and graduates and visitors and will take effect from 1 January 2021, once freedom of movement with the European Union (EU) has ended and are also known as the new Immigration System.
If I come to the UK before December this year, will I be eligible for home tuition fees and student loans?
It has been confirmed that, if you are an EU citizen, enter the UK before 31 December 2020 and apply for pre-settled/settled status, you will have access to home fees and student loans even after August 2021 (provided that you meet the criteria).
This is not the case for new EU students (without settled/pre-settled status). This might be different for Irish nationals intending to study in the UK.
For more information about this, please visit the dedicated Brexit section on Universities UK website or on the UK Council of International Student Affairs website and check the Government’s website for updates on your eligibility.
Will EU students have the right to work in the UK after they graduate?
EU students with settled/pre-settled status will see no changes in their right to work in the UK.
Those who come to the UK after 31 December 2020 and are not eligible to apply for settled/pre-settled status will need to apply for a student visa under the new Immigration System. Graduates will be able to work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to 2 years, or 3 years if a PhD graduate.