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Guidance
Living in the EU: prepare for Brexit

This page provides information about Brexit for British

people who are living in the European Union (EU) and
European Free Trade Area (EFTA) countries.

Published 11 July 2016

Last updated 8 August 2019 — see all updates
From: Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Department for Exiting the European Union

Contents
Related content
— Stay up to date
— UK nationals in the EU Find Brexit guidance for your business
— UK nationals in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland
— UK nationals in Ireland
Detailed guidance

Exiting the European Union

Stay up to date Collection

Living in country guides

The UK will leave the EU on 31 October. This page tells you how to
prepare for Brexit. It will be updated if anything changes, including if
a deal is agreed. Country-specific information will be added to the
living in country guides for UK nationals moving or living abroad. Sign
up for email alerts on these guides to get the latest information.

UK nationals in the EU
There will be no change to your rights and status as a UK national living in the
EU until after Brexit. You can still work, access healthcare and collect your
pension as you do now.

After Brexit, your rights will change. Protecting the rights of UK nationals in
the EU is a priority for the government, but we cannot fully protect the rights
of UK nationals unilaterally. The government welcomes what other EU
countries have done so far. We continue to encourage them to do as much as
they can to protect UK nationals living in the EU, and to communicate details
of their plans as soon as possible.

It remains the government’s preference to leave with a deal. The agreement

on citizens’ rights would protect the rights of UK nationals in the EU and EU
citizens in the UK.

The UK has committed to protect the rights of EU citizens living and working
in the UK in any Brexit scenario.

Living in the EU

If there’s a no-deal Brexit, your rights and how you access services may
change.

Check the living in guide for your EU country for more information, including
actions you need to take to secure your rights.

All EU countries have drafted or enacted legislation on the residence rights of

UK nationals if there’s a no-deal Brexit. The European Commission has also
published a No Deal Contingency Action Plan which calls on EU countries to
take a generous approach to UK nationals who are already resident on exit
day. This includes a call for member states to take measures to protect all UK
nationals legally residing in the EU on exit day and provide a route to protect
their residence status. The government will continue to work with the EU and
all member states to ensure UK nationals are given the certainty they need.

If there is a deal, you will be able to live and work in the EU broadly as you do
now. If you currently live in the EU and want to move to a different EU
country, you will also be able to continue to do so until the end of any
implementation period. With an agreement on citizens’ rights, you and your
family would:

continue to have broadly the same access to healthcare, pensions and

other benefits as you currently do
be able to leave your EU country of residence for up to 5 years without
losing your right to return, if you have acquired the right to reside there
permanently in line with any such agreement

Staying in an EU country with an EU family member

EU citizens with non-EU family members, including UK nationals once the UK

has left the EU, are usually entitled to register them in their EU country of
nationality, as long as the relevant criteria are met. For further details see the
EU guidance on registering EU family members in another EU country.

Third country family members joining you in an EU country

EU countries determine their own immigration policies. If there’s no deal,

consult your host country’s immigration authorities on family reunion. Check
the living in guide for your EU country.

Travelling in the EU

You should check you have enough time left on your passport to travel.

If there’s a no-deal Brexit, you must have at least 6 months left on an adult or
child passport to travel to most countries in Europe (not including Ireland). If
you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra
months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your
passport over 10 years may not count towards the 6 months needed.

Find out more about passport rules for travel to Europe after Brexit.

Travelling to the UK

You can travel to the UK at any time. This will not change after Brexit.

If there is a deal, you and your family members who are not UK nationals
(both EU citizens and in some cases non-EU citizens) will be able to travel to
the UK in the same way as now until 31 December 2020. After that date, the
UK’s family Immigration Rules will apply where a family member is not a UK
national or an Irish citizen. We will also set out initial proposals for our future
immigration arrangements for EU citizens in due course.

Returning to the UK

Your right to enter and return to live and work in the UK is not affected by
Brexit. You will be able to continue working in the UK after Brexit.

Bringing your close family members back to the UK depends on when the
relationship started:

relationships that begin before Brexit: your spouse or partner and other
existing close family members (such as parents, grandparents and
children) will be able to join you in the UK and apply to the EU Settlement
Scheme until March 2022. After 29 March 2022, they will have to apply
through UK family Immigration Rules.
relationships that begin after Brexit: your spouse or partner and other
dependent relatives (such as parents, grandparents and children) will be
able to join you in the UK and apply to the EU Settlement Scheme until 31
December 2020. From 2021 they will have to apply through UK family
Immigration Rules.

Your children will continue to have the right to British citizenship, wherever
they were born. This will apply when the UK leaves the EU, whether or not
there is a deal.

Healthcare access

If there is a deal, your current rights on access to healthcare will remain the
same during any implementation period. As long as you are covered by the
deal, your equal treatment rights to healthcare in your EU country of
residence will continue to be protected after the end of the implementation
period. Your equal treatment rights would be on the same basis as a
comparable national of your EU country of residence.

If there’s a no-deal Brexit, you should be ready for possible changes to how
you access healthcare.

The government aims to reach reciprocal healthcare arrangements either

across all EU countries or with each country individually.

The government has made an offer to all EU countries to continue the current
reciprocal healthcare arrangements if there’s a no-deal Brexit until 31
December 2020. This would mean the government continuing to pay for
healthcare costs for current or former UK residents who are living in or
visiting EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.

Find out more about healthcare in the EU.

If you return to live in the UK and meet the ordinary residence test, you will be
able to use NHS services. If you are living in an EU country on exit day and
have an S1 form or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued by the UK,
you may use NHS services in England, Scotland and Wales without charge
when visiting the UK. This will not change after Brexit.

Travel insurance

When you visit another European country, you should continue to buy travel
insurance to ensure you can travel safely. Make sure you understand the
terms and conditions of the travel insurance policy, and that you are content
with the level of healthcare and travel disruption cover it provides. Read
guidance on what your travel insurance policy should cover.

Find out more about healthcare while visiting the EU if there’s a no-deal
Brexit.

If you already have travel insurance to cover your trip, your insurer should tell
you if there will be any changes to the way your policy is serviced after Brexit.
If you have questions about what your travel insurance policy covers, contact
your insurer.

State Pension and benefits

You will continue to receive benefits you are already receiving from the UK
after Brexit, such as:

State Pensions
child benefit
disability benefit

Find guidance on benefits and pensions if there’s a no-deal Brexit.

If there is a deal, the current framework of EU rules and regulations will

continue to apply during any implementation period. If you continue to live in
an EU country at the end of the implementation period, if you are still covered
by the deal, you will keep the right to export an uprated UK State Pension.

Personal pensions and annuities

If you have a personal pension or annuity with a UK-based provider, your

provider should have made plans to make sure you can still get payments
even if there’s a no-deal Brexit. Your provider should contact you if they need
to make any changes to your personal pension or annuity, or the way they
provide it. If you have any concerns, or if you are unsure whether you have an
occupational pension or personal pension, contact your provider.

Find more information on financial services for UK nationals living in the EU or

EEA.

Occupational pensions

There is nothing in UK pensions legislation which prevents occupational

pension schemes from making pension payments overseas. This should not
change as a result of Brexit. If your pension is paid into a UK bank account,
your bank should contact you if they need to make any changes to your
product or the way they provide it as a result of Brexit. If you are unsure
whether you have an occupational pension or personal pension, contact your
provider to check.

Continuing education in the EU

If there is a deal, you will continue to be able to access education as you do

now until the end of any implementation period. Students in UK-based
organisations will be able to continue to participate in Erasmus+ exchanges
and placements after Brexit until the end of the current Erasmus+
programme in December 2020.

If there’s a no-deal Brexit, continuing education in the EU and any associated

fees will depend on the immigration requirements of your host country and/or
the requirements of the educational institution you are studying at. Contact
your institution or host country government for advice.

If you have made arrangements to enrol on courses with universities in EU

countries, read further guidance for UK nationals studying in the EU.

The government Erasmus+ and ESC underwrite guarantee means funding is

available to UK organisations to support their students to continue their
Erasmus+ placement in their host EU country.

Recognising professional qualifications

The European Commission has stated that recognition decisions made on

qualifications obtained in the UK before Brexit are not affected and has
published guidance confirming this.

The Commission has advised people with qualifications obtained in the UK

before Brexit to contact the relevant national authorities to assess whether
they should obtain recognition in an EU country before the day the UK leaves
the EU.

UK-employed and self-employed workers in the EU

If you are employed or self-employed in the EU and you have a UK-issued

A1/E101 form, you will remain subject to UK legislation for the duration of the
period shown on the form.

After Brexit, or after any implementation period ends, you will need to
contact the relevant EU, EEA or Swiss authority to confirm whether you need
to start paying social security contributions in that country from that date, as
well as National Insurance contributions in the UK.

If you are a UK or Irish national working in Ireland, your position will not
change after Brexit. You are covered under the UK-Irelandsocial security
international agreement signed in February 2019 and you won’t need to do
anything differently.

Banking, insurance and other financial services

Many UK providers are planning to continue providing services to EU and EEA

residents, whether or not there is a deal. Your provider should contact you if
they need to make any changes to your product or the way they provide it. If
you have any concerns about whether you might be affected, contact your
provider.

Find more information on financial services for UK nationals living in the EU or

EEA.

Inheritance tax and wills

Any valid will made under UK law before Brexit, including wills that apply to
property situated in the EU, will remain valid under UK law. However the
effect of the will in relation to property abroad continues to be subject to the
law of the country in which the property is situated.

Brexit will not change any existing UK rules for inheritance tax. Inheritance
tax is levied on transfers of worldwide assets by people domiciled in the UK,
and transfers of UK assets by non-domiciled people.

Tax payments

Brexit will not change existing double taxation arrangements. These ensure
that everyone (not just British citizens) living in a country that has a treaty
with the UK will not pay tax in 2 countries on the same income or gain, and
determines which country has primary taxing rights. The UK has double
taxation agreements with all EU countries which will continue to apply after
Brexit.

Driving licences

If there is a deal, driving licence rules will stay the same during any
implementation period.

If there’s a no-deal Brexit, you should exchange your UK driving licence for a
licence issued by the EU country where you live, before the UK leaves the EU.

If you haven’t exchanged your UK licence after Brexit, you will be subject to
the domestic laws of that country and how they treat non-EU licence holders,
which could mean retaking your driving test. Many EU countries only
recognise third country licences for up to 6 months. EU-issued driving
licences will continue to be recognised in the UK after Brexit.

Find more guidance on driving licences if there’s a no-deal Brexit.

Vehicle insurance

If you drive a UK-registered and insured vehicle, all UK motor insurance

providers will continue to provide third party motor insurance cover for travel
to EU or EEA countries. You will not need to purchase additional third party
motor insurance policy cover if driving in these countries with a UK-registered
vehicle.

If there’s a no deal Brexit, and the European Commission does not issue a
decision that allows the UK to remain part of the Green Card-free circulation
area, drivers of UK registered vehicles will need to carry a Green Card when
driving in the EU, EEA and all other countries that recognise Green Cards. If
you are driving a vehicle that is registered and insured in your host country,
you will not be affected.

Find more information on vehicle insurance if there’s no Brexit deal.

Travelling with pets, horses or plants to and from the UK

If there’s a no-deal Brexit, you will still be able to bring pets to and from the
UK but the rules will change. Find out about pet travel to Europe after Brexit.

If you plan to travel with your pet using a UK-issued pet passport, speak to
your vet. They’ll help you understand the effect of Brexit and ensure you
comply with EU Pet Travel Regulations.

If you have a pet passport issued by an EU country, you can use it to bring
your pet to the UK. You can also use it to return to the EU, as long as your pet
has had a successful rabies antibody blood test. You must make sure the
blood sample is taken at least 30 days after the date of rabies vaccination.

If the blood sample is taken in the UK, you must wait 3 months from the date
the successful blood sample was taken before you travel back to the EU. You
do not have to wait the 3 months if your pet had a successful blood test
before leaving the EU.

To move your horse from the UK to an EU country, you will need to make sure
it has had any additional health checks and has the correct documentation
for travel. Consult a vet at least 6 weeks before you plan to move your horse.
Read about taking your horse to an EU country.

Trading or moving endangered species listed under CITES (the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) will
change if there’s a no deal Brexit. Read about trading and moving endangered
animals, plants, and their products.

Owning or renting property in the EU

Some EU countries have laws which govern property ownership and

differentiate between their own citizens, EU citizens and non-EU citizens. If
there’s no deal, check with local authorities about how these might apply to
you.

Voting in elections whilst living overseas

You are entitled to register to vote in UK Parliamentary elections as overseas

voters for up to 15 years after you were last registered to vote in the UK.

For voting in local election in EU countries, the UK is seeking bilateral

arrangements with individual EU countries. These would preserve reciprocal
voting rights for both UK nationals living in the EU and EU citizens in the UK.

After Brexit, UK nationals will no longer be eligible to vote in European

Parliament elections.

Returning to the UK

Your right to enter and return to work in the UK is not affected by Brexit. You
will be able to continue working in the UK.

UK nationals in prison in an EU country

The impact on UK nationals in prison will depend on the approach each EU

country takes. A range of mechanisms exist which enable offenders to be
returned to their home countries. If there’s a no-deal Brexit, the EU Prisoner
Transfer Framework Decision will cease to apply. If that happens, we will use
the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and
its Additional Protocol after Brexit.

Find further information about transferring to a UK prison after Brexit.

UK nationals in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and

Switzerland

EEA and EFTA states

The government has reached an agreement with the European Economic

Area (EEA) and European Free Trade Area (EFTA) states to protect citizens’
rights whether or not there is a Brexit deal.

For further information read the:

EEA EFTA No Deal Citizens’ Rights Agreement

living in guides for Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway

Switzerland

The government has reached an agreement with Switzerland to protect

citizens’ rights whether or not there is a Brexit deal. This protects the rights
of UK nationals in Switzerland and Swiss citizens in the UK, ensuring that you
can continue to live your lives broadly as you do now.

For further information read the:

UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement

Living in Switzerland guide

Bringing your family to the UK

If you live in the EEA or Switzerland, bringing your close family members back
to the UK depends on when the relationship started:

relationships that begin before Brexit: your spouse or partner and other
existing close family members (such as parents, grandparents and
children) will be able to join you in the UK and apply to the EU Settlement
Scheme until March 2022. After 29 March 2022, they will have to apply
through UK family Immigration Rules
relationships that begin after Brexit: your spouse or partner and other
dependent relatives (such as parents, grandparents and children) will be
able to join you in the UK and apply to the EU Settlement Scheme until 31
December 2020. From 2021 they will have to apply through UK family
Immigration Rules

Your children will continue to have the right to British citizenship, wherever
they were born. This will apply whether or not there is a Brexit deal.

Access to higher education, 19+ further education and apprenticeship

funding in the UK

You will continue to be eligible for home fee status and student support from
Student Finance England for a 7-year transition period if either:

you previously lived in England, and now live in the EEA or Switzerland and
wish to study in England, or
you have not previously been resident in the UK, but have lived in the EEA
or Switzerland for 3 years

You will also be eligible to apply for further education 19+ courses in England,
and apprenticeships, for that period.

If there’s a no-deal Brexit, the 7-year transition period will start on exit day. If
there is a deal, the 7-year transition period will start at the end of any
implementation period.

During the transition period you will still be eligible to apply for student
support and further education 19+ funding in England, or apply for
apprenticeships, as soon as you return to the UK.

Professional qualifications

The UK-Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement and the EEA EFTA No Deal
Citizens’ Rights Agreement include specific arrangements for recognising
professional qualifications held by Swiss and EEA EFTA nationals in the UK
and UK nationals in Switzerland and the EEA EFTA states.

UK nationals in Ireland
The rights enjoyed by UK and Irish nationals in the Common Travel Area will
not be affected by Brexit. View the Common Travel Area guidance.

Read the Living in Ireland guide.

Published 11 July 2016

Last updated 8 August 2019 + show all updates

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