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EEA Nationals

The UK has left the European Union.


If you are an EEA/EU Passport Holder, and not a British or Irish Citizen, this means you must now have an appropriate UK immigration status to study at the University of Warwick.


If you already know which of the below options applies to you, or have already made a visa or immigration application, please select the relevant button for more information.


If you're not sure, or are not sure how Brexit has affected your status as an EU National living in or coming to the UK, please continue reading on this page.


Please refer to UK GOV webpage for an overview of visas for EU/EEA/Swiss nationals.

EU Settlement Scheme

If you were resident in the UK before 31 December 2020

Student Visa

If your course is longer then 6 months

Standard Visitor Visa

If your course is shorter than 6 months
(e.g. inbound exchange students for 1-2 terms)

Irish citizens should note that the information on this page does not apply to them, and should refer to information about the 'Common Travel Area (CTA)' instead.

The UK has left the European Union. If you were resident in the UK before 11pm on 31 December 2020, and have not since been absent for any more than 6 months (12 or 12+ months for certain important reasons, please see our FAQ), you will be eligible to apply for status under the 'EU Settlement Scheme'. The deadline for this was 30 June 2021, although it is still possible to apply if you can justify why you were unable to apply in time.

  • An overview of the EU Settlement Scheme can be found on the GOV website, as well as GOV guidance on travelling to the UK.
  • Detailed application guide for the 'EU Settlement Scheme' and FAQs for students at Warwick (including the potential impact of absences, remote study, and the coronavirus pandemic on your eligibility) can be found on the FAQ webpage.
  • If you have received Settled Status or Pre-settled Status as an EEA/Swiss national, or a family member of such a national, you can study using this visa. You do not need to apply for a Student visa.
  • If you are coming to the UK to study after 31 December 2020 and were not previously a UK resident, then you will be subject to the new Points Based Immigration System. You can request a CAS and apply for a Student visa under the new Student Route. More information can be found on GOV New Points Based System for EU nationals (to study or work in the UK).
  • If you are coming to the UK on Erasmus+, or for an internship, please refer to GOV - Visa options for Erasmus and Internship for more information.

Further information on the wider impact of Brexit on students and staff at Warwick can be found here.

Please click on the relevant section below to expand the guidance.
  • The EU Settlement Scheme Application Deadline was 30 June 2021

    If you believe you may be eligible but have still not applied, it may still be possible to do so, but you must act quickly.

    Further to UK’s exit from the EU, the UK government has committed to protect the rights of EU citizens and their family members currently living in the UK, including citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

    This includes the right to live here, to study, work and access public services, such as healthcare.

    To retain these rights beyond 30 June 2021, eligible EU citizens and their family members must apply for UK immigration status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

    Further detail on the Settlement Scheme can be found on GOV.UK.

    If you were resident in the UK before 11pm on 31 December 2020, and have not since been absent for longer than 6 months (up to 12 months or 12+ months for certain important reasons, please see our FAQ) then you may be eligible to apply for a status under the EU Settlement Scheme. The deadline to do this was 30 June 2021. However, you may still be able to make an application if you are eligible, and can provide justification for your late application.

    We strongly recommend checking your eligibility carefully and making an application under the EU Settlement Scheme if you are able to, regardless of whether you are sure about your future plans to remain in or return to the UK. This is because status under the EU Settlement Scheme provides the least restrictive immigration status possible, and applications are free of charge.

    The University is committed to providing support to help you register your right to live and study in the UK post-Brexit. To find out more about this scheme and assistance that we offer, visit our FAQ for Students webpage.

    What it means now that the UK left the EU with a deal?

    Click on the DEAL image below to view the flowchart with information on what happens now that the UK left the EU with a deal (an EU Withdrawal Agreement), including how this may affect your dependants.

    More information can be found on GOV website.

    brexit deal image 

  • If you became a UK resident before 31 December 2020, you should have applied under the 'EU Settlement Scheme' and received either 'settled' or 'pre-settled' status (the deadline for applying was 30 June 2021, although late applications are being considered where an applicant can justify why they were unable to apply in-time). A 'pre-settled' status visa is valid for 5 years, provided you are not absent from the UK for a consecutive period of 2 years (please refer to our FAQ webpage for more information on how absences of 6 months or more in a given year could affect your eligibility to upgrade your visa to 'settled' status after 5 years of residence in the UK).

    Once you receive your pre-settled or settled status, you will not require a CAS or a Student visa to remain in the UK. your status granted under the EU Settlement Scheme will be sufficient to enable you to continue living in the UK, including studying.

    If you haven't lived in the UK before and will be arriving from January 2021, you will be subject to the new immigration rules and will need a CAS and apply for a Student visa BEFORE travelling to the UK. Please refer to our Student Visa webpage for more information.

    There are exceptions, for example, if you are eligible to apply as a dependant of a family member who has settled or pre-settled status in the UK, or, if you are coming to study a course which is less than 6 months long.

    If you have any questions or concerns in relation to visa and immigration, please contact us.

    Your fees status will be determined by the Admissions team. Please refer to UKCISA - Brexit: immigration, fees and student support for 2021/22 for further information.

    • If you are eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme (i.e., you are a UK resident or are intending to arrive in the UK to study before 1 January 2021):

    Until 31 December 2020, free movement continues and so your entitlement to health care in the UK remains unchanged. If you are coming to the UK to study, you will need to obtain an EHIC card from the EEA country where you are a resident in order to access health care in the UK. If you do not reside in a EEA country before you come to the UK, you will need to obtain private 'comprehensive health insurance', otherwise you will have limited access to health care in the UK. See NHS leaflet about visitors to the UK as students.

    Once you have applied under the EU Settlement Scheme, explanatory Memorandums which accompany the Regulations for Accessing the National Health Service (for England) state that future regulations will ensure people with pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme can access free NHS care so long as they are ordinarily resident beyond 31 December 2020. To find out more, please refer to further information on UKCISA website.

    If you have already obtained permanent residence, or, have been granted 'settled status', then you will have continued right to access healthcare as you do now.

    If you are a current student who will remain overseas until after 1 January 2021, but your residence in the UK began before 31 December 2020, you are advised to apply under the EU Settlement Scheme as soon as possible (you can do it even if you are overseas) with a view of obtaining the status before 31 December 2020. Please refer to our FAQ webpage for more information about absences in the UK and how this affect your immigration status.

    • If you are not eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme (because you will first arrive to live in the UK from 1 January 2021), and you are coming to study a course which is longer than 6 months:

    You will require a Student visa and pay the Immigration health Surcharge at the point of making your Student visa application. Once you receive your Student visa, you will have full access to the NHS (on a similar term to UK nationals).

    • If you are not eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme (because you will first arrive to live in the UK from 1 January 2021), and you are coming to study for 6 months or less (for example, incoming study abroad students or visiting research students):

    You will be able to come to the UK as a Standard Visitor for a period of up to 6 months and you are permitted to study during this period. You are classed as a 'Visitor' to the UK and will be expected to pay for your healthcare in the UK. See NHS website for more information. Please make sure that you have arranged adequate private medical insurance before you travel to the UK.

News and updates:

24 Jan 2022: Created page to advise of IHS Reimbursement for EU/Swiss EHIC holders - EU IHS Payments

16 Aug 2021: Added UKVI temporary protection policy for those who applied for EUSS after 30 June 2021.

09 Aug 2021: Added new link to GOV visa options for European citizens for those not eligible to apply under the EUSS.

10 June 2021: New Coronavirus Concession Guidance published, relating to concessions under the EU Settlement Scheme where an applicant has been absent from the UK for longer than 6 months in a 12 month period.

23 February 2021: Added information for applicants, offer-holders and students starting their course in 2021/22 academic year.

10 December 2020: Added information about how to apply for a Student Visa for those not eligible under the EU Settlement Scheme.

17 November 2020: Added information about access to healthcare to the UK depending on if you are eligible under the EU Settlement Scheme and your course length. New Immigration rules were announced on 22 October and this will affect EEA students from 1 January 2021. See our News item on the top of the page.

05 October 2020: UK Immigration rules changed on 5 October 2020. EEA/Swiss nationals who have never lived in the UK before and intend to arrive in the UK on or after 1 January 2021 will now require a visa under the new Student Route in order to study in the UK for a course which is longer than 6 months. We recommend that you arrive in the UK before the end of 2020 where possible, but do contact your Admissions team if you are unable to and will now require a CAS in order to apply for a visa under the Student Route.

All the webpages in relation to 'applying for a visa under the Student Route' will be updated before 26 October 2020. You can start making a visa application under the Student Route from 5 October 2020 if you are outside of the UK. Your visa will be valid from 1 January 2021. If you are planning to make a visa application between 5 October and 26 October, please read our Student Immigration Update and contact us for further information.

31 January 2020: UK Withdrawal Agreement was approved by European Parliament on 29 January, and the UK left the European Union at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020. We are now in a transition period, which is due to last until 31 December 2020. During this period, the UK will remain in both the EU customs union and single market.