If you would like to know more about our Permanent Residency and Naturalisation package please call our team on 0207 836 8505.

Certificate of Permanent Residency

A certificate of Permanent Residency is a settlement status under the EEA Regulations 2006/ 2016, and is open to EEA Nationals, only. Like Indefinite Leave to Remain, EEA Nationals are required to live and work in the UK ‘Continuously’ for a period of 5 years or more before they qualify.

Certificate of Permanent Residency Requirements

You must be an EEA National. For non-EEA Family Members applying for a Permanent Residence Card please click here
You must show you have been exercising your treaty rights as a ‘qualified person’ in the UK for the full 5 year term.
Qualified person is defined in the EEA Regulations 2016 as a; Job Seeker, Worker, Self Employed Person, Self Sufficient Person or Student.
Continuity of residence is not broken from a leave of absence for 6 months or less per year. Anything more than 6 months may be considered as a break of leave, unless there are legitimate reasons for your absence such as maternity leave.
Unlike Indefinite Leave to Remain, you do not need to sit the Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK test in order to qualify for a Certificate of Permanent Residency. However you will be required to fulfil the requirement should you wish to go on to Naturalise as a British citizen.

Certificate of Permanent Residency Process

You can keep your passport while your application is being processed by using the European Passport Return Service.
The fee for this service is approximately £10 per applicant.
Otherwise, all EEA applications are considered via the postal and premium route.
The processing fee is £65 per applicant.
The application may take up to 6 months to process.

Key information

An EEA National is now required to successfully apply for a Certificate of Permanent Residency before applying to Naturalise.
There is more flexibility within the EEA Regulations 2016 compared to the UK rules for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

EEA Nationals who currently hold a Certificate of Permanent Residency, may be required to switch into a new ‘Settled Status’ in order to qualify to Naturalise.

If you have been in the UK for more than 6 years as a qualified person you may be eligible to Naturalise immediately after your application for a Certificate of Permanent Residency has been approved.