Ministries
Blog entry | 06-29-2021 | Meet our ambassadors and their work here
Brexit has consequences not only for businesses, but also for citizens. The deadline for the so-called “European settlement plan” is approaching. All Dutch citizens living and working in the UK after Brexit must register with the UK government for a residence permit that guarantees their rights. Karel van Oostrom, the Dutch ambassador to London, explains what you need to know.
Note: You still have 1 day to request your stable state (previously). This is mandatory in order to continue to live and work in the UK.
Why do you have to apply for stable (pre) status (residence permit) now?
Carrell: “The UK left the EU on January 31, 2020. On January 1, 2021, the transition period also ended, during which the UK still had to comply with European laws and regulations.
In recent decades, many EU citizens have settled in the UK, including about 150,000 Dutch nationals. The rights of those Dutch and other EU nationals who had already lived in the UK before the end of the transition period are enshrined in the Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and the UK. The agreement is valid since January 31, 2020.
In short: If you lived in the UK before 2021, you may continue to live and work in the UK in 2021. You must have applied for a residence permit from the UK Government. You can still register until June 30, 2021 Registration in the EU Settlement Scheme (English).
With your residence permit, you reserve the right to live, work and/or study in the UK. You also reserve the right to benefit from the health care and social security system. Then do it!”
Who needs stable (pre) status (residence permit)?
Karel: “all dutch (and other EU nationals) who were already living in the UK before 2021 must have a UK government residence permit – if they want to continue living and working here in the future. So they are of interest to Dutch people all over the United Kingdom: Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the British Channel Islands.”
What is the difference between “pre-settlement status” and “settlement status”?
Carrell: “The UK Home Office (also known as the ‘Home Office’) differentiates between ‘pre-settled status’ and ‘stable status’. Pre-settled status is available for people who have lived in the UK for less than five years. Stable status is available for people who have lived In the UK for at least five years After a five-year residence, prior settlement status can be converted into permanent settlement status.
Also for family members (non-British or non-Irish) of Dutch citizens in the UK, for example their children, they must apply for a residence permit. That is why I urge everyone to:
Be well informed and be sure to rank up your stable (in advance) by June 30, 2021!
The UK government’s new immigration rules apply to Dutch nationals who want to live and work in the UK in 2021 or later.
Read on the British government website What documents do you need to obtain a residence permit (English).
How to apply for (pre) settled status (residence permit)?
Karel: “As a Dutchman in the UK, you have to do it Apply to the UK Government (English). You must have a valid passport or ID for this. This is why we, as the Dutch Embassy in London, also recommend that you request these documents – which we can provide as an embassy – on time. Currently, we receive a lot of last minute requests for new passports or ID cards. The Consular Office at the Embassy is working at full capacity to ensure that people get their documents as quickly as possible. So that they can submit their applications to the UK government on time.
I also advise the Dutch to keep documents showing how long you have been in the UK. You need this as proof of your residence permit. The application is submitted entirely digitally through the UK Home Office. You’ve been working on it for a while – compared to your tax returns – but we get back from many Dutch that it’s relatively easy to do. For questions you can contact the British Government and the European Union Embassy in London. The most important thing, of course, is that you send your order on time.”
What can the Dutch embassy do to help you?
Karel: “You have to contact the British government to apply for your residence permit, but that doesn’t change the fact that we as an embassy are busy with that. In recent years we have organized dozens of information sessions – both physically (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and online – to inform the Dutch in the UK We also gave briefings on the EU’s settlement scheme, and the need to apply for a residence permit from the UK government.
In recent months, the embassy has been running various campaigns (online) to reach as many Dutch people as possible in the UK. Together with the other EU embassies and the EU delegation itself, we have spread our message across social media, TV, radio, newspapers and all sorts of other sources. With the hashtag #IamSettled, in which people online indicate that they have arranged their residence permits, we invite everyone to pass the message on to family, friends or acquaintances who are also EU citizens and live and work in the UK.
In the meantime, as the Embassy, we are also in contact with Dutch citizens, civil society organizations representing them and other EU citizens in the UK. To help them with all their concerns about the practicalities of this residence permit and many other matters. Even after the June 30 deadline, we will continue to represent the interests of 150,000 Dutch people here in the UK as best we can.
In January I wrote another Open a feed (Twitter) For all Dutch citizens in the UK, with the letter: Please note that you still have six months to apply for your residence permit. Those six months have passed now and we are approaching the deadline. One thing is for sure: make sure you rank your stable (in advance) by June 30th! “
