Updating and proving your pre-settled or settled status

After you’ve applied to the EU Settlement Scheme, the Home Office will email you a letter to tell you what status they’ve given you. This is known as your decision letter.

Find out what to do if you disagree with the decision.

If you’re waiting for a decision on your application to the EU Settlement Scheme 

If you've applied to the EU Settlement Scheme, you still have the right to live and work in the UK while you’re waiting for a decision. You can prove your rights in the UK using both:

• your passport or national ID card 

• your EU Settlement Scheme application certificate - you would have been emailed your certificate when you applied

Your application certificate might have been emailed to you when you applied, or it might be on your online account - it depends when you applied. If your certificate is online, you can get a share code on GOV.UK.

Your employer will need to use the Employer Checking Service to confirm your right to work.

Viewing your status

After you get your decision letter, you can view your pre-settled or settled status online on GOV.UK.

If you’re from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you will not get a card showing your pre-settled or settled status - your status is only online.

Viewing your child’s status

Your child will have their own online status. To view your child’s status on GOV.UK, you’ll need the email address or phone number you used when you did their application.

Proving your right to work

If you want to show someone your status, you can get a share code on GOV.UK. It's a good idea to print or write down the code when you get it.

You can give your share code to someone who needs to check your status - for example, an employer.

This code is only valid for 90 days - if it isn’t used within the 90 days you will need to get a new one. Your decision letter is not proof of your status. 

Employers and local councils can check your status online if you give them a share code.

If your employer checked your status before 1 July 2021 and they want to do it again, this could be discrimination - unless they’re checking every employee. Talk to an adviser if you think you’ve been discriminated against.

If you think the Home Office made a mistake about your immigration status

You can fill in a form to tell them they’ve got the wrong information - for example if it’s out of date. Find out how to tell the Home Office they’ve got the wrong information about your status on GOV.UK.

Proving your right to enter the UK

What you need to show depends on what citizenship you have.

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

When you enter the UK, you'll need to show an identity document linked to your online status - for example, your passport or national identity card.

If you enter the UK using your passport, you can scan it yourself using the ‘eGates’ at airports. If you use your identity card, you’ll need to show it to an immigration officer.

You can check or change the identity document linked to your status on GOV.UK.

If you’re a citizen of a country outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland

You might have got an EU Settlement Scheme biometric residence card when you were given pre-settled or settled status. If you have one, make sure you take it with you when you travel - you need it to enter the UK.

If you don’t have an EU Settlement Scheme biometric residence card, the rules depend on whether you have:

• an EEA biometric residence card

• a biometric residence permit

Proving your right to claim benefits

What you need to do depends on whether you have settled or pre-settled status.

The DWP might ask for proof of your pre-settled status or settled status by adding a message to the journal section of your online account. You should check your journal regularly to make sure you don’t miss any messages.

You can give the DWP your share code as evidence - you can get a share code on GOV.UK.

If the DWP ask for proof of your status, you must give it to them within 1 month. Your payments might be stopped if you miss the 1 month deadline. 

If your payments are stopped and you still don’t give the DWP proof of your status, you might have to reapply for Universal Credit.

Keeping your status up to date

Important

Make sure you keep your account up to date

If you don't keep your account details up to date, you might not be allowed to enter the UK.

You will need to update your online status if:

• you renew or replace the identity document you used to apply - for example, if your passport expires

• you change your name - for example, if you get married 

• you change your address, phone number or email address - your contact details need to be up to date so you can view or share your status

• you want to change your identity document or add another one

You might want to add another identity document so you can use it to travel - for example, if you applied using your national ID card but want to travel using your passport.

You can add or change your identity document using your online UK Visas and Immigration account. You might be asked to send your passport or national identity card to the Home Office.

It will be a number of weeks before you can log in with your new identity document details - make sure you keep the details of your old one until then. 

When you add a new identity document to your online status, you’ll need to sign in using that identity document in the future.

Don’t worry if you can’t see your old identity document on your account. It’s still there, but the system might only show the most recent one you’ve added.

You can update your online status on GOV.UK.

If you don’t get confirmation after you've updated your online status, or you’ve been waiting longer than 4 weeks, contact the EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre.

Switching from pre-settled to settled status

You can apply to change from pre-settled status to settled status when you’re eligible. Find out how to switch to settled status.

If you can’t access your online status

You might not be able to access your online status if you:

• can’t access the email address or phone number you used to set up the account any more 

• changed the passport or identity document you use in your account

You can contact the EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre and they will be able to recover your account and share your status for you.