Residence Permits

How to become legally resident in the UK

Residence Permits

A residence permit, issued by a member state of the European Union, is the necessary authorisation to allow non-EU nationals to stay legally within its territory.

UK residence permits are issued by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) part of the Home Office. These principally affect non-visa nationals who intend to extend their stay in the UK beyond six months.

EU/EEA nationals:

EU/EEA nationals do not require residence permits. However, if you wish for non-EEA national members of your family to join you in the EEA UK, you will need to apply for an EEA Family Permit. You can only apply for a Family Permit in the country of which you are a national.

Non-visa nationals:

On arrival in the UK, you will be given an entry stamp to the UK for 6 months. If you wish to extend your stay, you will need to apply to the IND for a residence permit. Note that the IND will charge a fee for this.

Further information on residence permits, including downloadable application forms, can be found on the IND’s website www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk .

Further reading

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