This EUSS family permit guidance explains how non-EU family members join an EU, EEA, or Swiss relative in the UK in 2026. The EU Settlement Scheme family permit is still open, free, and has no fixed deadline for eligible applicants, provided your relationship existed before 31 December 2020. It is valid for six months and lets you travel to the UK before applying for pre-settled or settled status under the scheme.
Source: Home Office, Apply for an EU Settlement Scheme family permit (gov.uk/family-permit) and Appendix EU caseworker guidance, 2026.
The EUSS family permit remains open with no closing date for joining family members. The relationship must pre-date 31 December 2020, except for spouses and civil partners of Swiss nationals, where the marriage or partnership had to be formed by the end of 2025. The Surinder Singh and Zambrano routes closed to new applicants on 8 August 2023.
EUSS Family Permit Guidance 2026
The EU Settlement Scheme family permit lets non-EU family members of EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens travel to the UK and then apply for status under the scheme. It replaced the old EEA Family Permit for new applicants from 1 July 2021, and unlike that route, it has no fixed deadline for those still eligible. The permit is issued under Appendix EU to the Immigration Rules and is the bridge into the scheme, not the long-term status itself.
The EUSS family permit is a free, six-month travel document for non-EU family members of an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen. It lets you enter the UK, where you must then apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for pre-settled or settled status within three months of arrival. It is still available in 2026 with no application deadline.
What Is the EUSS Family Permit?
Many people still search for the "EEA family permit", but that route closed in 2021. The EUSS family permit took its place. The key difference is the relationship deadline: your family relationship with the EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen must have existed before 31 December 2020. After you arrive, you apply to the EU Settlement Scheme rather than for an old-style EEA residence card.
EEA Family Permit vs EUSS Family Permit
| Feature | EEA Family Permit | EUSS Family Permit |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Closed (30 June 2021) | Open (no deadline) |
| Cost | Was free | Free |
| Validity | 6 months | 6 months |
| Next step after arrival | Apply for EEA residence card | Apply for EUSS pre-settled/settled status |
| Relationship rule | No specific date | Must pre-date 31 Dec 2020 |
| IHS required | No | No |
EUSS Family Permit Requirements
You must be a non-EU family member of an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen (your sponsor) who either holds EUSS status in the UK or is eligible and travelling with you. Your relationship must have existed before 31 December 2020, and you must apply from outside the UK.
The requirements turn on two things: your relationship to an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen, and when that relationship was formed. The official gov.uk family permit guidance sets out the detailed eligibility rules, and caseworkers decide each case under Appendix EU to the Immigration Rules.
- You are a spouse, civil partner, durable partner, child, or dependent relative of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen
- Your relationship existed before 31 December 2020 (Swiss spouses: by end of 2025)
- Your sponsor has EUSS status, or is eligible and travelling with you
- You apply from outside the UK and submit biometrics at a visa application centre
- You meet the suitability rules (no excluding criminality or security concerns)
If your relationship with your EU/EEA sponsor began after 31 December 2020, you do not qualify for an EUSS family permit. You would instead apply for a standard UK partner or family visa, which carries fees and an income requirement. The only exception is Swiss nationals whose marriage or civil partnership was formed by the end of 2025.
Who Can Apply for an EUSS Family Permit?
The permit is open to close family members of EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens. Each category has its own evidence requirements, and since 1 July 2021 dependency is no longer presumed for adult children, parents, or grandparents — it must be proven.
| Family Member | Dependency Required? | Key Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse / Civil Partner | No | Marriage or civil partnership certificate (before 31 Dec 2020) |
| Durable Partner | No (but prove relationship) | Cohabitation evidence, usually 2+ years |
| Child Under 21 | No | Birth certificate, passport |
| Child 21+ | Yes | Proof of financial or essential dependency |
| Parent / Grandparent | Yes | Proof of financial or essential dependency |
Children born after 31 December 2020 to an eligible sponsor can still be added to the scheme, and durable partners must show a genuine relationship that existed before the Brexit cut-off. Same-sex marriages and civil partnerships are recognised in the same way as opposite-sex ones.
EUSS Family Permit Processing Time
The EUSS family permit is usually decided within about one month of giving your biometrics, though complex cases such as durable-partner or dependency applications can take longer. The Home Office advises against booking travel until you have your decision, and no priority service is available.
Because it is a free application handled through the EU Settlement Scheme, the permit is often quicker than a paid route. Even so, decision times vary by country and case complexity, and can stretch toward 12 weeks where additional document checks are needed. If your case stalls, our guide on what to do about a UK visa delay explains how to chase a decision, and how it compares with standard processing times after biometrics.
How to Apply for an EUSS Family Permit
You apply online from outside the UK, free of charge, then attend a visa application centre to give your fingerprints and photograph. Documents not in English need certified translations.
- Complete the online application at gov.uk/family-permit
- Book and attend a biometrics appointment with your passport and documents
- Provide your sponsor's EUSS reference number and proof of relationship
- Wait for the decision (typically within one month)
- Receive your permit and travel to the UK within six months of issue
The EUSS family permit is completely free, with no application fee and no Immigration Health Surcharge. That is a major saving against a standard family route, where the partner visa fee alone runs into the thousands before the IHS is added. Optional services at a visa application centre, such as priority document handling, are not required.
What Happens After You Arrive in the UK?
The permit is only the first step. Once in the UK you must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme within three months of arrival — the permit itself does not give long-term residence. A successful application leads to pre-settled status or, if you already have enough residence, settled status.
- Within 3 months: apply to the EU Settlement Scheme from inside the UK
- While waiting: your rights are protected until a decision is made
- If approved: receive pre-settled status, or settled status if eligible
- Later: pre-settled holders move up to settled status when they qualify
- After settled status: you can apply for British citizenship after 12 months
If you are joining a wider family group, our guide to UK dependant visa requirements explains how partner and child applications are assessed where the EUSS route does not apply. EU, EEA, and Swiss visitors who are not joining family should instead check the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme, which covers short stays.
Closed Routes: Surinder Singh and Zambrano
Two routes that once let family members of British citizens use EU law have now closed to new applicants. Both ended on 8 August 2023, and those already on them keep their rights.
Surinder Singh Route (closed 8 August 2023)
This route allowed non-EU family members of British citizens to join them in the UK where the British citizen had exercised free movement rights in another EEA country. It closed to new applicants on 8 August 2023, and affected families now use the standard family Immigration Rules instead.
Zambrano Route (closed 8 August 2023)
The Zambrano route covered non-EU primary carers of British children, where refusing the carer would force the child to leave the UK. It also closed on 8 August 2023. Those who applied before that date retain their rights and can still complete their EUSS journey.
- The EUSS family permit is open in 2026 with no application deadline
- Your relationship must pre-date 31 December 2020 (Swiss spouses: end of 2025)
- It is free, with no Immigration Health Surcharge, and valid for six months
- Decisions usually take about one month; no priority service is offered
- Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme within three months of arriving
- Surinder Singh and Zambrano routes closed to new applicants on 8 August 2023
For the latest official position, see the Home Office guidance on entering the UK under the scheme and the wider settled and pre-settled status guidance, both of which are updated regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions about EUSS Family Permit
Yes. The permit remains open in 2026 with no application deadline for eligible joining family members. Your relationship with the EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen must have existed before 31 December 2020. For Swiss nationals, a marriage or civil partnership formed by the end of 2025 can still qualify.
It is completely free. There is no application fee and no Immigration Health Surcharge. This is a significant saving compared with a standard UK family visa, which carries a substantial fee plus the yearly health surcharge. You may pay for optional visa-centre services, but none are required.
Most permits are decided within about one month of giving biometric information. Durable-partner and dependency cases, or applications needing extra document checks, can take longer — up to around 12 weeks. Priority and super priority services are not offered for this permit, so you should not book travel until you have a decision.
The permit is primarily a travel document. Once you arrive and apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, you can work while your application is pending. After you receive pre-settled or settled status, you can work in any role without restriction.
The EEA Family Permit closed on 30 June 2021. The EUSS Family Permit replaced it. The main difference is that the EUSS permit requires your relationship to have existed before 31 December 2020, while the old EEA permit had no such date. After arrival, EUSS holders apply to the EU Settlement Scheme rather than for an EEA residence card.
No. The family permit must be applied for from outside the UK, as it is an entry clearance document. If you are already in the UK, you may be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme directly, depending on your circumstances. Check the gov.uk eligibility tool for your situation.
You need your valid passport, your sponsor's passport or national ID proving EU/EEA/Swiss nationality, their 16-digit EUSS reference number, proof of your relationship (a marriage or birth certificate, or cohabitation evidence), and dependency evidence if it applies. Any document not in English needs a certified translation.
The EUSS family permit is valid for six months and allows multiple entries. Once you arrive, you must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme within three months. If granted pre-settled status, you can later move to settled status when you meet the residence requirement.