What will happen to British Citizens living in the EU after Brexit?
The EU has rejected calls for an agreement to safeguard status for British citizens and their family members who are currently living in EU member states. The position of the EU is quite clear that they will not agree to mini-negotiations.
Similar to the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme, EU states have put in place a registration system, which will allow British citizens to register their residence in the relevant EU countries they are residing in.
Currently, it seems that majority of the EU member states will be implementing a transitional period where British citizens and their family member can apply for residence documentation.
Germany
Germany has put in place a transition period for 3 months from the date of Brexit, which is currently 22nd May 2019, and this transition period can be extended up to 6 months until the end of 2019 for British citizens and their family members living in Germany, who want to register for residence status.
France
UK nationals living in France will be required to apply for a new residence documentation after the UK leaves the EU. If the UK government agrees a Brexit deal, the deadline to apply under France’s new registration system will be June 2021. In a no-deal scenario, there will be a grace period of 1 year to apply for a new card. They will have 6 months to apply for the card and it will take 1 year to receive them.
Spain
The Spanish government has implemented a 21-month period starting from the date of Brexit for British citizens and their relevant family members to apply for residence documentation.
However, much remain unanswered and the UK government is unsure if they can ratify a Brexit deal before the deadline, scheduled for 22nd May 2019. Please kindly note that the above is an ongoing implementation and is susceptible to change, especially, in the case of a no-deal scenario.
You can read more about the arrangements for other EU member states on the European Commission’s website: https://ec.europa.eu/info/brexit/brexit-preparedness/residence-rights-uk-nationals-eu-member-states_en
Additionally, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has published guidance for UK nationals living in EU countries which can be found via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides
On the other hand, if you are an EEA national living in the UK and would like to discuss your UK immigration matter with our team of expert Immigration Solicitors, please contact us at barar.london@bararassociates.co.uk or alternatively, call us on 020 7487 8370.
