The immigration requirements for EU citizens who want to move to the UK after 31st December 2020 are not yet known, except that they are likely to be very different from the current free movement rules. Effectively, from 1st January 2021, there will be two categories for EU residents; one for those who arrived before the transition period ended, and those who have arrived afterwards. We would advise anyone who arrives before the transition period should apply under the EU Settlement Scheme before 31^st December 2020, so as to be able to distinguish themselves when it comes to dealing with employers, banks, landlords, the NHS and any other body which has to verify your immigration status before it can provide you with services you need.

If you are an EU national with non-EU family members, and their current documents will expire before the deadline, they may also want to apply before their current documents expire. They may choose to get a settled status document, rather than renewing existing documents. This can be used for things like proving to landlords, employers and banks that they have the right to live and work here. Otherwise, they will end up with an old-style EU residence document and then have to switch to settled status — so they may as well go straight there.

For those who have not reached the five-year residence mark, but will have by 30th June 2021, they could wait until the five-year anniversary of residence in the UK before applying. If not, they will be first be granted pre-settled status, and then have to make a second application at the five-year mark.