An EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) Family Permit is entry clearance that may help an eligible family member travel to and enter the UK to join or accompany a qualifying relative. It is not a settled-status grant, and it is not the same application as applying to the EUSS from inside the UK.
It is a travel and entry route
Relationship and sponsor rules are specific
Plan the next application before travel
What the permit does
The permit is an entry-clearance document for an eligible family member of a relevant EEA citizen (and in a narrow historical category, certain qualifying British citizens). The current Rules and Home Office caseworker guidance define those sponsors and applicants in detail. This is not a general family visa for every relative of an EU national, and the sponsor's situation at the end of the transition period is central to many applications.
The permit is normally valid for six months from the decision and allows multiple entries during that period. It lets the holder travel to and enter the UK; it does not itself confer EUSS settled or pre-settled status. A person who needs a different family route, such as an Appendix FM partner or parent visa, should compare that route separately rather than relying on the EUSS permit rules.
Check the sponsor, relationship and timing
The applicant must apply from outside the UK. For the main EEA/Swiss family-member route, the sponsor must usually have been living in the UK by 31 December 2020 and must be in the UK when the application is made or travel there with the applicant within six months. The relevant sponsor category can include an EEA or Swiss citizen who holds, or meets the conditions for, the relevant EUSS status. The Home Office Rules also define specific cases involving naturalised or dual British/EEA citizens, relevant people of Northern Ireland, frontier workers and other listed categories. Some British-citizen-related applications closed to new applications in August 2023; do not rely on an older page or a broad description of “EU family member”.
Eligible relationships include specified close family members and, in defined circumstances, durable partners, retained-right family members and dependent relatives. The exact category controls which relationship date and dependency evidence apply. For many family members, the relationship must have existed by 31 December 2020 and continue when the application is made. There are exceptions, including later-born or adopted children and specific provisions for Swiss citizens and their family members. Read the current Appendix EU (Family Permit) entry that matches the applicant instead of applying one cutoff to everyone.
For dependent relatives, the decision may require evidence of the dependency at the relevant date or at application. Evidence might include financial support, medical or care records, household arrangements or other documents that show the claimed relationship and circumstances. The required sponsor evidence rules were updated for applications made from 8 April 2026; use the live application checklist and current caseworker guidance.
Apply and prepare the evidence
Use the live GOV.UK Family Permit application service. Follow its current instructions for the applicant's location, identity document, biometrics, appointment and evidence. The Home Office may request more information about the sponsor or family relationship. A valid application, eligibility and suitability are separate checks; submitting documents does not guarantee a permit.
Build the evidence around the specific rule relied on: identity and nationality, sponsor's status and residence, the family relationship, any required dependency, and the intention to join or accompany the sponsor. Provide official civil records where available, explain name or date differences, and follow the current translation requirements. Do not send unrelated records in place of evidence that directly addresses a rule.
The EUSS Family Permit application has no application fee. Confirm the latest service details before applying because appointment, document and travel processes can change. Be cautious of paid services claiming that a permit or later EUSS status can be guaranteed.
After arrival: make the separate EUSS status application
If the holder arrives in the UK on or after 1 April 2021 and plans to apply to the EUSS as a joining family member, Home Office guidance says they generally have three months from arrival to submit a valid EUSS application, unless there are reasonable grounds for delay. Check whether the applicant's particular route has a different deadline. The six-month permit validity and the three-month EUSS application period are different clocks: record both dates as soon as the decision and arrival dates are known.
After submitting a valid EUSS application, the applicant should receive a Certificate of Application. The certificate explains which rights it can be used to prove while waiting. Follow its wording and the current guidance; it is not a final grant of status. If the application succeeds, the status is recorded digitally as an eVisa. See our late EUSS application and pre-settled status guide for evidence covering a late application, pre-settled extensions and the route to settled status.
Frequently asked questions
Who can sponsor an EUSS Family Permit application?
Which family relationships can qualify?
Did the relationship need to exist by 31 December 2020?
Are there special rules for a Swiss sponsor or partner?
When must a dependent relative prove dependency?
Can a British citizen sponsor under this permit?
Do I apply from outside the UK?
How long is the permit valid, and can I enter more than once?
Is there a fee or a deadline to apply for the permit?
What must I do after arriving in the UK?
The Immigration Rules and Home Office guidance define eligibility and required evidence. Check the current GOV.UK service, Appendix EU (Family Permit), decision and permit dates before travel. This guide is general information, not legal advice or an individual eligibility decision.