EU citizens face a £65 charge for obtaining ‘settled status’ in Britain after Brexit, Sajid Javid said today.
The Home Office has unveiled proposals for the estimated three million nationals from the bloc living in the UK.
Under an ‘easy’ system, adults who have been resident in the UK for five years will be charged £65 and children £32.50 to obtain the status. Applications will be made online and decisions should be taken within two weeks.
The details were revealed after Mr Javid tore into the EU for failing to say how it will protect British expats.
He said the glaring lack of information for UK citizens living on the continent was ‘not good enough’.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured giving evidence to MPs today) said the glaring lack of information for UK citizens living on the continent was ‘not good enough’
Under the UK scheme, EU citizens who have lived continuously in the country for five years will be granted settled status, giving them the same rights to work, study and access benefits and services as they currently do.
The scheme would also apply to their close family members, such as spouses, children, parents and grandchildren.
Those living in the UK before December 31, 2020, but who had not met the residency criteria, would be granted pre-settled status until they meet the five-year test.
Officials insist the scheme, which will be phased in later this year and run until June 2021, will impose the least possible burden.
Obtaining settled status will cost £65 for adults and 32.50 for children – cheaper than a British passport.
Mr Javid said that by contrast it was unclear what the status of 900,000 British expats would be after any transition period ends
‘Publishing details of how we will administer our settled status scheme shows we are honouring the commitments made towards EU citizens living in the UK,’ he said.
‘But I am concerned that I have not seen any similar plans on how EU member states are going to support British nationals in their countries.
‘This is not good enough and I hope both the European Parliament and Commission will exert more pressure for them to do this as soon as possible.’
Concerns have been mounting that EU leaders are using UK citizens as ‘bargaining chips’ in Brexit negotiations.
Earlier this week, Mr Javid met the European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt, who admitted member states had not done enough to set out what the procedures will be for expat Britons living in the EU.
Earlier this week Mr Javid met the European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt (pictured giving evidence to MPs yesterday), who admitted member states had not done enough to set out what the procedures will be for expat Britons living in the EU
Applicants will have to provide proof of identity and a recent photograph. Civil servants will approve applications unless there are exceptional reasons, such as criminal offending, which justified refusal.
Ministers have said that the application process, which will run until the end of June 2021, would be as straightforward as ‘renewing a driving licence’.
EU citizens applying for settled status in the UK should receive a decision within two weeks of applying to the Home Office.
The Government has also previously confirmed the application fee will be no more than the cost charged to British citizens for a UK passport.
A standard adult passport currently costs £75.50 when the application is made online.