UK residents with pre-settled status can apply for settlement once eligible

Who can move from pre-settled to settled status

The UK and EU highlighted the transition from temporary to permanent residence during 2027 in a joint statement on 10 November. For people in the UK who already have pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, the Home Office has an existing process to convert that permission to settled status. Some eligible holders can apply themselves, and the Home Office can also convert some cases automatically. The joint statement sets out a shared priority for implementation and leaves applicants to follow the current Home Office rules.

The Home Office caseworker guidance explains that a holder relying on the 30-month rule must have started their qualifying residence at least 60 months earlier and have been resident for a total of at least 30 months within the latest 60 months. The months can be spread through that window. The time window is measured at application or at consideration for automatic conversion. The rule is for pre-settled status holders and other requirements still apply. The guidance also distinguishes joining family members who qualify under the applicable family route.

The public conversion guide gives an alternative residence test involving absences of no more than six months in any 12-month period within a qualifying five-year period, subject to specified exceptions. Keep a dated record of residence and absences. If relying on a five-year period that ended earlier, the caseworker guidance explains that the earlier period has to qualify without using the 30-month exception.

Read the Home Office emails before opening an application

The Home Office’s April automation update says that the system now checks tax and benefit records for 30 months in the last 60. The update explains how the service can grant status without a fresh application where the available records support it. The 2027 reference in the joint statement gives no date for any individual automated check or decision.

The conversion guide says the Home Office sends an email when it is considering automatic conversion and another when it reaches an outcome. If you have received the first email, the guide directs you to await the outcome and follow any requests for information. Eligible holders who have yet to receive that email can use the conversion guide’s online application link. The application is free. Where pre-settled status was based on a family relationship, prepare evidence of that relationship as well as identity and residence.

Prepare documents to cover missing residence periods

The separate tax and benefits check guide explains how a National Insurance number can help demonstrate residence. Someone without a number, or with periods that the automated check cannot confirm, can upload documents through the application. Review the check result and identify the months that need independent evidence before gathering documents. Periods spent studying or between jobs can be documented with other material.

The Home Office residence evidence guide recommends named and dated documents covering a period where possible. Examples include a council tax bill, a university letter covering attendance dates or an annual bank statement showing UK transactions in at least six months of that year. A single dated letter generally shows residence for the month of its date. Upload scans or photos. The guide permits up to ten files for residence evidence, with a limit of 6 MB per file. Choosing documents that span several missing months can help within that limit.

Check your identity details and read the final decision

The application document guide explains the identity evidence for different applicants, including passports, identity cards or eligible biometric documents. Check the instructions for the document you hold and keep your UK Visas and Immigration account details current if your identity document has changed. This is particularly relevant where the passport used for the original status application has since been renewed.

After a successful application the Home Office provides a decision letter and an eVisa recording the status. Read the outcome and check the digital record. If your case is being considered automatically, follow the separate conversion guide and any instructions in the Home Office’s correspondence. For applications submitted directly, the Home Office checks validity, including identity and any required biometrics, before issuing a certificate of application. Read that certificate for instructions on what it can prove while a decision is pending.