EU Settled Status for Romanian Citizens: EUSS Glasgow Guide 2026

Who qualifies: Romanian citizens and the EUSS

The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) was created to protect the UK immigration status of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. For Romanian citizens, the scheme is the primary route to securing long-term UK residence rights.

To qualify under the EUSS as a Romanian citizen, you must have been resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, the last day of the Brexit transition period. Romania joined the European Union on 1 January 2007, giving Romanian nationals the right to live and work freely in the UK from that date. That thirteen-year window of freedom of movement, from 2007 to December 2020, is the period from which qualifying continuous residence for the EUSS is counted. The Glasgow Romanian community spans people who arrived in the years after 2007 accession and have long histories of continuous UK residence, those who came more recently and hold pre-settled status, and those still building the five years needed for settled status. Romania is not a TB-testing country for UK visa purposes, and the EUSS has no English language requirement, which means the practical barriers to applying are lower than for most other UK immigration routes.

Non-EU family members of a Romanian citizen can also apply under the EUSS, either in their own right if they were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, or via an EUSS Family Permit if they are joining their Romanian sponsor from abroad. We cover family routes in detail below.

Romanian citizens who arrived in the UK after 31 December 2020 do not qualify under the EUSS. If you arrived after that date and are joining a British or settled partner, the Appendix FM partner route is the correct one. See our Spouse Visa guide for Romanian nationals for that route. If you are in doubt about your qualifying dates, our Glasgow advisers confirm this at the first consultation.

Settled status and pre-settled status: what each one means

The EUSS grants one of two outcomes, depending on how long you had been resident in the UK at the time of your application.

Settled status is granted where you have five or more years of continuous residence in the UK. It is the EUSS equivalent of Indefinite Leave to Remain. It has no expiry date. You can leave the UK for up to five consecutive years without losing it. Once you have held settled status for twelve months you can apply for British citizenship by naturalisation, or immediately if your partner is a British citizen. For Romanian nationals who arrived in Glasgow or elsewhere in Scotland after Romania’s EU accession in 2007 and who have been resident since, settled status is often the direct outcome at the first application.

Pre-settled status is granted where you have fewer than five years of continuous UK residence. It lasts for five years, during which time you continue building your qualifying residence period. Once you reach five continuous years you apply to upgrade to settled status. Pre-settled status gives you the right to work, use the NHS, access public funds if eligible, and travel in and out of the UK, but it carries an expiry date and must be upgraded before it expires. Pre-settled status is lost after a continuous absence of two years; settled status after five years’ continuous absence.

For Glasgow Romanians on pre-settled status, the upgrade to settled status is one of the most important immigration steps they will take. The Home Office has been automatically converting some pre-settled status holders to settled status where HMRC and DWP records confirm five years of continuous residence, and automatically extending grants approaching expiry. Automatic conversion does not happen in every case. Log into your UKVI online account to check your current status; if you are approaching five years without a conversion notification, submit the upgrade application directly.

Late applications after the 30 June 2021 deadline

The main EUSS application deadline was 30 June 2021. Applications made after that date are accepted, but only where the applicant has reasonable grounds for having missed the deadline. The Home Office guidance on what qualifies as reasonable grounds has been applied broadly in many cases.

Recognised grounds have included serious illness, domestic abuse, being a child whose parent or the local authority did not apply on their behalf, being unaware of the requirement to apply, problems with the application process itself, and administrative or technical difficulties. Romanian nationals who were not aware that their EU citizenship did not automatically protect their UK residence rights after December 2020, or who were given incorrect information, have successfully made late applications on grounds of lack of awareness.

If you missed the deadline, you do not have a formal UK immigration status until a late application is made and granted. This creates practical difficulties with employment, tenancy renewals and access to services. The sooner a late application is made, the sooner your status is regularised. Our Glasgow advisers assess your grounds, draft the supporting statement, and submit the application with the strongest possible case for why the delay should be excused.

Children are a particular concern in late-application cases. A Romanian child born in the UK, or a child who moved to Glasgow as part of the family, may never have had their own EUSS application. We check for dependent children in every family we advise. A child without EUSS status who is in full-time education in Glasgow schools may face difficulties at 18 if the situation is not resolved before then.

Moving from pre-settled to settled status

Once you have accumulated five continuous years of UK residence, you can apply to upgrade from pre-settled status to settled status. The application is free and uses the same online system as the original EUSS application.

For Romanian nationals in Glasgow who received pre-settled status in 2019 or 2020, five years of residence may now be within reach or already achieved. The residence period runs from when you first arrived in the UK, not from when you received pre-settled status. If you arrived in 2017 and received pre-settled status in 2021, you may already have five years of qualifying residence.

The Home Office automated conversion programme has been processing some upgrades without a new application where government data confirms eligibility. But the programme does not cover all cases. Romanian nationals who worked in the cash economy at any point, who changed address frequently, who spent significant periods in Romania, or whose records are not consistently linked to their National Insurance number may not have sufficient HMRC or DWP data for automated conversion. A direct application with comprehensive residence evidence is often the right approach.

We review the full residence record, identify any gaps or absences that could complicate the upgrade, and prepare the evidence bundle before the application is submitted. Getting the upgrade wrong can leave a pre-settled status holder without settled status at a critical point.

What counts as continuous residence

Continuous residence for EUSS purposes does not mean remaining in the UK every single day. Permitted absences are built into the rules. You can spend up to six months in any twelve-month period outside the UK without breaking continuity. For a single important reason, such as serious illness, compulsory military service, study abroad, work secondment outside the UK, or COVID-19 related reasons, you can be absent for up to twelve months without breaking the continuity clock.

A single absence of more than twelve months for a reason not covered by the exceptions will generally break continuity and restart the five-year qualifying period. Absences of more than six months in a given twelve-month period not covered by an exception can also break continuity in some circumstances.

For Romanian nationals in Glasgow, this is a practical issue. Many Romanian residents returned to Romania for extended periods, for family events, care obligations, or simply to visit. The COVID-19 travel restrictions from 2020 to 2021 created particular problems for Romanian nationals who were in Romania when restrictions began. The Home Office allowed COVID-19 as a recognised reason for an absence of up to twelve months, but this needs to be stated and evidenced explicitly in the application.

We map the full absence history, identify whether any absence needs to be explained, and make sure the application states the position clearly. An application that underestimates the significance of absences is one of the more common reasons a pre-settled to settled upgrade is refused or delayed.

Family members and the EUSS Family Permit

Non-EU family members of a Romanian EU citizen can apply under the EUSS depending on when and where the family relationship was formed and whether they were already in the UK by 31 December 2020.

A non-EU family member resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 alongside their Romanian EU-citizen sponsor can apply for EUSS leave in their own right, receiving their own settled or pre-settled status. Glasgow has a number of Romanian nationals with non-EU partners who may need to confirm their own EUSS status independently even after many years of UK residence.

A non-EU family member outside the UK on 31 December 2020 who wants to join their Romanian EU-citizen sponsor may be able to apply for an EUSS Family Permit. The permit is free, allows the holder to travel to the UK, and is followed by a standard EUSS leave application. Eligibility depends on the type of relationship and when it was formed. Spouses and civil partners where the relationship predated 31 December 2020 are in one category; durable partners and extended family members may fall under different provisions. The rules in this area have been subject to revision, and we recommend specific advice before any Family Permit application is submitted.

For Romanian families with a non-EU spouse in Romania who wants to join a Romanian sponsor already in Glasgow, the EUSS Family Permit is often the right starting point, provided the Romanian sponsor holds or is applying for EUSS leave.

Romanian civil documents for EUSS applications

Romanian civil documents are generally well-organised and relatively straightforward to obtain. For EUSS applications involving family members, the documents typically required are:

• Certificat de casatorie (marriage certificate): the official Romanian civil marriage certificate, issued by the local civil registry office known as the starea civila, where the marriage was registered. This is the primary document proving a marital relationship in EUSS family applications. It bears the official stamp and signature of the registrar and is the document the Home Office recognises.
• Certified English translation: the certificat de casatorie is in Romanian, and all non-English documents submitted with a UK immigration application must be accompanied by a certified English translation prepared by a qualified translator. The translator must certify that the translation is accurate. We advise on acceptable translators at the assessment stage.
• Birth certificates: for dependent children, the Romanian birth certificate (certificat de nastere) is the relevant document. It also needs certified English translation.
• Romanian biometric passport or national identity card: current identity documents for both the Romanian citizen and, where applicable, non-EU family members.

Romanian civil documents do not generally require an apostille for Home Office purposes, but this can depend on the specific certificate and how it was issued. We confirm the exact requirements for your documents at the assessment stage and issue a tailored document checklist to every Romanian client.

What evidence you need for your EUSS application

An EUSS application for a Romanian citizen needs to prove three things: identity, nationality, and UK residence.

Identity and nationality are typically proved with a current Romanian biometric passport or national identity card. If your Romanian document has expired, a current replacement makes the process more straightforward. Some Romanian nationals may also have a biometric residence permit from a previous immigration grant, which can be supplementary but is not the primary document for the EUSS.

UK residence is proved through documents showing that you have been living in the UK throughout the period you are claiming. The Home Office runs an automated residence check that matches your National Insurance number against HMRC and DWP records. In many straightforward cases this automated check confirms residence without requiring you to upload documents. Where the automated check does not fully confirm your residence, where you have gaps, where you worked in the informal economy for a period, or where your records are not consistently linked to your NI number, you need to provide your own evidence.

Residence documents include payslips and P60s, bank statements, HMRC or DWP correspondence, council tax letters, NHS registration, letters from a GP or school, tenancy agreements, utility bills and travel records. For Romanian nationals who came to Glasgow before 2010 and have been resident continuously since, the evidence needs to cover a long period consistently. For those who arrived more recently, the focus is on demonstrating the period from arrival to the present. Romanian nationals who changed addresses frequently across Glasgow, worked multiple jobs or short-term contracts, or have periods where formal records are thin will need a carefully structured document set. We build that file systematically before any application is submitted.

Your digital status and the eVisa

EUSS status is entirely digital. There is no physical document. Your proof of status is held in a UK Visas and Immigration online account, and you demonstrate it by generating a share code that a third party, such as an employer, landlord or border officer, uses to verify your status in real time through the government’s online checking service.

Physical Biometric Residence Permits issued under the EUSS expired on 31 December 2024. If you received a BRP as part of an EUSS grant, it is no longer your primary evidence of status. Your online eVisa is. Attempting to prove your right to work or rent in Glasgow using an expired BRP is likely to cause difficulties, and employers who are not familiar with the digital-only system may incorrectly question your right to work.

You access your eVisa through the UKVI online account at gov.uk. You need a valid email address and a way to receive a verification code. If you have not yet activated your UKVI account, do so before you need to prove your status urgently. Romanian nationals in Glasgow who have had trouble accessing their account, who have changed their email address since registering, or who need help navigating the online system can contact our Glasgow office for assistance. For travel, your EUSS status is recognised at the UK border, though carrying a printed share-code confirmation alongside your Romanian passport can avoid questions at check-in where an airline or overseas border officer is unfamiliar with digital-only UK status.

Cost of the EU Settlement Scheme for Romanian applicants

There is no Home Office application fee for the EU Settlement Scheme. There is no Immigration Health Surcharge, no income requirement and no English language test. The EUSS application costs the applicant nothing in government fees, whether you are applying for settled status, pre-settled status, a late application, an upgrade from pre-settled to settled, or an EUSS Family Permit.

This is in direct contrast to almost every other UK immigration route. A spouse visa from Romania costs from £2,064 in Home Office fees, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge. The Skilled Worker visa costs from £819 in fees, plus the IHS. The EUSS has neither, which reflects the commitment made during the Brexit negotiations that EU citizens already resident in the UK would not face a financial barrier to protecting their status.

Our service fees cover the advice, document preparation and submission work, not any government charge. For a straightforward application with a clear residence record, preparation is relatively contained. For complex cases, such as late applications where a grounds statement is needed, Family Permit applications, or cases with an absence history that needs careful treatment, more preparation time is involved. We provide a fixed-fee quote after the initial assessment so you know the cost before committing.

How long applications take

Most straightforward EUSS applications are processed within five working days. Many are processed same-day or within twenty-four hours where the automated residence check confirms eligibility immediately. Applications where additional documents need to be reviewed, where a late-application grounds statement requires careful consideration, where a Family Permit is involved, or where identity verification is more complex take longer. The Home Office does not publish a fixed processing time for all EUSS cases.

There is no premium or priority service for EUSS applications because the fee is nil. If your application has been outstanding for more than four weeks without an update and you are facing practical difficulties with employment, housing or travel in Glasgow, contact our office. We can contact the Home Office on your behalf and, if there are practical difficulties that need addressing while the application is pending, advise on how to manage them.

If your application is refused

An EUSS refusal is not the end of the route. Most EUSS refusals carry a right of administrative review, where the application can be reconsidered if there is an error in the original decision. Some carry a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal. In cases where neither applies or where both have been exhausted, a fresh application with stronger evidence may be the most practical route forward.

Common refusal reasons for Romanian applicants include insufficient evidence of continuous residence, a break in continuity that the applicant did not realise was significant under the rules, absences during the COVID-19 period that were not properly evidenced, failure to demonstrate the relationship in a family member application, certified translations that were incomplete or not accepted, or, in late-application cases, grounds for the delay that were not drafted with sufficient specificity.

We review the refusal letter against the EUSS rules, identify whether the decision contains an error that could be challenged on administrative review, and advise you on the most realistic route forward. Where an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal is the right path, we advise on the merits and refer you to a representative for the hearing. We do not represent at tribunal ourselves, but we prepare the underlying evidence for the representative and remain involved throughout.

From settled status to British citizenship

Settled status under the EUSS is the natural gateway to British citizenship for Romanian nationals who have made Glasgow, Scotland or the rest of the UK their home. Once you hold settled status, you can apply for naturalisation as a British citizen after twelve months of residence with that status. If your partner is a British citizen, you may be able to apply sooner without the twelve-month wait, under the spousal naturalisation route.

Naturalisation requires meeting the continuous residence requirement, passing the Life in the UK Test, demonstrating English language ability at B1 level or above, being of good character, and intending to continue living in the UK. The application fee is currently £1,709, plus a £130 ceremony fee.

Romania permits dual citizenship. A Romanian national who naturalises as a British citizen does not have to renounce Romanian nationality and keeps the Romanian passport. This is an important distinction for Romanian clients in Glasgow who wish to retain ties to Romania and the rights that come with Romanian citizenship, including EU citizenship and freedom of movement within the European Union.

Our British citizenship service covers naturalisation in full and picks up the file directly from the EUSS work, so nothing needs to be rebuilt from scratch when the time comes.

The Romanian community in Glasgow and the EUSS in 2026

Glasgow has one of the most sizeable and fastest-growing Romanian communities in Scotland. Romanian-born residents are present across the city, with concentrations in the east end, south side and several inner-city neighbourhoods, as well as in towns across the wider west of Scotland including Paisley, Renfrew, Clydebank and Hamilton. The community includes workers in construction, logistics, food processing, healthcare, hospitality, retail and professional services, reflecting the broad range of sectors that drew Romanian workers to Glasgow following EU accession in 2007.

Romania’s accession date means that Glasgow’s Romanian community is layered. Some Romanian residents arrived in 2007 or 2008 and have been continuously resident for close to two decades. These long-established Glasgow Romanians often qualify directly for settled status. Others arrived between 2012 and 2019, are in the middle of their pre-settled to settled upgrade journey, or have already upgraded. A younger cohort arrived in the two or three years before freedom of movement ended in December 2020 and is now building towards five years.

The EUSS caseload from Glasgow’s Romanian community reflects these different timelines. Common situations we handle include: pre-settled to settled upgrades for long-established Romanian Glasgow residents; late applications for Romanian nationals who were unaware of the EUSS requirement; EUSS Family Permits for non-EU spouses of Romanian nationals joining from Romania; and cases where Romanian civil documents such as the certificat de casatorie need certified English translation for family member applications.

Our Glasgow advisers work with Romanian clients by phone, video and secure document exchange. Romanian nationals based in Romania, whether family members applying for a permit or clients advising remotely, can work with us without travelling to Glasgow. Our office is in Glasgow and we act for Romanian clients across the city and across the wider west of Scotland.

Two 2026 developments are particularly relevant for the Glasgow Romanian community. The Home Office automated conversion programme has been converting some pre-settled status holders to settled status using HMRC and DWP data, and has been automatically extending pre-settled status grants approaching expiry. Romanian nationals whose employment records are inconsistent or who have significant absences are less likely to be converted automatically and should submit upgrade applications directly. eVisas have also fully replaced physical BRPs as proof of EUSS status; holders who have not yet activated their UKVI online account should do so now to avoid difficulties proving their right to work or rent. Call our Glasgow office on 0141 496 0321 if you need help with your account.

Related guides: EUSS, partner route and citizenship

A question that arises regularly for Romanian nationals in Glasgow is whether the EUSS or the Appendix FM spouse and partner route is the right path. If you were living in the UK by 31 December 2020 and have not yet applied to the EUSS, this page covers your route. If you arrived after that date, or are joining a British or settled partner for the first time without existing UK residence rights, the Appendix FM route is the one to consider. Our Spouse Visa guide for Romanian nationals covers the Appendix FM route in full. We identify which route applies at the first consultation and do not prepare an application for the wrong one.

For Polish citizens looking for EUSS guidance, we have a dedicated guide for Polish citizens. Once you hold settled status, the next step is often British citizenship; our British citizenship service covers naturalisation in full.

How UK Visa Assistance helps Romanian citizens

UK Visa Assistance is a Glasgow immigration practice. We prepare EUSS applications for Romanian citizens for settled status, pre-settled status, late applications, pre-settled to settled upgrades, and EUSS Family Permits. We review evidence, identify and address gaps in residence records, check Romanian civil documents and certified translations, draft late-application supporting statements, and submit on your behalf.

We act for Romanian clients across Glasgow, including Romanian residents in the east end, south side, city centre, west end and north of the city, as well as Romanian families and individuals in Paisley, Renfrew, Clydebank, Hamilton, Motherwell and the wider west of Scotland. Most of the work is done remotely by phone, video and secure document exchange, so location within Scotland is not a barrier, and Romanian nationals applying from Romania for a Family Permit can also work with us without travelling to Glasgow.

Advice is on fixed fees agreed before we start. To begin, call 0141 496 0321 or request a callback for a free initial assessment of your EU Settlement Scheme situation. If you are unsure whether you qualify, or whether an automatic conversion has already happened, the assessment will tell you where you stand.

For the next steps after the EUSS, see our British citizenship and EU Settlement Scheme overview pages.