Information for EU/EEA and Swiss nationals
- Order a Prospectus
- Undergraduate
- International
- International Pathways
- Study and Apply
- Your Country Representatives
- Country Specific Entry Requirements
- English Language Requirements
- Fees and Finance – International
- Meet our International Students
- Visa and Immigration
- International Student Support
- Study Abroad and Exchange
- International Short Programme Unit (ISPU)
- Postgraduate
- Degree Apprenticeships
- Open Days and Campus Tours
Despite the UK having left the EU on 31st January 2020, the University of Chichester remains a friendly international community and we continue to welcome students from all over the world.
The Brexit transition period came to an end on 31st December 2020, and this resulted in changes relating to fee status, student support eligibility and immigration status of EU/EEA/Swiss nationals.
The UK left the European Union on 31st January 2020. The withdrawal agreement includes a transition period until 31st December 2020 and during this time citizens of the EU/EEA/Switzerland and their relevant family members are able to come to or remain in the UK on the same basis as before Brexit.
If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen or a relevant family member and you are already in the UK (or will be here by 31st December 2020) and you wish to stay in the UK after the transition period ends – you and your family members will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. The deadline for application is 30th June 2021.
It is a quick and easy application so nothing to stress about! There is no fee to pay, but you will need a smart phone to download the “EU exit: ID document check” app.
We recommend that you apply as soon as possible if you are eligible in order to secure your status and rights to be in the UK after the transition period ends.
If will arrive in the UK after the transition period ends on 31st December 2020, you will need to apply for a permission (visa) to enter the UK.
Please be assured that the UK Government is committed to making it as easy as possible for freedom of movement for educational purposes and we expect any future immigration routes to be fast and simple. As soon as we have any news at all we shall update these pages – so please check back regularly!
The EU Settlement Scheme allows you and your family members to continue to live, work and study in the UK. It means you continue to be eligible for:
- Public services, such as healthcare and schools
- Public funds and pensions
- British citizenship (if you meet the requirements and want to apply).
Who is eligible?
EU & EEA & Swiss citizens and their family members.
You will not need to apply if you’re an Irish citizen but your family members from outside the UK and Ireland will.
As an EU citizen, you can apply for two different routes under the Settlement Scheme, dependent on how long you have already been living in the UK.
Settled status
If you have been resident in the UK for more than five continuous years (you have not left the UK for more than six months in that time) you will be eligible for settled status. If you receive settled status this means there is no time limit on how long you can stay in the UK. Please be aware you will need to make sure that you check how long you can be resident outside the UK after receiving settled status without having it revoked. It should state this on the communication you receive from the Home Office with your decision.
Pre-settled status
If you have been resident for less than five years you will be eligible for pre-settled status. If you receive pre-settled status this means you can stay in the UK for a period of five years. Provided you have lived in the UK for five years (and not exceeded the limits of how long you can leave at a time), you can then apply for settled status. There is currently no timeframe within which you must apply, but we recommend you apply as soon as you become eligible (as soon as you reach five years continuous residency).
Further information about continuous residency can be found in the Home Office EU Settlement Glossary Leaflet.
To apply for settled status or pre-settled status, you will need to complete a short online application form. The first part of the application involves downloading an EU Exit: ID document check App. The rest of the application can be completed on any device with internet access. The application will ask for basic information such as your name, address and ID (passport, national identity card, or national insurance number).
The application:
Step 1: Use the EU Exit: ID document Check App. You will need to verify your identity and nationality by scanning your passport, EU National Identity Card or Biometric Residence Card (if you are a non-EU citizen). You will also have to upload a photograph of yourself. Alternatively, you can send all relevant documentation by post.
Step 2: This can be done on any device. You will also need to confirm your residence, by providing your national insurance number if you have one. In some cases, other documentation may need to be provided. If you are using your status as a student in the UK to prove your residency, there are a couple of documents that you can use and upload to your application. You only need one of these per time period you are evidencing:
- Registration confirmation letter with term time address - available from ChiView
- Student Finance award notification or repayment statement – available from your Student Finance England online account
Further information about evidence to prove UK residence can be found on the Gov.uk website.
Complete the criminality check by declaring any criminal convictions. Only serious or persistent criminality will affect your application.
Successful applicants will get digital proof of their status through an online service. Once you receive your status, details will be provided of how to access it on the GOV.UK website. You will not get a physical document unless you are from outside the EUand do not already have a biometric residence card.
Non-EU/EEA family members living in the UK by 31st December 2020 are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by virtue of their relationship to an EU/EEA citizen.
Close family members that are not living in the UK by 31st December 2020 will be able to join their EU/EEA family member in the UK at any point in the future, as long as their relationship still exists.
Children born or adopted after 31st December 2020 and future dependants will also have their rights protected.
Who are ‘close' family members’?
Close family members include spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners, dependant children and grandchildren, and dependant parents and grandparents. Family members do not need to be from the EU; they can come from anywhere in the world (referred to as non-EU citizen family member).
Some EU students may be worried about the effect of a study abroad period on their continuous residence, whether they can still apply for the EU Settlement Scheme or whether they should be undertaking a study abroad placement at all.
If you are a University of Chichester student from the EU, and are currently overseas on a study abroad placement or Erasmus placement, you should still be able to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme on re-entry to the UK. This is because the government has announced that, as an EU citizen, you will be able to enter the UK for three months without gaining prior immigration. You would use this concession to come back to Chichester at the end of your study abroad period.
If you are a current EU student who is planning on undertaking a future study abroad option, your right to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme will not be affected by your doing so. You should apply under the EU Settlement Scheme as soon as possible. Your study abroad period should then fall as a permissible absence under the Settlement Scheme and your immigration status will not be adversely affected.
If you require further information and advice about the information above, please email: international@chi.ac.uk.
There is a lot of further information available regarding the EU Settlement Scheme and application process.
Please visit the Gov.uk website for official information regarding the scheme.
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) are an excellent, reliable source of information and they have a free Student Advice Line which our students can access.
The university will continue to monitor the situation and look for areas in which we can support our students. If you have any questions that have not been answered in these pages please email international@chi.ac.uk and Paivi and Jane (International Student Advisers) will help, advise and assist however they can.
Please check the UKCISA COVID-19 Information for International Students section to find out how study outside the UK for COVID-19-related reasons is regarded in the rules.
Anyone arriving after the transition period ends on the 31st December 2020, will need to apply for an immigration permission to enter the UK. Please see our visa and immigration section for more information.
If you require evidence of your previous student status at the University of Chichester to support your settlement application, please email our student records team who can assist you (sturecords@chi.ac.uk).
EU nationals are normally charged a lower 'home' tuition fee rate. This is providing that you meet the eligibility criteria. Some students are also eligible for UK government funding. This may be a loan to cover the cost of the tuition fees or it may also include a maintenance loan.
Nationals of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland can qualify for home fees and UK government support in some circumstances. For more information please see the links below.
Information on how we assess home/international fees, please visit UKCISA.
For more information on the eligibility criteria for funding please visit UKCISA.
Undergraduate loan and the application process information can be found on the SFE website.
Students starting their studies in 2020/2021
You will continue to pay the same tuition fee as the UK students do for the duration of your course.
You may also be able to access tuition fee and maintenance loans via Student Finance England (subject to meeting the eligibility criteria). This right for home fees and funding will continue for the remainder of your degree.
Please visit our funding for EU nationals website.
Students starting their studies in 2021/2022
If you arrive in the UK on or after 1st January 2021 and are due to start your studies in the academic year 2021-2022, you will not be eligible for home fee status or the UK government tuition fee loan/student support.
This means that you will be charged international tuition fees.
This will not apply to students belonging to one of these categories:
- Students who started their studies in academic year 2020-2021; or
- EU/EEA/Swiss nationals (and family members) benefiting from Citizens’ Rights under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, EEA EFTA Separation Agreement or Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement respectively; or
- Irish nationals
For further information on the fee status and eligibility for UK government support please visit our fee status section on the website.
Students in the UK by 31st December 2020
If you were living lawfully in the UK on or before 31st December 2020 you can use the National Health Service in England. You must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by the deadline of 30th June 2021 to keep the right to access free NHS healthcare. If you have either a pre-settled or settled status, or if your application is pending, you will not be charged for healthcare services (as long as you continue to be ordinarily resident in the UK). You may be asked to provide evidence of your settled or pre-settled status.
Using your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
If you started your studies on or before 31st December 2020, you can use your EHIC card for medically necessary healthcare until your course ends. You must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if your course ends after the 30th June 2021.
Students arriving in the UK on 1st January 2021 and beyond
If your stay in the UK is longer than six months, you may be required to pay an immigration health surcharge when you apply for your visa. This is currently £470 per year.
If you are coming to the UK for stays of more than 6 months, you may be required to pay an immigration health surcharge at the time of your visa application. The full amount will be paid upfront for the duration of your visa.
Irish citizens will not be subject to the immigration health surcharge.
See full details about the immigration health surcharge, including exemptions.
If your stay is less than six months, you will not be required to pay the immigration health surcharge. If you have a valid EU-issued EHIC or are a Norwegian citizen with a valid Norwegian passport, you can access medically necessary treatment during your stay.
Citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, may have to pay for any NHS healthcare they receive. Any treatment that you need to pay for will be charged at 150% of the national NHS rate.
You should buy insurance to cover your healthcare as you would if visiting another non-EU country.
Immigration health surcharge reimbursement for students
You may be entitled to a full or partial refund of your immigration health surcharge payment if all of the following are true:
- you’re a full-time student in UK higher education
- your visa started on or after 1 January 2021
- you have an EHIC issued in an EU country
- you do not work in the UKPlease visit the UK government website for more information on this and how to apply for this refund.
You can enter the UK with either a passport or national identity card issued by an EEA country or Switzerland that should be valid for the whole of your stay.
From 1 October 2021, you will not be able to use an EEA or Swiss national identity card to enter the UK unless you:
- have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- have an EU Settlement Scheme family permit
- have a Frontier Worker permit
- are an S2 Healthcare Visitor
- are a Swiss Service Provider - check if you need a visa to come to the UK after 1 January 2021.
-
EU/EEA/Swiss nationals (and family members) with a pre-settled or settled status under the EU settlement scheme
-
Irish nationals
- you’re a full-time student in UK higher education
- your visa started on or after 1 January 2021
- you have an EHIC issued in an EU country
-
you have not worked in the UK and do not intend to work in the UK
More information:
More information on Brexit, visas/immigration rules, fees and healthcare please visit the UKCISA website.
Alternatively, you can email the international student advisers (international@chi.ac.uk).
Please note that this is for information only and although it has been carefully checked we cannot take responsibility for its accuracy.
Make sure you keep checking the UK government’s website for the most up to date information relating to the status of EU/EEA/Swiss nationals in the UK.