Despite the vote to exit the EU, the UK will still remain a member of the EU until Article 50 negotiations have concluded. This means most citizens of countries in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland have the right to live and work in the UK under European law. European nationals may also bring their family with them to live in the UK. However, to exercise the right to live in the UK nationals of these countries must be able to support themselves and their families without having to rely on public funds.
Anyone working in the UK must register with Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs and are liable to pay income tax and national insurance contributions provided their income exceeds the tax-free minimum.
Working in the UK
European nationals with the right to live in the UK are, with certain exceptions, are still entitled to work in the UK and do not need to obtain a visa or work permit in order to do so. European nationals have the same rights as UK citizens in this respect, and employers must treat them equally. An employer who treats an EEA or Swiss worker differently purely because he is not from the UK is guilty of discrimination.
EEA nationals and their family members can be employed, self-employed or start their own businesses in the UK. If the family members of an EEA national exercising his right to live in the UK are not themselves EEA or Swiss nationals they will have to apply for an EEA family permit before they travel to the UK.
Remaining in the UK
EU nationals who have lawfully resided in the UK for at least five years automatically have permanent residence. After six years, EU nationals who have lived continuously and lawfully in the UK are eligible to apply for British citizenship.
Croatian Nationals
Due to the transitional arrangements that were put in place when Croatia joined the EU in 2013,Croatian nationals may have to apply for a registration certificate to be allowed to work in the UK. This will depend on whether they need permission to work in the UK, and what they will be doing. Applications will continue to be processed as usual, despite the Brexit vote.
Document checks to work in the UK
To find out if a potential employee has the right to work in the UK and what documents employers should check, or if you want to find out which documents you, as an employee need to produce to prove you’re eligible to work in the UK, please see link here.
