From 1 October 2021, those travelling with an EU, EEA or Swiss national identity card will no longer be able to enter the UK without presenting a valid passport on arrival. It is also be noted that the passport must be valid for the entirety of the stay in the UK. There are exemptions which will allow certain EU, EEA and Swiss nationals to continue using their national identity card in order to travel to the UK up until at least 31 December 2025 provided they come within one of the current Home Office exemptions. Therefore, if they hold Settled or Pre-Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), then they can enter the UK using the same ID document which they used when they applied under the Home Office EUSS.
If they applied to the EUSS before the scheme deadline, namely 30 June 2021 but have not, as yet, received a decision upon their application, then they can continue to use their National Identity card whilst their application remains pending.
If the EU, EEA or Swiss national has been issued with an EUSS family permit, they can enter the UK using their National Identity card after today and once they enter the UK, they will be able to make an application under the Home Office EUSS in order to remain here after their family permit expires.
There are a number of other exemptions which also apply enabling certain EU, EEA and Swiss nationals to be able to continue using their National Identity card to travel to the UK and it is important to seek advice prior to travel to check whether another exemption applies.
For advice on this or any other immigration matter, please do not hesitate to contact Sohan Sidhu.
