*Last updated on 08 January 2019
As you may be aware, in June 2016 the UK government held a referendum on whether or not the UK should remain part of the European Union, and 52 % of voters chose to leave.
The UK gave formal notification of its intention to withdraw from the European Union (by triggering ), on 29 March 2017. The process is likely to take a minimum of two years, and the UK remains a member of the European Union during this time. Therefore, there is no change to the position of and their family members in the UK during this time which means and their can continue to exercise their in the UK.
We do not yet know exactly what the future implications for residency will be for EU/EEA nationals and their family members who wish to come to, or remain in, the UK to study. However, the UK government and the EU are in the process of negotiating a , which includes an agreement on citizens' rights during a transitional/ implementation period from 29 March 2019. This is a period of time (likely to continue until 31 December 2020) during which EU nationals and their family members can come to, or remain in, the UK on broadly the same basis as they can now. The UK is also in the process of negotiation with Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Switzerland to reach an agreement on the rights of non-EU EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members.
We recommend that you continue monitoring the and webpages for any news. We will be updating this page as we learn more about the position of the EU/EEA citizens living in the UK. Below you will find some information that we thought would be useful at this stage, please visit our FAQ webpage for more information.
Tuition Fee and Student Finance Status
EU students' tuition fee and funding status will not change at least until the 2019/20 academic year and fees will stay the same throughout their full degrees. In April 2016, Kirsty Williams, Cabinet Secretary for Education at the National Assembly for Wales, confirmed that EU students applying for a place at Welsh universities for the 2018/19 academic year will also be eligible for financial support. This means that EU students starting in 2018/19 will pay the same as Welsh students and will continue to receive funding for the full duration of their courses.
Beyond 2019/2020, we do not know yet what will or won't change - this is for the UK and EU to negotiate and agree at a later date.
If you have any student funding enquiries, please contact the University's Money Support Unit.
Right of Residence
If a final agreement is reached, those already in the UK before 29 March 2019 and those who come to the UK during the transitional/ implementation period will need to apply for status in the UK under a scheme designed by the UK government. The status granted will be 'settled' status or 'pre-settled' status depending on the length of time in the UK.
The UK government published the The Statement outlines how the scheme will operate and who will be covered. The scheme, once confirmed and finalised, will consist of an online application process to be piloted from 'autumn' 2018, with an aim to make it more widely available from early 2019 and full access by 29 March 2019. The application fee is £65 (£32.50 for children under 16) and some people will be entitled to apply free of charge (holders of right of permanent residence documents, people with pre-settled status applying for settled status, children in care).
See some of the key points of the Settlement Scheme for EU students .
Comprehensive sickness insurance is not required for the purposes of this scheme; ordinary residence will remain the test for eligibility for free NHS treatment.
Applying to EU Settlement
To learn more about the EU settlement process and how to apply, please visit Marcel's blog:
We understand that the Government is in discussion with other EU/EEA member states about the situation for their nationals. We recommend that you continue monitoring the and webpages for any news. We will be updating this page as we learn more about the position of the EU/EEA citizens living in the UK but if you have further questions in the meantime please email us at internationalsupport@bangor.ac.uk