UKBA To Charge For EEA Applications

sjimoh112 wrote:Hi guys, please feel free to contribute to this topic. In-case you haven't heard or seen this- ukba is to charge 300£ for eea applications.

UKBA- 'There is no fee for applications made by post or in person at the moment under European law. We will be introducing a fee of £300 for applications made in person at our public enquiry office in the future, but there will no fee for applications made by post. We will update the website when the fee for applying in person is introduced'.

What do you think guys?


http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/eucit ... /applying/

its just 55pounds not 300 !

kabuki wrote:I have to reapply soon as my current RC is set to expire in March 2015. I have no problem paying a fee, but it better mean a better and quicker service, something the UK isn't known for. The Netherlands may have a small fee (not sure if they do but others have mentioned it), but you usually get your RC within 2-4 weeks, not at the end of 6 months. However, I have no confidence that this fee will quicken processing times.

This is the best part:

You don’t need a residence card to live in the UK, but it can:

help you re-enter the country more quickly and easily if you travel abroad
show employers you’re allowed to work in the UK
help prove you qualify for certain benefits and services

Everyone knows they'd never be allowed re-entry if they didn't have an RC, nor would a company hire you. Even when in the same job, I've been asked for my RC every new tax year, eventhough they have a copy of it on file.

Gentleman is right, the employer does ask to produce a RC every year.

Can we do it for EEA4 PR application? i would love to pay 300-400 for the peace of mind

There are no premium service for EEA4 applications.

I am surprised that UKBA now in-care of HO seems to have got away with charging £55 or whatever it cost for EEA application. Despite the increment in revenue and from what I have heard so far, there has not been an improvement in processing time but improvement in the pay packet of the top guns in the HO.

So why do people keep paying this fee and how come all the free movement organisations or forums like this one haven't challenge the HO into explaining or justifying the £55 charge?

One other surprising thing it that people didn't even bother to request their money back once application is processed and successful as perhaps once suggested. Despite all the noise about how this fee will be challenged back in the early days, no one as really taken action.

I bet if HO as decided that £300 will be the processing fee, I doubt there would be any objection.

I will be interested to see what others views are on this matter.

Thanks you

I put a complaint in to the European Commission ages ago when the fees had just come in. It took a long time to get a response which I can't for the life of me find now, but I remember the response found that the UK had already taken the correct steps when they were setting up the fee system; they also found that it was acceptable to make a charge.

See here for my FOI request: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... e.pdf.html

The commission must be having a nightmare, the fee charge is very wrong, if I was charged, I would definitely be taking matters to court, obnoxious bunch.

Further more, it is beyond me how HO make up this cost. As you may now know the cost of EEA app is up by £10 to £65 I think. Which is about 20%, well about rate of inflation not to even consider the talks of deflation. I bet their front line staff don't get pay rise up to rate of inflation so how dare they put it up by that much considering the legality issue surrounding the initial fee.

Surely the EEA app fees had one of the smallest increase, but something has to be done as this is getting out of hand. And this is not even mentioning the poor service most receive from this poorly run institution.

not only that... but the Home Office also expect you to pay a £19.80 fee to the post office now for biometrics...

See Mr Simpson's request discussing this fact/point regarding the £55 fee for residence documentation

When Mrs Dirk applied for her RC in Spain they charged us €10.60 which is the same charge leveled against Spanish citizens for a National ID card.

We do not have a National ID card so they have chosen the passport as the item to charge a similar fee too which is £72.50. With biometric enrollment you end up paying £85.

I read the UK charges the same fee for the registration certificate which in my opinion is incorrect.
The only requirements are stated in art. 8 par. 3 of Directive 2004/38/EC.
No fee is mentioned there. So the certificate has to be issued free as do other member states.
Anyone ever challenged this?

Besides such certificates do not seem to be issued as required in art. 8 par. 2:
A registration certificate shall be issued immediately, stating the name and address of the person registering and the date of the registration.

The fees are mentioned in Article 25, Paragraph 2 of the same Directive.

2. All documents mentioned in paragraph 1 shall be issued free of charge or for a charge not exceeding that imposed on nationals for the issuing of similar documents.