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how to become a eea national
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:27 pm
by livingMalta
Hello
How can i, as a British citizen become a EEA national?
How long do i have to work in a EEA country before i can apply?
Thank you
Re: how to become a eea national
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:51 pm
by Casa
Each country has it's own conditions for Citizenship. In Spain for example, it's a 10 year route. Are you sure you're not confusing this with the Surinder Singh ruling?
Re: how to become a eea national
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 4:19 pm
by Universal soldier
Never heard that somebody has that desire

. I donot think any much benefit from becoming British into EU national and from EU national into British.
Re: how to become a eea national
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 4:44 pm
by Jellybean105
Maybe th OP means becoming an EU citizen (exercising EU treaty rights in another country) for the purpose of getting an EEA resident card for his/her partner? So basically, the surrinder singh route.
Re: how to become a eea national
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 4:47 pm
by Casa
If so, it would be a very long route to take!
Re: how to become a eea national
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 4:52 pm
by Jellybean105
Am I right in thinking, you have to exercise your EU treaty rights (as a British) in another country to be able to classify yourself as a EU citizen? You can't automatically be an EU Citizen just because your British.
So I don't think he/she wants to become an EEA national, just know how long to work in that country?
Re: how to become a eea national
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 5:01 pm
by rosebead
OP, if you mean how long you have to exercise Treaty rights in your host State to earn a right of return with your family member back to the UK, then according to EU case law (C-456/12) it must be for over 3 months. However this case law hasn't been implemented by the UK yet, so under UK regulations you got to prove that you have transferred your "centre of life" to the host State. What that means is anybody's guess, although it's often recommended that you stay a minimum of 6 months in your host State.
Regulation 9 does say that for a Brit to be considered an "EEA national" for the purposes of the Regulations he has to have lived and worked in a host State.