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Hello all

Could anyone help me understand the difference between "registration certificate" and "residence card"?
I currently have a "registration certificate" and I'm about to apply for RoR, but I'm not sure if RoR fits under card or certificate.

Thank you

rando101 wrote:Hello all

Could anyone help me understand the difference between "registration certificate" and "residence card"?
I currently have a "registration certificate" and I'm about to apply for RoR, but I'm not sure if RoR fits under card or certificate.

Thank you

A registration certificate is for EEA citizens. Unless you're an EEA citizen, you wouldn't have a registration certificate: https://www.gov.uk/eea-registration-certificate

A residence card is for non-EEA citizens: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-a-uk-resid ... d/overview

chaoclive wrote: A registration certificate is for EEA citizens.
A residence card is for non-EEA citizens

That's what I thought too, until I read the the vignette on my passport where it clearly says
"Type Of Document: Registration Certificate"

I'm a non-EEA spouse of EEA national.

The both words are confusing and can be replaceable unless their correct tittle eea1 eea2 attached them.

rando101 wrote:

chaoclive wrote: A registration certificate is for EEA citizens.
A residence card is for non-EEA citizens

That's what I thought too, until I read the the vignette on my passport where it clearly says
"Type Of Document: Registration Certificate"

I'm a non-EEA spouse of EEA national.

If this is the case, you would need to talk to the Home Office who have issued you with the document. I think it's a little strange.

My EEA1 registration certificate is on a small blue card and my civil partner's EEA2 residence card is a normal vignette not affixed to a blue card.

The terms are not interchangeable and it specifically says on the application form which you should have been issued with. I'm not sure what has happened in your situation.

UKBA HUNTER wrote:The both words are confusing and can be replaceable unless their correct tittle eea1 eea2 attached them.

No, it's not confusing at all. The audience for both of the documents are different, i.e. EU=registration certificate; non-EU=residence card. This is very clear online and in the Directive: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/Lex ... 123:EN:PDF where a registration cert is said to be issued to a 'union citizen' and a residence card is for 'family members who are not nationals of a Member State'.

The only issue might be with the family member of an EEA citizen, who is also an EEA citizen, e.g. Spanish spouse of a Spanish national in the UK - they are issued with a registration certificate, even though they are not actually exercising their own treaty rights. The form now called EEA(FM) states: 'Use this application form if you wish to apply for a registration certificate (if you’re an
EEA national) or residence card (if you’re a non-EEA national)'.

Also: EEA1/2 do not exist any more. The new 'titles' are: EEA(QP) and EEA(FM).

Without using eea1 eea2 both terms are not recognizable like no human without their surname. Eea1 eea2 will definitely written on each relevant document.

UKBA HUNTER wrote:Without using eea1 eea2 both terms are not recognizable like no human without their surname. Eea1 eea2 will definitely written on each relevant document.

EEA1/2 do not exist any more. The new 'titles' are: EEA(QP) and EEA(FM).

The terms you are using are out of date. The names are VERY clear.

I have provided the links above. The only possible issue is EEA(FM) where the family member is ALSO an EEA citizen.

UKBA HUNTER wrote:Without using eea1 eea2 both terms are not recognizable like no human without their surname. Eea1 eea2 will definitely written on each relevant document.

I have just checked and I can say categorically that neither 'EEA1' nor 'EEA2' state that they are 'EEA1' or 'EEA2'.

My 'EEA1' states: registration certificate. My civil partner's 'EEA2' states: 'Residence card of a family member of an EEA national'. The application forms used to be called 'EEA1' & 'EEA2'; these terms are redundancy now.

If the new terms are used then without using these terms as a tittle like EEA(QP) and EEA(FM) still the word "registration certificate" and "Residence card" has no meaning alone.

UKBA HUNTER wrote:If the new terms are used then without using these terms as a tittle like EEA(QP) and EEA(FM) still the word "registration certificate" and "Residence card" has no meaning alone.

Wrong again. Only the application form is called EEA(QP)/(FM). This has ABSOLUTELY no bearing on the 'registration cert' or 'residence card' at all.

To make it clear, here's a basic matrix:

EEA citizens exercising treaty rights in the UK apply on form EEA(QP) = registration certificate. No other option.
EEA citizens not directly exercising treaty rights in the UK (with a family member in the UK) apply on form EEA(FM) = registration certificate. No other option.
Non-EEA citizen (cannot possibly exercise treaty rights, as this is reserved for EEA citizens) apply on EEA(FM) = residence card. No other option.

Hope this spells it out for you.

I would like you to tell me why, if EEA(QP)/(FM) is so important, then does it not appear on either the registration certificate or the residence card. If you don't have experience of this, please do go and check examples online. I have already checked both of our documents.

chaoclive wrote:My EEA1 registration certificate is on a small blue card and my civil partner's EEA2 residence card is a normal vignette not affixed to a blue card.

My spouse (Croatia/EEA) has one of those blue paper wallets that folds three ways and in one of the pages there is a vignette. And that vignette reads "Type Of Document: Registration Certificate"

As for me (non-EEA), I've got the vignette on one of the pages of my passport and my vignette also says "Type Of Document: Registration Certificate"

chaoclive wrote:My 'EEA1' states: registration certificate. My civil partner's 'EEA2' states: 'Residence card of a family member of an EEA national'. The application forms used to be called 'EEA1' & 'EEA2'; these terms are redundancy now.

My EEA spouse used CR1 and I used CR4 (special route for Croatian and their family members, but similar results as EEA1 and EEA2 I guess)
As you pointed out previous, "certificate" is for EEA and "card" is for non-EEA and that's in line with what both CR1 and CR4 forms follow in terms of wording. But strangely the vignettes themselves do not.

rando101 wrote:

chaoclive wrote:My EEA1 registration certificate is on a small blue card and my civil partner's EEA2 residence card is a normal vignette not affixed to a blue card.

My spouse (Croatia/EEA) has one of those blue paper wallets that folds three ways and in one of the pages there is a vignette. And that vignette reads "Type Of Document: Registration Certificate"

As for me (non-EEA), I've got the vignette on one of the pages of my passport and my vignette also says "Type Of Document: Registration Certificate"

chaoclive wrote:My 'EEA1' states: registration certificate. My civil partner's 'EEA2' states: 'Residence card of a family member of an EEA national'. The application forms used to be called 'EEA1' & 'EEA2'; these terms are redundancy now.

My EEA spouse used CR1 and I used CR4 (special route for Croatian and their family members, but similar results as EEA1 and EEA2 I guess)
As you pointed out previous, "certificate" is for EEA and "card" is for non-EEA and that's in line with what both CR1 and CR4 forms follow in terms of wording. But strangely the vignettes themselves do not.

Really not sure why! I don't, unfortunately, know anything about the Croatian applications but i'm guessing that they (as it seems from your reply above) do follow the same wording. I don't think it will be a major issue but you could write to the Home Office if you would like clarification. I haven't heard of this kind of situation before. It may simply be an error but it's a good idea to try to have it resolved!

Good luck!

Thanks @chaoclive

I went the easy route and instead of calling it "certificate" or "card" on my cover letter, I referred to my application using the form's name "EEA(FM)" can't go wrong with that one (or so I hope)

The issue of the Registration certificate and Residence card are well defined.

vinny wrote:The issue of the Residence certificate and Residence card are well defined.

Registration certificate*

Oops! Corrected.
Thanks!