Evidence or lawful residence for EEA applicants

[BlueSky28]

Hi All

I am getting rather confused with the evidence that the Home office requires for applications made on the basis of residence in the UK for applicants of EEA countries. I used my national identity card to complete my life in the UK and knowledge of the language so I will have to supply this with my application. But do I also need to send my passport?

Personally I would rather not send both an EEA national identity card AND my passport as I will probably need to travel abroad in the next 6 months and this would mean that I can't as I don't have a passport or national identity card.

If you read the Guide AN it states:

Evidence of lawful residence during the 5 (or, if the applicant is married to or in civil partnership to a British citizen, 3) years before the date of the application
• Your passports OR say why you are unable to provide one on page 24 and supply
• Letters from employers, educational establishments or other Government Departments indicating the applicant’s presence in the United Kingdom during the relevant period
If your passport is not stamped when you come into the United Kingdom for example because you have a right of abode in the United Kingdom or you are a national of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” or Taiwan, you should send your passport and also provide alternative evidence of residence as above. If you are an EEA national you should additionally provide the information listed below.

FOR APPLICANTS FROM SWITZERLAND OR THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA
Evidence of Nationality
• Your valid passport or valid EEA national identity card as evidence of your nationality.
Evidence that you are considered permanently resident in the UK
• A document certifying permanent residence or a permanent residence card issued by the Home Office.

This seems deliberately confusing as on the one hand they are telling you to provide a passport and on the other they say passport or valid EEA national identity card. Also page 24 (where you are supposed to say why you can't provide the passport) is the BRP section, so this makes zero sense.

Has anyone got any ideas on whether:
a) you need to supply your passport and Identity card (if you used the latter for any tests)
b) if you are an EEA national the identity card and permanent residency card suffice?

Thank you!

[alterhase58]

First of all, use the Nationality Checking Service provided by your County Council or London Borough. For a small fee (around £60) they will check over your application, take copies of your valuable documents, certify the copies and send the whole package to UKVI. You could also apply for the passport at the same time if the council offers this (JCAP). You retain all originals (apart from LITUK certificate).

Take your passport and ID card and your PR Card (plus all other required documents & payment form) and NCS staff will sort it out.

BTW, I had two appointments with NCS. First time round they saved me from an expensive mistake. And my application was approved.

[BlueSky28]

Thank you! I hadn't thought of using the NSC to be honest.

I suppose it makes sense to be on the safe side and I get to keep the originals.

Thanks for the advice!

[noajthan]

NCS are great. Provides a final sanity check.
No guarantees of course.

[dapto10]

Hi Bluesky,

I applied for my Naturalisation with my EU Identity Card, and used that card for Life in the UK as well. It's actually the only document I've ever used for all my Home Office residence documentation throughout the years - my very first registration certificate, the DCPR later on and for Naturalisation.

The EU Identity Card has the same 'weight' as your passport obviously and your application will be processed, no need to send them your passport unless they want you to at a later stage. In my case they sent me a letter requesting 'Alternative Evidence' for the very last 12 months when I was in fact not subject to immigration control. I did send them full bank account and credit card history for the 12-month period, my most recent tax return, a letter from my GP, and my passport just in case, and everything was fine. The approval arrived in the post a week later.

Long story short - I have always used my Identity Card and never my passport with the Home Office and it has always been fine.

Here's a list of what I included in my application:

- Payment slip for £1,236.00.
- Evidence of identity - EU National Identity Card.
- Evidence of knowledge of Language and of Life in the UK.
- Evidence of being considered permanently resident in the UK - Document Certifying Permanent Residence.
- Letters from HMRC, local authorities (council tax), my bank (statements and other correspondence) and my GP and NHS dental practice indicating presence in the country during the qualifying period (going 6 years back).
- Tax returns for each year.
- Most recent HMRC Statement.

And that was pretty much it. It took 13 weeks from sending the application to receiving my approval.

I haven't used the NCS. Perhaps they would advise you to include your passport, just to make your and their life easier...

[elektray]

Hi,

I have question very related to this one. If you are an EEA national with a Permanent Residency card do you still need to provide Letters from employers, educational establishments or other Government Departments indicating the applicant’s presence in the United Kingdom during the relevant period?


Thanks for your help

[alterhase58]

Hi,

I have question very related to this one. If you are an EEA national with a Permanent Residency card do you still need to provide Letters from employers, educational establishments or other Government Departments indicating the applicant’s presence in the United Kingdom during the relevant period?


Thanks for your help

Yes (as there are no stamps in your passport) - PR and Nationality are different sections of UKVI - don't rely on previous applications - submit what is requested.

[elektray]

Thanks your for the quick reply alterhase58. I've been self-employer so I can't provide letters of employers. What other documents can I submit? For example can I submit letters from HMRC or bank statements?