What does Settled status in the UK allow you to do and not to do
Executive summary
Settled status (Indefinite Leave to Remain under the EU Settlement Scheme) gives EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 the right to live and work in the UK indefinitely, access NHS healthcare, education and (where eligible) benefits, and a clear pathway to British citizenship usually after 12 months of holding settled status [1] [2] [3]. Recent rule changes in 2025 have relaxed residence/absence tests and introduced automatic upgrades from pre‑settled to settled status for many eligible people [4] [5] [6].
1. What settled status actually allows you to do — core rights
Settled status is effectively indefinite leave to remain: you can live in the UK without time limit, work or study without restriction, access NHS healthcare and, if you meet the usual tests, claim welfare benefits and other public services [2] [1] [3]. Holders can use their digital status (eVisa/evidence online) to prove rights to employers or landlords; the scheme moved toward digital evidence from 2025 onward [7].
2. The route from settled status to British citizenship
Once granted settled status, most holders become eligible to apply for British citizenship after a qualifying period — many advisers note a usual rule of being able to apply for naturalisation 12 months after obtaining settled status, subject to the normal requirements and fees [2] [3]. Legal advisers and firms emphasise that citizenship is permanent and brings the full political rights of British citizens [3].
3. What settled status does not automatically give you
Settled status is not the same as a British passport or citizenship: it grants permanent residence but not the right to vote in UK parliamentary elections unless and until you naturalise as a British citizen (available sources do not mention voting rights explicitly for settled status vs citizenship in provided reporting). Settled status holders remain subject to UK criminal and public‑order rules and can lose status in specific, rare circumstances (advisers warn about criminal conduct checks) [4] [2].
4. Absence rules and how they changed in 2025
Previously, to qualify for settled status you needed five years’ continuous UK residence with tight absence limits; from mid‑2025 the Home Office relaxed the continuity rules for many pre‑settled holders, allowing qualification based on having spent 30 months in the UK within the last 60 months rather than strict uninterrupted residence, making it easier to secure or be upgraded to settled status [6] [5] [2]. Legal commentators and charities have noted the change was designed to address harsh consequences for people who spent time abroad for work, study, family or Covid reasons [6].
5. Automatic conversions and administrative safety nets
Since January 2025 the Home Office began automatic conversions of eligible pre‑settled status holders to settled status and also introduced automatic extensions of pre‑settled grants while checks are carried out; the government signalled plans to expand these processes later in 2025 [4] [5] [8]. Solicitors’ and advisory sites caution that not everyone will be automatically upgraded and criminal‑conduct checks and data checks (HMRC/DWP) are used in the process [4] [9].
6. Practical consequences for daily life: employers, landlords, travel
Settled status simplifies right‑to‑work and right‑to‑rent checks because there is clear, permanent immigration status to show; DavidsonMorris and other guides stress digital status proofs and that once someone is in a job or tenancy no further checks should be required beyond initial verification [7] [10]. For travel, settled status gives generous absence allowances — you can normally leave the UK for up to five years without losing settled status (some sources note four years for Swiss citizens) — contrasting with the stricter absence limits that used to apply to pre‑settled holders [11].
7. Limits, uncertainties and political context
The Commons Library and legal commentaries flag limits to permanence: wider immigration reforms proposed in 2025–2026 do not apply to EUSS rights currently, but White Paper proposals could alter settlement rules for other categories [12]. Home Office statements and lawyers also say the department plans to review and, in some cases, remove pre‑settled status from people clearly no longer meeting conditions — a process that will include appeal rights [5]. Advisers warn that automation and rule changes reduce barriers for many but do not replace case‑by‑case legal advice [4] [13].
8. Bottom line for someone asking “what can I do or not do?”
If you have settled status you can live, work, study and access health care in the UK indefinitely, use digital proof of status for employers and landlords, and generally qualify to apply for British citizenship after the usual residency requirements are met; you do not automatically become a British citizen or passport‑holder and still face possible loss of status for criminality or exceptional immigration enforcement [2] [1] [3] [4]. For recent changes to absence rules and automatic upgrades, consult official Home Office guidance and legal advisors because the scheme has changed substantially in 2024–2025 and checks still apply [5] [4].