Irish citizen — Common Travel Area residence and work

The Common Travel Area (CTA) is a long-standing arrangement between the UK, the Crown Dependencies (Bailiwick of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Isle of Man) and Ireland that pre-dates both British and Irish membership of the EU and is not dependent on it.

Under the CTA, British and Irish citizens can move freely and reside in either jurisdiction and enjoy associated rights and privileges, including the right to work, study and vote in certain elections, as well as to access social welfare benefits and health services.

The UK and Irish governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in May 2019

British citizens in Ireland and Irish citizens in the UK hold a unique status under each country’s national law. You do not need permission to enter or remain in the UK, including a visa, any form of residence permit or employment permit.

If you are a British or Irish citizen, you can work in either country, including on a self-employed basis, without needing any permission from the authorities.

If you are a British or Irish citizen you have the right to access all levels of education in either state on terms no less favourable than those available to the citizens of that state.

You also have the right to access social security benefits on the same basis as citizens of the state you are in.

If you are a British or Irish citizen you have the right to access healthcare in either state.

If you are a British or Irish citizen residing in the other state you have the right to access social housing

If you are a British or Irish citizen living in the other state you are entitled to register to vote with the relevant authorities for local and national parliamentary elections in that state on the same basis as citizens of that state.

You do not need permission to enter or remain in the UK, including a visa, any form of residence permit or employment permit. Because you do not need permission to come and live in the UK under CTA arrangements, you cannot apply under the new points-based immigration system.

You cannot travel freely within the CTA if you’re subject to either: a deportation order an exclusion decision an international travel ban You’ll need to apply for permission to come to the UK if any one of these apply to you. You can continue to use an Irish passport card to travel to the UK.

There are different document requirements if you are an Irish citizen and are travelling to the UK from Ireland or the Crown Dependencies

If you’re an Irish citizen in the UK you do not need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme but you may do so if you wish, if you were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020

If you have family members who are not Irish or British citizens, they’re not covered by CTA arrangements. You can bring family members to the UK on a family visa in the same way as a British citizen, or they may be eligible to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme.

If you are an Irish citizen and you were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, you can still be joined by close non-Irish and non-UK family members.

If you wish to be joined by a close non-Irish and non-UK family member who was not resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, they may apply to the EU Settlement Scheme from outside the UK. Alternatively, they may apply for, and enter the UK, using an EU Settlement Scheme family permit and then apply to the EU Settlement Scheme from within the UK.

Where you are an Irish citizen and do not choose to apply for status, your family member simply needs to provide evidence of your identity and nationality, of their relationship to you and of your continuous residence in the UK.

British citizens in Ireland and Irish citizens in the UK hold a unique status under each country’s national law. You do not need permission to enter or remain in the UK, including a visa, any form of residence permit or employment permit.

You do not need to do anything to protect your status in the UK now that free movement has ended. You can still enter and reside in the UK and enjoy your existing rights as provided for by the CTA arrangements.

If you’re an Irish citizen in the UK you do not need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme but you may do so if you wish, if you were resident in the UK by 31 December 2020