Apply for a Frontier Worker Permit if you have not been able to relocate to the UK
If you’re an EU citizen who lives elsewhere but works in the UK you may be able to apply for a Frontier Worker Permit.
A Frontier Worker permit lets EU nationals come to the UK to work here whilst living outside of the UK.
You can apply for a Frontier Worker Permit if:
In order to qualify for a Frontier Worker Visa you must live ‘primarily’ outside of the UK. How you meet this requirement depends on how much time you’ve spent here since 1 January 2020.
For instance, you’ll be eligible for the Frontier Worker Permit if you’ve spent less than 180 days in total in the UK over the course of any 12 month period.
You’ll still be eligible for a Frontier Worker Visa if, in that 12 month period, you returned to the country you live in at least either:
You’ll still be able to apply if there are exceptional circumstances due to which you were not able to travel to your country of residence in this period, such as an illness or accident.
To qualify for a Frontier Worker Visa you must have:
You’ll be eligible as long as your work in the UK is ‘genuine and effective’. This means it must be more than casual, one-off work activities, such as:
If you’re not sure if your work is eligible, book a consultation for legal advice.
You might still be eligible to apply for a Frontier Worker Visa if there has been a 12 month period where you’ve not come to the UK to work.
However, you must have worked in the UK, while living elsewhere, by 31 December 2020. During the 12 month period you were not working, you must have been:
This is known as having ‘retained worker’ or ‘retained self-employed person’ status.
You will not need to apply for a Frontier Worker Visa if you:
However, your family members from outside the UK and Ireland will need to apply for permission to enter and live in the UK.
If you want to work in the UK from 1 January 2021, and were not working here before, you’ll need to apply for a Skilled Worker visa or another suitable visa.
The visa you’ll need depends on the type of work and how long you want to come for. Get advice on which kind of visa you’ll need.
You can use your Frontier Worker permit to come to the UK and show your right to:
There’s no fee to apply for the Frontier Worker Permit, and you do not have to pay the immigration health surcharge. You may have to pay to submit your biometric information (photograph or fingerprints).
If you’re a frontier worker, you’ll need a permit to enter the UK to work from 1 July 2021. You can use your passport or national identity card until then.
You can make the application for a Frontier Worker Visa online.
You should consider getting legal advice and representation for your Frontier Worker Visa application.
Family members cannot apply for a Frontier Worker permit.
Your family member may however be eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for settled or pre-settled status.
A significant number of visa applications get refused simply because the applicants fail to understand and comply with the underlying legal requirements.
What are you waiting for? Book your consultation so our specialist UK Immigration lawyers can advise you on your eligibility and the way forward to protect your right to reside and work in the UK.
Book Your Consultation