If you left a European country in the old days, you handed over a passport at the ferry and carried on. That is gone. Today, getting a UK visa for EU citizens is the first document of any move to Britain, and picking the wrong one can cost months.
The good news: the system is entirely online and the categories are fewer than the website suggests. Here is how to find yours.
Do you need a UK visa as an EU citizen?
For a holiday or a short business trip, you do not need a visa, but you do need an ETA, a digital travel authorisation that costs £20 and lets you visit for up to six months. Only apply on GOV.UK: other sites charge more for the same thing.
For anything longer, the answer is yes. Living, working beyond a brief visit or studying on a long course requires a visa. The only EU-origin exceptions are people who already hold status under the EU Settlement Scheme and Irish citizens, who rely on the Common Travel Area. If you lived in the UK before the end of 2020, read the EU Settlement Scheme guide first: you may not need a visa at all.
For anyone looking for a UK visa for EU citizens, the official tool "Check if you need a UK visa" asks your nationality and purpose and gives a short list. Start there before paying anyone.
Which UK work visa suits EU citizens?
The workhorse is the Skilled Worker visa: a job offer from an employer licensed by the Home Office, a certificate of sponsorship, an eligible occupation, a minimum salary and English. GOV.UK says the visa can last up to five years before an extension, and that after five years you may be able to apply to settle. We cover the details in the Skilled Worker visa guide.
Health and social care staff have their own Health and Care Worker visa, which is exempt from the health surcharge. Several routes need no job offer:
- Global Talent: for leaders or potential leaders in academia and research, arts and culture or digital technology. You usually need an endorsement unless you hold an eligible prize. GOV.UK lists a £766 fee (split between endorsement and visa if you apply that way) and says you may qualify for settlement after 3 or 5 years depending on your field.
- Graduate: for people who finish a UK degree.
- High Potential Individual: for recent graduates of top universities abroad.
- UK Ancestry: for Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born grandparent.
- Youth Mobility Scheme: up to 24 months for people aged 18 to 30, or 18 to 35 depending on nationality; fee £340 plus the health surcharge of £776 a year. It is open only to listed countries, so check the eligibility page before planning around it.
Founders can look at the Innovator Founder visa, which requires approval of the business idea by an endorsing body.
What family visa can you use?
If a partner, parent or child lives in the UK and is British or settled, a family visa may apply. The GOV.UK example price is £2,064 from outside the UK and £1,407 from inside the UK, per person. Reference processing time from outside the UK is 12 weeks, and from inside the UK 8 weeks for a spouse who meets the income and English requirements, or for a child.
Dependants of work and study visa holders have their own route to join the main applicant, with their own fees. Check the work rights attached to each dependant route before you rely on a second salary.
How much does a UK visa for EU citizens cost?
Three layers add up. The application fee varies by category. The Immigration Health Surcharge is payable up front for the whole visa: £1,035 per adult per year, or £776 per year for students, their dependants, Youth Mobility holders and applicants under 18. Some applications are exempt, such as Health and Care Worker visas, EU Settlement Scheme applications and some visitors. Finally, you may pay for English tests, a tuberculosis test in some countries, certified translations or priority services.
For a Skilled Worker visa, ask the sponsor early what it will pay. Some employers cover the fee and the surcharge; others do not, and the difference is thousands of pounds. The surcharge is not refunded if you leave early, so a three-year visa means three years paid at the start.
Comparing routes, or checking that your documents match what your visa asks? Moovy can lay out the options for your profile, explain each GOV.UK page in plain words and draft the questions to ask a sponsor. Moovy cannot submit applications for you, and for a refusal or a complex family case a regulated immigration adviser is the right call.
How do you prove your status once you are in?
Your visa becomes an eVisa, a digital record in your UKVI account, with a share code you give to employers and landlords. Creating the account is free. You do not need a plastic card, but you need your passport to link your account, so renew it before it expires. More detail is in moving to the UK.
What should you prepare before you apply?
Every route asks for a valid passport, because your eVisa is linked to it. Beyond that, the list depends on the visa. A work route usually needs the certificate of sponsorship, proof of English and sometimes proof of savings; a family route needs evidence of the relationship and, in many cases, of income and accommodation. The exact list sits on the GOV.UK page of each visa, and it is worth printing it and ticking items off.
Two practical points save people from nasty surprises. First, read the dates: GOV.UK says that for Skilled Worker you can apply up to three months before your job starts, so applying very early can be impossible and applying late can cost you the start date. Second, keep copies of everything and use an email address and phone number you will still own in two years, because your UKVI account is tied to them.
Where English is concerned, official tests are accepted for most routes, and a degree taught in English can be enough in some cases; check the page of your route rather than trusting a forum post. If you are applying with your family, apply together when you can, because dependants are processed against the main applicant's route.
When should you speak to an immigration adviser?
A first application for a straightforward route is often something you can do yourself, since the forms are online and the guidance is plain English. Get professional help when the case is not straightforward: a previous refusal, a gap in your history, a criminal record, a self-employed or multiple-employer situation, or a family application with income that is hard to prove. In the UK, immigration advice is regulated, so look for an adviser registered with the proper regulator and ask for the fee in writing before you start.
A good test is simple: if a website promises a guaranteed visa, walk away. No one can guarantee a decision, and the fees you pay the Home Office are not refunded if you are refused.
What are the common mistakes with a UK visa?
- Starting work before the visa starts. A start date on the certificate of sponsorship is not a promise that you can arrive early.
- Confusing a visit with a move. Repeated visits do not build residence rights.
- Assuming the rules are frozen. The government has consulted on "earned settlement", which could change how permanent residence is granted. Results were not published when we checked, so look at GOV.UK before applying.
- Relying on old advice. The retired-person-of-independent-means route is closed to new applications.
- Booking flights before a decision. Even a straightforward visa can take longer than expected.
When in doubt, read the GOV.UK page for your route and consider a short paid consultation with a regulated adviser, especially if you have a refusal, a criminal record, or a complicated family situation.