Child Benefit if you move to the UK
Everyone needs to meet the eligibility rules to claim Child Benefit. If you鈥檙e moving to the UK from abroad you also need to prove that you:
- live in the UK as your main home - except for short periods, like holidays (in most cases, your child must live with you)
- have the right to reside in the UK
If you have 鈥榮ettled鈥� status under the EU Settlement Scheme you are eligible for Child Benefit. If you have 鈥榩re-settled鈥� status check the additional eligibility rules.
This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
Your child does not live with you in the UK
Usually you will not qualify if you鈥檙e from outside the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and your child does not live with you.
If your child lives in an EU country, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein (the EEA), or Switzerland
You may be eligible for child benefit if either:
- you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- you are covered by any of the other conditions in one of the agreements with the EU, with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway or with Switzerland depending on which country you live in
You or your partner must pay UK National Insurance (if you鈥檙e employed or self-employed) or get one of these benefits:
- New Style Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA)
- contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- State Pension
- widow鈥檚 benefits
- Bereavement Support Payment
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
You鈥檙e 鈥榮ubject to immigration control鈥�
You usually cannot claim Child Benefit if you鈥檙e 鈥榮ubject to immigration control鈥� - meaning you either:
- require leave to enter or remain in the UK and do not have it
- have leave to enter or remain in the UK but with a condition that you cannot access public funds
The exceptions are if you are from:
- Albania, Morocco, Tunisia or Turkey and working in the UK
- a country that has an agreement with the UK for Child Benefit
Countries that have an agreement with the UK are:
- Barbados
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Canada
- the Channel Islands
- Israel
- Kosovo
- Mauritius
- Montenegro
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Serbia