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You need to get a Frontier Worker permit if you want to work in the UK but live in another country.

You may be eligible if all of the following apply:

• you鈥檙e from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
• you live outside of the UK
• you began working in the UK by 31 December 2020

You must usually have worked in the UK at least once every 12 months since you started working here. You may still be able to apply if you鈥檝e had periods of unemployment or were unable to work during this time.

If you鈥檙e an Irish citizen, you do not need to apply for a Frontier Worker permit but you can choose to do so.

You cannot apply if you鈥檙e a British citizen (this includes dual citizenship).

If you have not worked in the UK by 31 December 2020

If you want to work in the UK from 1 January 2021, and were not working here before, you鈥檒l need to apply for a visa.

The visa you鈥檒l need depends on the type of work and how long you want to come for. Check which type of visa you鈥檒l need.

You do not need a visa if you鈥檙e a British or Irish citizen.

What the permit allows you to do

Your permit allows you to enter the UK as a frontier worker.

It proves your right to access benefits and services, including NHS healthcare, if you meet the relevant eligibility requirements.

If you have a digital version of your permit you can also use this to prove your right to work or rent.

If you have a physical permit, you must prove your right to work and prove your right to rent online.

Fees

There鈥檚 no fee to apply for the 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).

How to apply

You must apply online.

You鈥檒l be told if you鈥檒l also need to go to an appointment at a visa application centre or UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point.

You will not usually need an appointment if you can use a smartphone app and have a passport or ID card with a biometric chip.

If you need an appointment

Allow extra time to arrange your appointment and travel to the centre - there may not be one near you. You may need to pay for your appointment.

The centre may need to keep your passport and documents while they process your application.

Family members

Family members are not covered by your Frontier Worker permit.

Your family member may be eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for settled or pre-settled status.

You can only apply for a Frontier Worker permit if you鈥檙e from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, and you:

• live outside the UK
• meet the requirements for working in the UK

Living outside the UK

You must live 鈥榩rimarily鈥� outside of the UK. How you meet this requirement depends on how much time you鈥檝e spent here since 1 January 2020.

You鈥檒l be eligible if you鈥檝e spent less than 180 days in total in the UK over the course of any 12 month period.

If you鈥檝e spent 180 days or more in the UK within 12 months

You鈥檒l still be eligible if, in that 12 month period, you returned to the country you live in at least either:

• once every 6 months
• twice in the 12 month period

You鈥檒l still be able to apply if there are exceptional circumstances meaning you could not travel to your country of residence in this period, such as an illness or accident.

Working in the UK

You must:

• have started working in the UK while living elsewhere by 31 December 2020, either as an employed or self-employed person
• do eligible work
• usually have worked in the UK (as an employed or self-employed person) at least once every 12 months since you started working here

Eligible work

You鈥檒l be eligible as long as your work in the UK is 鈥榞enuine and effective鈥�. This means it must be more than small, one-off tasks, such as:

• an interview
• taking part in a one-off competition or audition
• signing a contract

If you鈥檙e not sure if your work is eligible, the Home Office has guidance on what counts as genuine and effective work.

If you鈥檝e been unable to work or unemployed in the UK during a 12 month period

You might still be eligible if you鈥檝e been unemployed or not worked during this time because you were:

• temporarily unable to work because of an illness or accident
• temporarily unable to work because you were pregnant or had given birth
• voluntarily unemployed and doing vocational training related to your last occupation
• involuntarily unemployed, and either looking for work in the UK or doing vocational training

This is known as having 鈥榬etained worker鈥� or 鈥榬etained self-employed person鈥� status.

If you became involuntarily unemployed and are looking for work, you鈥檒l keep your status for:

• 6 months if you worked in the UK for less than a year before becoming unemployed
• as long as you continue to look for work, if you worked in the UK for a year or more before becoming unemployed

You鈥檒l need to be registered as a jobseeker with an employment office (such as Jobcentre Plus) and provide evidence that you鈥檙e looking for work in the UK.

You must apply online.

Once you鈥檝e started your application, you can save your form and complete it later.

Documents you鈥檒l need to apply

When you apply you鈥檒l need a valid passport or national identity card.

You鈥檒l be told which documents you need to provide when you apply. Some depend on whether you鈥檙e employed or self-employed, for example:

• an employment contract, or contracts to work in the UK
• payslips, or copies of invoices for work carried out in the UK

If you have 鈥榬etained鈥� status, you鈥檒l be asked for evidence for which criteria you meet. For example, a letter from a doctor if you have an illness, or copies of recent job applications if you鈥檙e unemployed and seeking work.

The Home Office has more examples of the types of evidence you will be asked for.

How you鈥檒l prove your identity

As part of your application, you鈥檒l need to prove your identity. How you do this depends on what identity document you use and whether you can use the UK Immigration: ID check app.

You鈥檒l either:

• use the 鈥楿K Immigration: ID Check鈥� app to scan your identity document (you鈥檒l also create or sign into your UK Visas and Immigration account)
• have your photograph and fingerprints taken at a visa application centre (if you鈥檙e applying from outside the UK and cannot use the smartphone app)
• have your photograph taken at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point (if you鈥檙e applying from inside the UK and cannot use the smartphone app)

You鈥檒l be told what you need to do when you apply.

Apply from outside the UK

Apply online for your Frontier Worker permit.

Apply from inside the UK

Apply online for your Frontier Worker permit.

If you need to change something in your application after you鈥檝e sent it contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

You can ask to cancel your application by following the same process as cancelling a visa or citizenship application.

If your application is successful

You鈥檒l be sent a decision notice saying your application has been approved.

If you applied using the 鈥楿K Immigration: ID check鈥� app, you鈥檒l be issued a digital version of your permit.

If you do not use the smartphone app to apply, you鈥檒l either be sent:

• a physical version of the permit (if you applied inside the UK)
• an email explaining how you can come to the UK and collect your permit (if you applied outside the UK)

Your permit will last for 5 years, or 2 years if you apply with 鈥榬etained鈥� status.

When you鈥檙e working in the UK

You鈥檒l usually have to pay tax on your UK income.

Check if you鈥檒l need to pay social security contributions in the UK or in the country you live in.

You can change jobs or move from being employed to self-employed in the UK without needing to tell the Home Office.

You need to tell the Home Office if you stop working in the UK and do not meet one of the retained status criteria.

Reporting a problem with your physical permit

Your permit should arrive within 10 days of receiving the decision notice about your application. You should get an email with information about your permit being sent to you.

If your permit does not arrive, you should first contact .

If you cannot resolve the issue with the delivery service, and it has been more than 10 days since you received your decision notice, you should contact the Home Office.

You鈥檒l also need to tell the Home Office if:

• you did not get an email from UKVI with your permit delivery information
• your permit has a mistake on it (for example your name, date of birth or gender is wrong)
• your permit gets lost, stolen or damaged

You can report your problem by phone. You鈥檒l need:

• your full name, date of birth and nationality
• your Home Office reference number (this is in the email you got with your application decision)
• an email address or UK postal address

You can get someone to report for you, for example a legal representative or employer. The phone number is different if someone is reporting on your behalf.

If your application is unsuccessful

You鈥檒l get a decision notice explaining why it was refused. It will explain if you have the right to either an:

• administrative review
• immigration decision appeal

When you renew your permit, you鈥檒l need to show that you continued to meet the eligibility requirements over the period of time since you last applied.

If you鈥檙e not employed or self-employed at the point you apply to renew, or you鈥檙e temporarily unable to work, you鈥檒l still be able to apply for a 2-year permit as someone with 鈥榬etained鈥� status (as long as you meet the requirements).

Apply to renew your permit.