The Dutch Ambassador to the United Kingdom is calling on Dutch nationals living in the UK to apply for ‘Settled Status’. Please help to spread this message of Ambassador Karel van Oosterom to all EU nationals living in the UK.
In an open letter to fellow Dutch citizens living in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Karel van Oosterom, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the UK, writes: “I would like to encourage you to protect your rights to continue living in the United Kingdom. For decades, your right of residence as a Dutch citizen in the UK has been assured without you having to do anything. That has now changed.”
Action required to safeguard rights to live in the UK
Anyone who has been living in the UK since before 31 December 2020, who does not have British or Irish citizenship, but who does have the Dutch nationality (or the nationality of another EU Member State) can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. Obtaining ‘Settled Status’ — or ‘Pre-Settled Status’ if their residence in the UK thus far has been less than five years — protects a person’s rights to stay in the UK.
An application to the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme must be completed before 30 June 2021. Applications must also be made for children with an EU natonality if they do not have the British or Irish nationality.
Tell others about the need to apply
Many Dutch nationals in the United Kingdom have already successfully received ‘Settled Status’ or ‘Pre-Settled Status’, but there may still be fellow Dutch nationals who have not completed their application. Ambassador Van Oosterom therefore pleads with all Dutch nationals who have made the UK their home to tell other Dutch and EU nationals in the UK of the importance to protect their citizens’ rights by obtaining Settled or Pre-Settled Status.
Don’t wait until the last minute
Once again, you need to complete the process before 30 June 2021. That means there is still time to safeguard your rights. But the Ambassador urges people not to wait until the last minute. Make sure your citizens’ rights are protected by the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement and apply.
