Parents

Under the Immigration Rules, the parent of a child may apply to join or remain with them in the UK, where the child is a:

  1. British citizen

  2. settled person

  3. EEA or Swiss national in the UK with limited leave granted under the Immigration Rules, Appendix EU other than as a ‘joining family member’ or family member of a qualifying British citizen, or

  4. child who has lived continuously in the UK for seven years (for in-country parent applications only)

The provisions of the Rules on parents cover cases where:

  1. the applicant parent has sole parental responsibility for the child, or

  2. the child normally lives with one parent and their other parent is British, settled or holds pre-settled status other than as a ‘joining family member’ or family member of a qualifying British citizen

In cases where the child lives with another parent or guardian, the applicant parent must provide evidence that they have in-person contact with the child.

If the applicant parent is the partner of the child’s other parent or if the applicant parent is eligible to apply under

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Home Office announces EU Entry-Exit System implementation for British travellers

The Home Office has announced that the European Union's Entry-Exit System (EES) commenced on 12 October 2025, requiring British passport holders to register biometrically on their first visit to Schengen area countries. The system mandates non-EU citizens to scan passports and provide fingerprints and photographs at EU borders, with registration valid for three years or until passport expiry. Implementation will be phased over six months until April 2026, with varying requirements across different ports during this period. Those travelling to Schengen area countries do not need to take any action before travelling and the process is free of charge. The EES has been introduced to replace passport stamping for all non-EU citizens and applies to Schengen area countries including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, but excludes Ireland and Cyprus. British citizens with Withdrawal Agreement residence documents and UK-EU dual citizens using EU passports are exempt from the requirements. On exit, and for subsequent visits to a participating country, travellers will only need to scan their passport and provide either fingerprints or a photograph at the border. Children under 12 will not be fingerprinted but as per the new EU rules, all travellers, including babies, will be photographed and have digital records created. The government has provided £10.5m in funding for border infrastructure at juxtaposed ports including Eurostar at St Pancras, Eurotunnel at Folkestone and the Port of Dover, where processing will occur before departure from the UK.

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