What has changed
On 31 December 2020 at 11pm, freedom of movement between the United Kingdom and the EU ended. This means free movement to Jersey has also ended. Everyone who is non-British or Irish, will now need immigration permission to visit, work, study or settle in Jersey.
List of EU countries
You'll continue to need a Registered or Licensed permission on your Business Licence to employ someone who does not have Entitled or Entitled for work status (5 years continuous residency in Jersey or more).
However, you'll now also need to consider the following immigration permissions if you want to employ an EU national.
Jersey-EU Settlement Scheme
EU nationals who moved to Jersey on or before 31 December 2020 are eligible for the
Jersey-EU Settlement Scheme, which protects their right to continue living and working in Jersey.
You can continue employing these staff provided your Business Licence has the correct permissions to do so. You should remind staff who are EU nationals that they should apply to the Jersey-EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021. The application is free and can be done online.
Work permits
Employers will need to apply for a work permit for EU nationals who are new to Jersey from 1 January 2021. You'll need to apply for a work permit for them before they can apply for a visa, which they will need to enter Jersey.
Process, costs and timescales at a glance
Depending on your unique situation, you may be able to stop at step 1 or step 3.
Step 1: Attempt to recruit someone who is 'Entitled or 'Entitled for work'. There is no restriction on employing indviduals with this status and many EU nationals hold this status.
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Back to work recruitment | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Step 2: If you're unable to recruit someone who is 'Entitled or 'Entitled for work', check if you have a spare 'Registered' or 'Licensed' permission on your Business Licence. If not, and you believe the role will provide significant social or economic value, consider applying to Business Licensing |
Business Licensing page | £50 Registered
£225 Licensed
Payable as an annual fee in December | Up to 10 days |
Step 3: If you're granted a 'Registered' or 'Licensed' permission by Business Licensing or you already have a spare permission, you can expand your search for a staff member.
Once you have found someone, you should check if they will also require an Immigration work permit. If they do not require a work permit (for example, if they are British or Irish or covered by the Jersey-EU Settlement scheme), you can employ them now and you can stop at this step |
Settlement Scheme
Check if a work permit is required | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Step 4: If the prospective staff member requires a work permit, you should check that the role qualifies under the work permit policy and consider making an application
If a work permit is granted, the prospective staff member will need to apply for a visa to enter Jersey. You should check to ensure they will meet the visa criteria before making a the work permit application |
Work permits page
Visa information | 6 months or less: £85 6 to 9 months: £115 9 to 12 months: £175 1 year to 2 years: £290 2 years to 3 years: £350 3 years to 5 years: £580 | Up to 3 weeks |
| Step 5: If the work permit is granted, the prospective staff member will need to apply for a visa. This is a UK Home office process. Immigration will send you details to help your prospective staff member do this |
Visa information | 9 months: £244 3 years: £610 | Between 3 and 8 weeks from visa application centre appointment in home country |
| Step 6: Once the visa is granted, your new employee can travel to Jersey and take up employment with you and apply for their registration card |
How to get a registration card | Not applicable
| Not applicable |
Total cost represents the maximum possible costs and includes the maximum Business Licensing, work permit and visa fees.
Checks to do with your current team
British and Irish nationals
| Entitled or Entitled for work | None. Carry on employing this person. You have everything you need.
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| Registered or Licensed | Carry on employing this person provided you hold a Registered or Licensed permission on your business licence.
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EU nationals that arrived in Jersey on or before 31 December 2020
| Entitled or Entitled for work | Settled or Pre-settled | None. Carry on employing this person. You have everything you need.
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| Entitled or Entitled for work | Not yet applied | Carry on employing this person, but remind them to apply to the Jersey-EU Settlement scheme before 30 June 2021
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| Registered or Licensed | Settled or Pre-settled | Carry on employing this person provided you hold a Registered or Licensed permission on your business licence
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| Registered or Licensed | Not yet applied | Carry on employing this person provided you hold a Registered or Licensed permission on your business licence, but remind them to apply to the Jersey-EU Settlement scheme before 30 June 2021
|
Nationals of other countries outside of the EU and Common Travel Area (CTA)
The rules for employing nationals of other countries outside of the EU and CTA have not changed as a result of Brexit and you will continue to need a Registered or Licensed permission on your business licence and appropriate Immigration permission (e.g. a work permit and valid working visa).
Work permits: make an application
How to check new employees have the appropriate immigration permission
Immigration permission will be either:
- a permission related to the Jersey-EU Settlement Scheme (Settled or Pre-settled status), or
- a working visa
1. Permission related to the Jersey-EU Settlement Scheme
Any EU national who is or has been in the Island before 1 January 2021 will be eligible to the Jersey-EU Settlement Scheme. If they are eligible to the scheme but have not yet applied they have protected rights to continue living and working in Jersey until 30 June 2021, by which time they must have applied to the scheme.
Until 30 June 2021
Employers should do one of the following:
- be satisfied that a person was in the island before 1st January 2021 and eligible to the scheme (in this case, you should remind them to apply to the scheme by June 2021), or
- request that a person presents evidence to confirm they have submitted their application to the scheme. This will be an email confirmation from Jersey Customs and Immigration Service, or
- request that a person presents a document to confirm they have been granted Settled or Pre-settled status. This will either be a hard copy or digital certificate or an email confirmation from Jersey Customs and Immigration Service
After 30 June 2021
Employers should request that a person presents a document to confirm they have been granted Settled or Pre-settled status.
2. Working visa
For an EU national to be granted a working visa their employer must have applied and been granted a work permit.
Work permits: make an application
List of EU countries
References to EU nationals includes nationals of all countries listed below. This includes EEA and Swiss nationals and EU nationals that are not British or Irish).
- Austria
- Germany
- Norway (EEA)
- Belgium
- Greece
- Netherlands
- Bulgaria
- Hungary
- Poland
- Croatia
- Italy
- Portugal
- Czech Republic
- Iceland (EEA)
- Romania
- Cyprus
- Latvia
- Slovakia
- Denmark
- Liechtenstein(EEA)
- Slovenia
- Estonia
- Lithuania
- Spain
- Finland
- Luxembourg
- Sweden
- France
- Malta
- Switzerland
The Republic of Ireland is also an EU country, but because the Republic of Ireland are part of the Common Travel Area, Irish nationals can continue to move to Jersey from 2021 onwards without needing Immigration permission.
gov.je