5

Can I officially live and work in the UK, having a resident permit from a Schengen country and a UK standard visitor visa?

I am a citizen of Ukraine, but now I live in Estonia, I have valid Estonian residence permit card.

I also have valid UK standard visitor visa.

7
  • 2
    You need to be specific about the kind of work you'll be doing, and how long you'll be doing it for. Your Estonian residence permit isn't relevant.
    – MJeffryes
    Commented Jul 24, 2019 at 9:06
  • ok, can officially work in other EU or Schengen countries? using my Estonian residence permit card
    – Velo Guru
    Commented Jul 24, 2019 at 9:15
  • 4
    What do you mean by "work officially"? If you're asking if you can move to the UK and work for a company full time, the answer is obviously not, since you have an Estonian residence permit, not a British one.
    – MJeffryes
    Commented Jul 24, 2019 at 9:26
  • 2
    @Velo Guru. That’s incorrect. Your residence permit gives you the right to work in Estonia and to visit other Schengen area countries, subject to the 90/180 day stay rule. The UK isn’t part of Schengen. Working with a UK visitor visa is illegal, you need a work visa, unless you are a family member of an EU citizen.
    – Traveller
    Commented Jul 24, 2019 at 9:50
  • 1
    @Traveller but it is not entirely incorrect if Velo Guru is a long-term resident. In that case, there is a right to move to any other EU country except for Denmark, Ireland, or the United Kingdom. See my answer for more information. Also I think the UK could be required to grant a work permit for short-term work under freedom of movement of services.
    – phoog
    Commented Jul 24, 2019 at 14:12

1 Answer 1

5

If you have status as a long-term resident in Estonia, which you would normally acquire after five years living there, you can move to all but three other EU countries under the directive 2003/109/EC. See the European Commission's webpage for a brief discussion.

The three countries that have opted out of this directive are the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark, so this will be of no use to you in trying to move to the UK.

Furthermore, if you have not yet acquired long-term resident status, you will have to wait until you have acquired it before you can benefit from the provisions of the directive.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.