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I’m a Nigerian living in Germany with German permanent residence. I have been married to my Polish wife for 2 years. She has my surname on all her documentation. We are living together as a married couple. Can we be allowed into the United Kingdom in February 2020 after the January 31st, 2020 official Brexit date?

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  • "We are still living together as a married couple." Congratulations on such a happy successful marriage. Me and my wife have been together over 12 years, and still counting....
    – ouflak ♦
    Jan 30, 2020 at 8:12
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    On what grounds do you want to enter the country?
    – ouflak ♦
    Jan 30, 2020 at 8:15
  • No significant changes are planned until January 2021. See The transition period: "After 31 January 2020 there will be a transition period until the end of 2020, while the UK and EU negotiate additional arrangements.". Whether you can enter the UK in 2020 will depend on what type of travel you intend, but you will generally need an appropriate visa.
    – Patricia Shanahan
    Jan 30, 2020 at 9:02
  • Thanks you all for these information, it was helpful, we are moving into the uk , my wife have appointment on18th of February. Many non Eu do move in with their Eu wife, what they have is only resident permit, not even permanent resident. I have my permanent resident permit, my concern is after January 31. 2020 if things will change with non Eu and the Eu partner moving into uk .
    – PaiseJah
    Jan 30, 2020 at 19:44

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Will we be allowed into the United Kingdom in February 2020 after the January 31st, 2020 official Brexit date?

Yes. Under the withdrawal agreement, the UK will continue to participate in the free movement of persons during the transition period. In addition to that, you and your wife will be eligible to apply for the new EU Settlement Scheme.

As a Nigerian citizen, you will need a visa to enter the UK unless your permanent residence is based on your wife's Polish nationality. If that is the case, your card is an "Article 20 card" (usually called, loosely, an "Article 10 card"). More information is available from the UK government at Entering the UK as the holder of an Article 10 or 20 residence card.

If you need a visa, you can get a standard visitor visa, but more likely you'll want to get an EU family permit or an EEA settlement scheme family permit.

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  • EU citizens who move to the UK after 31 January 2020 may be accompanied by their non-EU citizen family members. This includes direct family members (such as a spouse, civil partner or child), and extended family members (durable partners and dependent relatives), as now. They will need to be in possession of a valid national passport and an EEA family permit and will be able to stay in the UK until the end of 2020. The EEA family permit i don’t need because I have my permanent resident permit in Germany
    – PaiseJah
    Jan 30, 2020 at 19:52
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    @PaiseJah that may be correct, and it may be incorrect. See the second link in the answer. Your permanent resident permit exempts you from a visa only if it says that it is the residence card of a family member of a Union citizen. If you really have permanent residence (i.e., you've already lived in Germany for over 5 years), and you've only been married for 2 years, then it seems to me rather more likely that you qualified for residence in Germany for some other reason, before you met your wife, and your card doesn't say that. If that is true, then you need a visa to enter the UK.
    – phoog
    Jan 30, 2020 at 21:22
  • Yea my resident permit did not come as a result of marriage , but is a permanent resident which doesn’t need to be renewed , been married to Eu citizen also qualified me to travel even to the states .
    – PaiseJah
    Jan 30, 2020 at 21:42
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    @PaiseJah it doesn't matter whether it's permanent or needs to be renewed. The only thing that matters is that is was issued because of your spouse -- which it wasn't. From the second link: "Another document, “Permanent Residence Card of a Family Member of a Union Citizen” issued under Article 20 of the Directive is also acceptable. Documents issued on any other basis, for example (biometric) residence permits issued under the national law of another Member State are not acceptable and do not exempt the holder from the requirement to obtain an EEA or EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) family permit."
    – phoog
    Jan 30, 2020 at 23:36
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    Further down: If you are the non-EEA national family member of an EEA citizen and you do not hold a residence card issued under Article 10 or Article 20 by an EEA Member State, you will need to apply for an EEA or EU Settlement Scheme family permit before travelling to the UK with or to join your EEA family member.
    – phoog
    Jan 30, 2020 at 23:36

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