I hope this question fits the site. I am Finnish, planning to do a PhD at the UK. Since Finland is part of the EU, is there any paperwork I would need to do in order to get to work at UK? The stay would be about 3-4 years, I guess. I would be moving with my family (wife and children).
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1"To get work": do you mean to ask about paperwork required to look for a job in the UK, or paperwork required once you have found a job in the UK?– phoogJun 25, 2015 at 19:45
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Health insurance for you and your family.– Gayot FowJun 25, 2015 at 23:29
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you still need to get a work/residence permit for you and for your dependents. If you have a contract in hand, it's given almost automatically to people from the Schengen zone when you make the request; it shouldn't be too difficult but I have no idea idea about the specifics.– FormagellaJun 26, 2015 at 21:59
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2It has nothing to do with the Schengen zone, the law applies equally to all EU citizens, with the addition of the EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland, with some limitations for Croatia. Citizens of those countries need no permits to work in the UK -- see my answer below.– Berislav LopacJun 27, 2015 at 9:41
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Everyone working in the UK needs a national Insurance number you don't need one to get a job but you need one before your first pay cheque otherwise you pay a penalty rate of tax. gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number you will likely be asked to prove you have the right to work in the UK on your first day of work (showing your passport for someone from Finland would be fine. they will take a photocopy)– StuartJul 3, 2015 at 13:27
2 Answers
As far as I understand, as a EU citizen (except for Croatia at the moment) you don't need any permits or other paperwork; in other words you have the exact same right to relocate and look for work and get employed. There are some differences if you seek government support while out of work (e.g. jobseeker's allowance or universal credit), but your right to work is in no way limited. If in doubt, check for yourself on the government's site: https://www.gov.uk/legal-right-work-uk
You may also (but are not obliged to) apply for a registration certificate which proves your right to live in the UK as an EU citizen: https://www.gov.uk/eea-registration-certificate
As a EU citizen you primarily need 2 things sorted to work in the UK:
- NIN (National Insurance Number)
- UK bank account
Although you can start working without any of the above mentioned you will need to sort them out as soon as you can.