Working In The UK

Job Seekers

Working In The UK - Q&A

Work and Benefits
Will the UK open its labour market from the first day of accession?

Yes. From 1 May 2004, Hungarian nationals will have the same rights to work in the UK as EU-15 citizens. The UK will allow free movement to those who genuinely want to work in the UK. Genuine workers from Hungary will be allowed to work in the in the UK labour market via a Workers Registration Scheme.

How will the Workers Registration Scheme work in practice?
As soon as you find work in the UK, you will need to complete a registration form and send it to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at the British Home Office/Interior Ministry. You will then be provided with a worker's registration certificate allowing you to work and live in the UK while you are in that job. If you change jobs before you have worked continuously for 12 months, you will have to re-apply for registration.

Employers will also have to check that you have registered. It will be unlawful for them to employ you if you are not registered for the job (unless you have already worked in the UK legally for 12 months uninterrupted). Having given you the job, the employer will have a 30 day grace period in which to ensure that you have registered.

The Workers Registration Scheme will take effect from 1 May 2004.

Where will I go to register?
Registration is straightforward. The registration form can be sent to the Immigration and Nationality Department by post or taken in person.

What will I have to show in order to register as a worker?

Evidence of the job (i.e. letter from employer/contract of employment), including details of the type of work
Evidence being paid minimum wage or more
Photograph
Passport/ ID card

How long will the registration certificate be valid for?

The registration certificate will be for 12 months.
If you stay in employment with an employer continuously for 12 months you will then be eligible for an EEA residence permit.
Registration will lapse if the employment ceases within the first 12 months, for whatever reason. You will need to re-apply for worker registration each time you get a new job.

What will happen if I lose my job?
The registration certificate will only be valid for the duration of the employment, so it will not be valid if you lose or leave your job.

What will happen if I am already in the UK working under existing work permit schemes? Will I need to register after 1 May?
If you are already working legally in the UK and have been in the UK labour market for an uninterrupted period of 12 months or longer, you will be treated like any other EU worker, and will be exempt from this scheme.

This will not apply to Hungarian nationals who are currently working in the UK illegally, but it will be open to them to apply for worker registration from 1 May.

Will I need a work permit to work in the UK?
No. After 1 May, you will not need a work permit. The work permit scheme is completely separate from the Workers Registration Scheme.

Can I take my family with me?
When you are legally working in the UK, your family members will have the right to reside in the UK with you. ("Family member" means spouse and descendants under 21 - who would have access to the labour market - or, dependants and dependant relatives in the ascending line of the worker or spouse - who will not automatically have access to the UK labour market. Family members who are visa nationals will have to apply for a European Economic Area family permit.)

What about people who claim to be self-employed?

The self-employed will not be required to register.
EU citizens, including, from the 1st May, Hungarian nationals, have a right to establish themselves in the UK as self-employed persons. This applies equally in the other Member States.
If you cease self-employment you would generally need to show that you are self-sufficient to retain a right of residence in the UK, unless you found a job and were therefore permitted to apply to register to working the UK.

What if I am a student?

Students subject to immigration control are permitted to work up to 20 hours a week to help to support their studies. EEA nationals who are studying in the UK are not subject to any such restriction. After 1 May, any Hungarian national will be free to come here to study, but UK is considering requiring Hungarian students who wish to work for more than 20 hours a week, to be required to register as workers. This continues to be under consideration.

What is the position with regard to those working illegally in the UK before 1 May?
Any Hungarian national will be free to apply under the Workers Registration Scheme from 1 May onwards. There will be no retrospective prosecutions of illegal workers from accession states.

Does having the right to work in the UK qualify me for UK social benefits?
The rules for accessing benefits in the UK are complex, differ from benefit to benefit and will vary according to individual circumstances of the person concerned. Broadly speaking, only people with a right to reside in the UK will have access to Income Support, income-based Job Seeker's allowance, State Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. You will only have a right to reside if you have sufficient means to support yourself. The economically inactive will not have access to benefits.

Residence

Will I need to apply for a Residence Permit or register with the police?

No. If you have a right to live in the United Kingdom, you can stay in the UK for as long as you want without getting a residence permit or registering with the police. If you want, you can apply for a residence permit. A residence permit simply confirms that you have a right to live in the United Kingdom under European Community Law. The Residence Permit is not an entitlement to work and is completely separate from the Workers Registration Scheme.

Will I need a visa to travel to the UK?
No. Hungarian nationals will not require visas for travel to the UK

Will I be able to stay in the UK for as long as I wish?
You will have a right of residence in the UK if you:

Are working in the United Kingdom
Do not work in the United Kingdom but have enough money to support yourself without help from public funds.

General

Will quarantine be abolished for Hungarian cats and dogs entering UK after 1 May 2004?
Quarantine will not be abolished on 1 May 2004. An EU Regulation will replace the UK's existing pet passport scheme from 1 July 2004.Before then, the EU will decide what status will apply to Hungary and to the other Accession States.

Further information will be available at www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine before the EU regulation comes into force.

How many cigarettes/bottles of wine/spirits can I bring to UK after 1 May 2004?
You do not have to pay any tax or duty in the UK on goods you have bought tax paid in other EU countries which are for your own use, and which have been transported by you. 'Own use' includes goods for your own consumption and gifts. But you must not import to UK goods for payment, even payment in kind, for re-sale, or for business purposes.

You should be aware that, if you bring large quantities of alcohol or tobacco to UK, a Customs Officer may ask about the purposes for which you hold the goods.

Further information is available at www.hmce.gov.uk. You can use the links to download a short guide for travellers entering the UK.

Will my qualifications be recognised in the UK?
Skills and qualifications from outside the UK are recognised. You can check the comparability of your qualifications with those in the UK by contacting the UK National Recognition Information Centre (NARIC).You should note that UK higher education institutions, employers and professional associations make their own decisions on the acceptability and recognition to be accorded to any overseas qualifications.

Where there is a formal requirement, by law, for the recognition of your qualifications in order for you to practice a specific profession then you will be entitled to have your qualifications recognised in accordance with the relevant European Directives on recognition of professional qualifications; for further information please visit www.dfes.gov.uk/europeopen

In those cases where there is no formal requirement then you can apply for jobs in the usual manner.However, it would be useful if you contact the National Reference Point for advice about how your professional or vocational qualifications fit into the UK system; for further information please visit www.uknrp.org.uk

Will I be eligible for 'home fees' (reduced fees) at UK universities?
UK Higher education institutions are responsible for determining the fee levels paid by students. Where institutions charge a differential rate for "home" and "overseas" students, most Hungarian students will be treated as "home " students after Hungary's accession to the EU on 1 May 2004.

Can my children go to school in the UK?
EU Nationals resident in the UK can apply for a place at a maintained school for their child. See www.dfes.gov.uk for further details.

Will my Hungarian driver's license be recognised in the UK after 1 May 2004?What do I have to do to receive a British driving license?
EU Nationals who hold a valid Community license and are visiting Great Britain can drive any vehicle for as long as their license remains valid. The appropriate full entitlement for the vehicle you wish to drive must be shown on your license.

EU Nationals resident in Great Britain and who hold a valid Community license can drive in Great Britain on their community license (subject to certain conditions).They can also apply to exchange their license for a British one at any time.

For more information on driving in the UK visit www.dvla.gov.uk

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