British citizens have the additional protection of the Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK. The British and Irish governments have agreed that the provisions of this agreement will continue after the UK leaves the EU.

The withdrawal agreement gives British citizens and their families the same right to live, work, claim benefits, and access healthcare in the EU during the transition period as before.

The period from 1 February 2020 to 31 December 2020 is known as the transition period.

The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020. The British government has negotiated a withdrawal agreement with the EU that will maintain the rights of British citizens in other EU countries (and of EU citizens in the UK) until the end of 2020, and this came into effect on 1 February 2020.

Rights of UK citizens in Ireland after 31 January 2020

If you are a British citizen living in Ireland, you have many of the same rights and entitlements as an Irish citizen. British citizens can:

Enter Ireland without a visa

Travel between the UK and Ireland

Work without an employment permit

Access the public healthcare system

Vote in general elections

These rights are based on a series of bilateral agreements between Ireland and the UK that started in 1922. You can read more about the Common Travel Area between Ireland and the United Kingdom.

In May 2019, the Irish and British governments re-affirmed their commitment to maintaining the Common Travel Area.

The Common Travel Area is separate from EU law, and continues to apply since the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020.

What about my non-EEA family?

During the transition period, non-EEA family members of UK citizens have the same right to live and work in Ireland as before 31 January 2020.

If your residence in Ireland is based on the EU Treaty Rights of a UK citizen (this means you have a Stamp 4 EU FAM), or you have an application pending, the Immigration Services Division has confirmed that the UK will continue to be treated the same as an EU country until the end of the transition period (end of 2020).

Under the Withdrawal Agreement UK citizens and their families, who are living legally in an EU country (including Ireland) before the end of the transition period, will be able to continue to live in that country after 31 December 2020.

Information about the status of non-EEA family members of UK citizens who hope to come to Ireland after the transition period has finished (31 December 2020) will be published on citizensinformation.ie when it is available.