Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Brexit)

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Brexit)

Depending on further information from the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) we will update our information here. Regardless of this, we ask all British citizens living in Düsseldorf to continue to register with us online.

On 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland left the European Union with a withdrawal agreement.

The withdrawal agreement stipulates that during the transitional period from 31 January 2020 to 31 December 2020, Union law and thus the rights of free movement will continue to apply to British nationals in Germany. During the transition period, you can continue to move and reside freely throughout the territory of the European Union.
 
From 1 January 2021, the free movement rights will apply permanently to British nationals and their family members who have established their residence and centre of life in Germany by 31 December 2020 at the latest.

All British nationals who are registered in Düsseldorf and who have registered on the portal will receive a letter from the Municipal Foreigners Authority about their current legal status.

Extensive amendments to the Freedom of Movement Act came into effect on 24 November 2020. This also affects British nationals who have taken up residence in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany by 31 December 2020 and who enjoy freedom of movement in accordance with previous Union law. From 01 January 2021, this group of persons can be issued with a separate residence document GB as an electronic residence title. Due to the corona pandemic, there are currently delays. You will be informed by the Municipal  Foreigners' Registration Office and invited to attend the interview. Please refrain from attending without making an appointment!

As a British citizen, do I have to register with the Foreigners' Registration Office from 1 January 2021?
No. If you were registered in Düsseldorf at the time of the Brexit (31 December 2020), you do not need to apply for a residence permit. However, we strongly recommend that, if you have not already done so, you register below in the Brexit Portal so that the Foreigners' Registration Office can contact you. The production of a Residence Document-GB requires you to attend the Local Foreigners Registration Office in person. Your biometric data will be recorded during this visit. You will receive an appointment for this visit by post or email. Your current right of residence will remain in force until this appointment. This also applies to your family members who do not have German citizenship or citizenship of another member state of the European Union.

Do I have to have registered my residence in Düsseldorf in order to continue living here after 31 December 2020?
Yes, you must have registered your residence in Düsseldorf by 31 December 2020 in order to be able to make use of the special regulation as a Briton formerly entitled to freedom of movement. If you have not yet registered your residence, please contact the Einwohnermeldeamt -Bürgerbüro-.
 
Do I have to apply for a residence permit on 1 January 2021?
No. If you were registered in Düsseldorf at the time of the Brexit (31 December 2020), you do not have to apply for a residence permit. You will be issued a residence document by the Foreigners' Registration Office. For this, you will need to appear at the Foreigners' Registration Office. You will receive an appointment for this visit by post. Your current right of residence will remain in force until this appointment. This also applies to your family members who do not have German citizenship or citizenship of another European member state.

Do I have to leave Germany after the UK leaves (31 December 2020)?
No. If you have registered your residence in Düsseldorf as of 31 December 2020, then your residence will remain permitted by law even after the UK leaves. This also applies to your family members who do not have German citizenship or citizenship of another European member state.

Can I still work in Germany after 31 December 2020? Do I need a work permit?
If you were registered in Germany at the time of the Brexit, you can continue to work in Germany after 31 December 2020. Your new residence document will contain the condition "gainful employment permitted". This means that you can continue to be employed by your employer or work on a self-employed basis. The letter referred to in more detail above includes a provisional certificate, which also contains information about the work permit.

Can I travel within the European Union after the UK leaves (31 December 2020)?
If you were registered in Düsseldorf on 31 December 2020 and, as a Briton, do not have a permanent residence certificate, you must register with the Aliens' Registration Office at least 4 weeks before you plan to travel. To do so, please use the functional address Brexit54@duesseldorf.de and state your surname, first name, address, date of birth and the reason for your intended journey. In any case, please observe the travel and quarantine regulations of the destination country and the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute. You will then receive a fictitious certificate with which you can enter and leave the country as you wish until your residence document is issued. If your family members who are third-country nationals have a residence card or permanent residence card, they can enter and leave the country with the existing residence documents, as these will continue to be valid until 31 December 2021.

My family members have another nationality. What do we have to do?
Please bring all family members who currently hold a residence card or permanent residence card to your appointment at the Foreigners' Registration Office. If your family members have German citizenship or citizenship of another European member state, nothing further needs to be arranged.

What happens to my residence card or permanent residence card or certificate of permanent residence that I currently hold?
As soon as the new residence document has been issued to you or your family members, the previous document will be confiscated by the Aliens Department. If they have not yet been withdrawn, the "old" documents will remain valid until 31 December 2021.

Further information is available from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Building and Community: Information for United Kingdom nationals and their family members about the right of residence provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement