Bulgarian and Romanian nationals
This page explains the restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian nationals taking employment in the United Kingdom.
If you are a Bulgarian or Romanian national you are free to come to the United Kingdom to live. You will need to be able to support yourself and your family in the United Kingdom without the help of public funds.
If you want to work as an employee in the United Kingdom you will need our permission before you start work. Details of the type of work you can take and how to apply for permission to work can be found in the Bulgarian and Romanian nationals section.
Once you have been working legally as an employee in the United Kingdom for 12 months without a break you will have full rights of free movement and will no longer need our permission to take work. You can then get a registration certificate confirming your right to live and work in the United Kingdom, although you are not obliged to do so. Details on how to apply for registration certificate can be found on the applying page.
You do not need our permission if you are working in a self-employed capacity. However, you can apply for a registration certificate to confirm your right to work as a self-employed person in the United Kingdom if you wish. More details are on the applying page.
If you are a student in the United Kingdom, you may take employment for up to 20 hours a week during term time and full-time work during vacation periods from your course but you must first obtain a registration certificate confirming that you are a student. More details are on the applying page.
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Terms explained
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European Economic Area
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are not members of the European Union (EU) but citizens of these countries have the same rights to enter, live in and work in the United Kingdom as EU citizens.
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Public funds
Public funds are income-related benefits paid by the state. They include income support, income-based job seekers allowance, housing and homelessness assistance, housing and council tax benefit, working families' tax credit, a social fund payment, child benefit and any disability allowance. Benefits paid as a result of contributions, such as the state pension, are not considered to be public funds. Social housing is not considered to be a public fund either. Claiming public funds when you are not eligible is known as benefit fraud and it is a criminal offence.