TCTM02088 - Entitlement: Residence rules: Right to reside

Nationals of EEA member states

Countries within the EU prior to 1 May 2004 were:

• UK
• Denmark
• Sweden
• Ireland
• France
• Germany
• Spain
• Portugal
• Netherlands
• Austria
• Belgium
• Finland
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• Greece

The EU has an agreement with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (the European Economic Area, EEA) and a separate agreement with Switzerland, which confers similar rights of EU nationals on nationals of those countries.

On 1 May 2004, ten countries joined the EU. They were:

• Estonia*
• Latvia*
• Lithuania*
• Poland*
• The Czech Republic*
• Slovakia*
• Hungary*
• Slovenia*
• Cyprus
• Malta

(* Called the “A8” countries – see below)

On 1 January 2007, 2 countries joined the EU. They were:

• Bulgaria
• Romania