Three facts about Brexit that EU citizens should know

There are 3 million EU nationals living in the UK. About 1.2 million UK nationals live abroad in other EU countries.

In June 2016, more British people voted to leave the EU than to remain part of it. This has become known as Brexit.

The expected leaving date is 29 March 2019, but the process to leave has already begun. At present the UK is still part of the EU.

Three things you should know if you're an EU citizen living in the UK

1. EU laws are in force in the UK for as long as it's part of the EU.

2. New laws have not come into force yet. Until they do, you have the same right to live, work and get benefits in the UK.

3. Changes to the law are unlikely to happen straight away. You should be told about changes in advance.

After the UK leaves

The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill aims to make EU law into UK law. So EU law will still apply after the UK leaves the EU. In the future, these laws may be changed or removed.

You can apply for settled status if you've legally lived in the UK for five years, under the current proposals. If you get settled status, you can still live, work and claim benefits after the UK leaves the EU.

Need legal advice?

This may be a worrying time for you. You can get help. For legal advice about your right to stay in the UK, you can see:

•  an immigration adviser

•  a solicitor

•  a barrister

•  a chartered legal executive or CILEx immigration practitioner

Find out more about other types of lawyers.