Work regulations for new EU members

Regulations were laid on 25 March 2004 setting out the transitional measures which will apply to nationals from the EU accession states. They will allow workers from eight EU accession countries to work in the UK after EU enlargement on 1 May, provided they register with the Home Office when they take a job.

The regulations laid by the Home Office will apply to workers from Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary and Estonia (Malta and Cyprus are excluded because they have full free movement rights under the Accession Treaty). They will be in place for an initial period of five years, with a review after two years.

From 1 May 2004 veterinary surgeons from the eight accession countries, who qualified in one of these countries or in an existing EU/EEA Member State, will have to apply to the Home Office to register when they take a job. They will be issued with a certificate confirming that they can work legally. This will lapse if they lose their job within the first 12 months, and they will need to renew their registration when they find another job. After 12 months in continuous legal employment they can work here without restriction.

First-time applications to register will cost £50 but will be no subsequent charges. Those from Malta and Cyprus and those who are self-employed are not however required to obtain a workers registration certificate.

It will not be necessary for an applicant to provide evidence of registration with the Home Office when registering with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Therefore, employers must check that the veterinary surgeon has obtained a workers registration certificate, as it will be unlawful for them to employ a National of the new member state (who has not worked here legally for 12 months) if he/she is not registered with the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate.

It should be noted that no applications for registration with either the Home Officer or the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons can be made before 1 May 2004, and there will inevitably be some delay in processing applications thereafter.

Any application to register with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on, or after, 1 May 2004 will not be accepted if it relies on documentation evidencing entitlement to registration dated prior to 1 May 2004.

For full details of the process, visit the Home Office website or contact the Head of Membership on 020 7202 0758.