DBS Guidance: What is meant by EU & EEA
While you might be familiar with the EU, lots of people are unaware of the EEA. The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) ID checking process is aligned with EEA legislation regarding Right to Work checks.
A DBS Check (formerly CRB Check) does not provide evidence of a person’s right to work in the UK. You must do a separate check to make sure an applicant can work in the UK. This also includes voluntary roles.
There are several different routes that need to be followed depending on if the applicant is an EEA national, a volunteer, or is working in a household with children.
Below we have broken down the difference between the EEA and countries within the EU.
The European Union (EU)
The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 countries. It operates an internal (or single) market which allows free movement of goods, capital, services and people between member states.
The EU countries are:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
Whilst we may be in the process of leaving the EU, we are still part of the European Economic Area until the end of the Brexit transition period (January 1st, 2021).
The European Economic Area (EEA)
The applicant is a European Economic Area (EEA) national if they are a citizen of one of the following countries. If they have permanent residence but not citizenship in a country, they are not an EEA national:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Switzerland is not a member of the EU or the EEA. However, as members of the single market, Swiss nationals have similar rights to other EEA nationals. Therefore, when applying for a DBS check, Swiss nationals are classed as EEA nationals.
Take a look at the following link to see the ID guidance in full.
Use the chart to help establish if your applicant is an EEA national or not. Please note this is only applicable for Standard & Enhanced checks.
For more information about anything in this article, or, how our screening solutions can help you, get in touch! You can give us a call on 01254 355688 or drop us an email at letstalk@personnelchecks.co.uk