Unless a withdrawal agreement is reached between the EU and the UK, British citizens will no longer enjoy the benefits of EU citizenship once the UK leaves the EU. These benefits include the general right to freedom of movement, freedom of establishment and freedom of movement for workers. BREXIT therefore has consequences for British citizens in terms of residence law.

The Withdrawal Agreement sets out the following principle regarding residence rights:

• Until December 31, 2020, the end of the transition period, residence rights will be treated as if the United Kingdom were still an EU member state. This means that the residence rights of British nationals and their family members and the right to work in Germany will not change during this period.
  
  
• From January 1, 2021, people who were previously entitled to reside or work in Germany (or another EU country) and had exercised this right will essentially have the same rights as before the withdrawal. The rights are therefore "frozen".
  These rights exist "by operation of law", you do not need to do anything to assert them. However, in order to be able to prove that you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, you will need a document which you can obtain from the immigration office. Please arrange a consultation if necessary.
  
  
• By June 30, 2021 , British nationals who are resident in Germany on December 31, 2020 and remain resident in Germany must report their residence to the Foreigners' Registration Office in order to receive the new residence document.

The Foreigners' Registration Office recommends informal notification of residence at this point in time.