5 years
This article - and most similar ones state that you just have to be here for 5 years to get permanent residency status. That's true ONLY if you are a "qualified person" which includes having comprehensive private medical insurance (as well as being either self-sufficient, a job or active job seeking)..
As the NHS covers EU nationals who live here very few bother to pay for additional private insurance just to satisfy some potential future need.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
