You’ll need to prove your right to work in the UK to your employer before you start working for them.\n\n
How you do this depends on your nationality and what kind of permission you have to work in the UK.\n\n
If you’re a British or Irish citizen\n\n
If you’re a British or Irish citizen, you can prove your right to work in the UK with either of the following:\n\n
- \n
- \n
a British passport\n \n
- \n
an Irish passport or passport card\n \n\n\n
Your passport or passport card can be current or expired.\n\n
If you do not have a passport or passport card, you can prove your right to work with one of the following:\n\n
- \n
- \n
a UK birth or adoption certificate\n \n
- \n
an Irish birth or adoption certificate\n \n
- \n
a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen\n \n\n\n
You must also give your employer an official letter or document from a previous employer or a government agency.\n\n
For example, you could use a letter from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or the Social Security Agency in Northern Ireland.\n\n
The letter must show your name and National Insurance number.\n\n
\n\n\nIf you have a passport or passport card, you may be able to use an online identity service provider (IDSP) to prove your right to work. Ask your employer if they offer this.\n
If you’re not a British or Irish citizen
\n\nIf you’re not a British or Irish citizen, you can prove your right to work with:
\n\n- \n
- \n
a share code - you can get a share code online
\n \n - \n \n \n
You can choose which option you use. Your employer cannot reject your application because you gave them an eligible immigration document instead of a share code, for example.
\n\nIf you cannot prove your right to work
\n\nIf you’re not a British or Irish citizen, your employer can check if you can work with the employer checking service.
\n\nIf you’re a Commonwealth citizen, you may be able to get documents to show that you can work in the UK through the Windrush Scheme.
\n" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Get a share code online", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work/get-a-share-code-online", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "url": "https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work/get-a-share-code-online", "text": "Get a share code to prove your right to work in the UK if you’re not a British or Irish citizen.
\n\nYour employer can use the share code to check:
\n\n- \n
- the types of job you’re allowed to do in the UK \n
- how long you can work in the UK for \n
\n\n\nThere is a different way to prove your right to work if you’re a British or Irish citizen.
\nWho can get a share code
\n\nYou can use this service to get a share code if you have:
\n\n- \n
- \n
a biometric residence permit (BRP) - you can use it for 18 months after the expiry date printed on the card
\n \n - \n
a biometric residence card (BRC)
\n \n - \n
a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account
\n \n
You’ll have a UKVI account if you’ve ever:
\n\n- \n
- \n
applied to the EU Settlement Scheme
\n \n - \n
used the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to prove your identity when applying for a visa
\n \n - \n
created one when applying for a visa (you’ll have received a UKVI account confirmation email)
\n \n - \n
created one to get access to an eVisa (an online record of your immigration status)
\n \n
If you cannot use the service, you can prove your right to work with your original immigration documents.
\n\n\n\n\nIf you’re an employer, there’s a different way to view a job applicant’s details after you’ve been given a share code.
\nGet a share code to prove your right to work online
\n\nYou’ll need one of the following:
\n\n- \n
- \n
your BRP number
\n \n - \n
your BRC number
\n \n - \n
your passport or national identity card
\n \n
If you’re not a British or Irish citizen, you can usually prove your right to work in the UK with one of the following:
\n\n- \n
- \n
a current passport with a Home Office ‘endorsement’ in it
\n \n - \n
an immigration status document
\n \n - \n
an application registration card
\n \n
There may be other documents you can use if you:
\n\n- \n
- \n
are waiting for a decision on an EU Settlement Scheme application
\n \n - \n
were given settled or pre-settled status in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man
\n \n - are a Ukrainian citizen \n
- are a frontier worker - a citizen of an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who lives outside the UK and comes here to work \n
Proving your right to work with a passport
\n\nYou can use your passport to prove your right to work in the UK if it has a Home Office ‘endorsement’ in it - for example, a stamp or a vignette (a sticker).
\n\nYour passport must be current. You cannot use it if it has expired.
\n\nThe endorsement should show one of the following:
\n\n- \n
- \n
you have indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain in the UK
\n \n - \n
there’s no time limit to your stay in the UK
\n \n - \n
you can live in the UK and work - either any work or the type of work you’re applying to do
\n \n - \n
you have a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode
\n \n - \n
you’re exempt from immigration control - for example, you’re a diplomat
\n \n
Proving your right to work with an immigration status document
\n\nYou’ll have an immigration status document if both of the following apply to you:
\n\n- \n
- \n
you do not have a UKVI account
\n \n - \n
you could not get an endorsement in your passport when you were given permission to stay in the UK
\n \n
For example, you might have an immigration status document if you’re a refugee or have been granted humanitarian protection or discretionary leave.
\n\nYour immigration status document must be current.
\n\nYou must also give your employer an official letter or document from a previous employer or a government agency. The letter must show your name and National Insurance number.
\n\nFor example, you could use a letter from HM Revenue and Customs, Department for Work and Pensions or the Social Security Agency in Northern Ireland.
\n\nProving your right to work with an application registration card
\n\nYou’ll have an application registration card if you’re waiting for a decision on an asylum application. Your application could be to get asylum yourself or as a relative of someone who’s applying for asylum.
\n\nYour application registration card must say you have permission to work in the UK - it should say ‘Work permitted’.
\n\nYou’ll need to show the card to your employer. They’ll use this to check your immigration status with the Home Office.
\n\nIf you’re waiting for a decision on an EU Settlement Scheme application
\n\nYou can get a share code to prove your right to work.
\n\nYou can also use a physical certificate of application from the Home Office to prove your right to work if you have one.
\n\nYou’ll need to show your certificate to your employer who will use it to check your immigration status with the Home Office.
\n\nIf you were given settled or pre-settled status in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man
\n\nYou can prove your right to work with the letter or email you were sent to confirm you have settled or pre-settled status. Your employer can use this to check your immigration status with the Home Office.
\n\nIf you’re a Ukrainian citizen
\n\nYou can get a share code to prove your right to work if you have:
\n\n- \n
- a biometric residence permit (BRP) \n
- a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account \n
If you do not have a BRP or a UKVI account yet, you can use your passport with an ‘endorsement’ stamp or vignette sticker in.
\n\nIf you do not have a passport, you can give your employer an entry clearance vignette sticker attached to a ‘Form for Affixing the Visa’ (FAV). They’ll use it to check your immigration status with the Home Office.
\n\nIf you’re a frontier worker
\n\nIf you have a current Frontier Worker permit you can get a share code to prove your right to work online.
\n\nIf you do not have a current Frontier Worker permit, you’ll need to prove to your employer that you:
\n\n- \n
- \n
are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
\n \n - \n
live outside the UK
\n \n - \n
started working in the UK (while living elsewhere) by 31 December 2020
\n \n - \n
have worked in the UK at least once every 12 months since you started working here
\n \n
You can use the following types of documents to prove this:
\n\n- \n
- \n
your passport or national identity card
\n \n - \n
a utility bill or bank statement that proves your current address is outside the UK
\n \n - \n
utility bills or bank statements that prove you were also living outside the UK when you worked here before
\n \n - \n
a signed and dated job contract that says you must work in the UK
\n \n - \n
letters from employers saying how frequently you need to travel to the UK for work
\n \n - \n
tax returns from HMRC showing you’re self-employed in the UK
\n \n - \n
bank statements or invoices that show payments for work you’ve done in the UK
\n \n
You’ll need to use as many of these documents as it takes to prove you meet all the eligibility rules.
\n\nYour employer will use the documents you give them to check your immigration status with the Home Office.
\n\nHow long you can work in the UK without a current Frontier Worker permit
\n\nYou can work for 6 months from the date your employer checked your documents with the Home Office. They’ll then have to check again, and may ask you for documents to help.
\n\nIf you were temporarily unable to work in the UK or unemployed for a 12 month period
\n\nYou’ll need to also prove one of the following to your employer:
\n\n- \n
- \n
you were involuntarily unemployed - for example, you were fired or made redundant
\n \n - \n
you were temporarily unable to work because of illness or an accident
\n \n - \n
you were temporarily unable to work following pregnancy or childbirth
\n \n - \n
you stopped working to start vocational training related to your previous work
\n \n
If you cannot use immigration documents to prove your right to work
\n\nYou may be able to get a share code.
\n\nYour employer can contact the Home Office to check if you can work.
\n" } } ] }Skip contentsProve your right to work to an employer
Overview
You’ll need to prove your right to work in the UK to your employer before you start working for them.
How you do this depends on your nationality and what kind of permission you have to work in the UK.
If you’re a British or Irish citizen
If you’re a British or Irish citizen, you can prove your right to work in the UK with either of the following:
-
a British passport
-
an Irish passport or passport card
Your passport or passport card can be current or expired.
If you do not have a passport or passport card, you can prove your right to work with one of the following:
-
a UK birth or adoption certificate
-
an Irish birth or adoption certificate
-
a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen
You must also give your employer an official letter or document from a previous employer or a government agency.
For example, you could use a letter from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or the Social Security Agency in Northern Ireland.
The letter must show your name and National Insurance number.
If you have a passport or passport card, you may be able to use an online identity service provider (IDSP) to prove your right to work. Ask your employer if they offer this.
If you’re not a British or Irish citizen
If you’re not a British or Irish citizen, you can prove your right to work with:
-
a share code - you can get a share code online
You can choose which option you use. Your employer cannot reject your application because you gave them an eligible immigration document instead of a share code, for example.
If you cannot prove your right to work
If you’re not a British or Irish citizen, your employer can check if you can work with the employer checking service.
If you’re a Commonwealth citizen, you may be able to get documents to show that you can work in the UK through the Windrush Scheme.
Is this page useful?
Thank you for your feedbackHelp us improve GOV.UK
To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab).
- \n
- \n