All UK employers are required by law to make basic checks on every person they intend to employ. This is to establish that they have a right to work in the UK and are here legally.

These checks must be carried out on all potential employees whether or not you think they have a right to work in the UK by making assumptions based on their appearance or accent. 

Basic Document Checks

You must see original documents, confirm that they are valid, and keep a copy of the documents along with a record of the date the checks were made.

If the person is a British national or from the European Economic Area (see below) they have a right to work in the UK and you just need to check their passport for proof. Otherwise you will need to see other proof that they have a right to work in the UK. See the government website guidance for more help with this.

Employing European Nationals

Most nationals from the European Economic Area (EEA) can enter and work in the UK without restrictions. You will need to ask nationals from all EEA countries to produce a document showing their nationality.

The following is a list of EEA countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK, Switzerland.