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, background 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 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. 

For more information on this topic, please see the right to work page on the government website.

Guidance for employees

If you are applying to work within UK, but are not a UK national, you should check HMRC’s website for visa requirements prior to travelling.

You can use the online checker on the Governments website to find out what type of visa you may require for working in the UK, along with details of the next steps to take.

As part of the Governments visa process, you may be required to provide Identification and evidence illustrating that you can financially support yourself during your stay.

Further information can be found on gov.uk website, or if you are a European citizen, you can call UK Visas and Immigration from inside the UK on 0300 123 2253, Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm and Friday 9am-4.30pm.

To contact UK Visas and Immigration from outside the UK, you can do this via their online form.