Get a share code online

You can get a share code to prove your right to work in the UK if : you’re not a British or Irish citizen you’re a British or Commonwealth citizen who has a digital certificate of entitlement which proves your right of abode in the UK You cannot get a share code if your certificate of entitlement is a vignette sticker in your passport. You can apply for a digital certificate of entitlement , which you can use to get a share code to prove your right to work. Your employer can use the share code to check: the types of job you’re allowed to do in the UK how long you can work in the UK for There is a different way to prove your right to work if you’re a British or Irish citizen . Who can get a share code You can use this service to get a share code if you have: a biometric residence permit ( BRP ) - you can use it for 18 months after the expiry date printed on the card a UK Visas and Immigration ( UKVI ) account You’ll have a UKVI account if you’ve ever: applied to the EU Settlement Scheme used the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to prove your identity when applying for a visa created one when applying for a visa (you’ll have received a UKVI account confirmation email) created one to get access to an eVisa (a digital record of your identity and immigration status) created one when you applied for a digital certificate of entitlement If you cannot use the service, you can prove your right to work with your original immigration documents . If you’re an employer, there’s a different way to view a job applicant’s details after you’ve been given a share code . Get a share code to prove your right to work online You’ll need one of the following: your BRP number your passport or national identity card Start now

Using immigration documents

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: a current passport with a Home Office ‘endorsement’ in it an immigration status document an application registration card There may be other documents you can use if you: are waiting for a decision on an EU Settlement Scheme application were given settled or pre-settled status in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man are a Ukrainian citizen 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 Proving your right to work with a passport You 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). Your passport must be current. You cannot use it if it has expired. The endorsement should show one of the following: you have indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain in the UK there’s no time limit to your stay in the UK you can live in the UK and work - either any work or the type of work you’re applying to do you have a vignette sticker certificate of entitlement to the right of abode in your current passport you’re exempt from immigration control - for example, you’re a diplomat Proving your right to work with an immigration status document You’ll have an immigration status document if both of the following apply to you: you do not have a UKVI account you could not get an endorsement in your passport when you were given permission to stay in the UK For example, you might have an immigration status document if you’re a refugee or have been granted humanitarian protection or discretionary leave. Your immigration status document must be current. You 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. For example, you could use a letter from HM Revenue and Customs, Department for Work and Pensions or the Social Security Agency in Northern Ireland. Proving your right to work with an application registration card You’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. Your application registration card must say you have permission to work in the UK - it should say ‘Work permitted’. You’ll need to show the card to your employer. They’ll use this to check your immigration status with the Home Office. If you’re waiting for a decision on an EU Settlement Scheme application You can get a share code to prove your right to work. You can also use a physical certificate of application from the Home Office to prove your right to work if you have one. You’ll need to show your certificate to your employer who will use it to check your immigration status with the Home Office. If you were given settled or pre-settled status in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man You 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. If you’re a Ukrainian citizen You can get a share code to prove your right to work if you have: an expired biometric residence permit (BRP) a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account If you do not have an expired BRP or a UKVI account yet, you can use your passport with an ‘endorsement’ stamp or vignette sticker in. If 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. If you’re a frontier worker If you have a current Frontier Worker permit you can get a share code to prove your right to work online. If you do not have a current Frontier Worker permit, you’ll need to prove to your employer that you: are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein live outside the UK started working in the UK (while living elsewhere) by 31 December 2020 have worked in the UK at least once every 12 months since you started working here You can use the following types of documents to prove this: your passport or national identity card a utility bill or bank statement that proves your current address is outside the UK utility bills or bank statements that prove you were also living outside the UK when you worked here before a signed and dated job contract that says you must work in the UK letters from employers saying how frequently you need to travel to the UK for work tax returns from HMRC showing you’re self-employed in the UK bank statements or invoices that show payments for work you’ve done in the UK You’ll need to use as many of these documents as it takes to prove you meet all the eligibility rules. Your employer will use the documents you give them to check your immigration status with the Home Office. How long you can work in the UK without a current Frontier Worker permit You 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. If you were temporarily unable to work in the UK or unemployed for a 12 month period You’ll need to also prove one of the following to your employer: you were involuntarily unemployed - for example, you were fired or made redundant you were temporarily unable to work because of illness or an accident you were temporarily unable to work following pregnancy or childbirth you stopped working to start vocational training related to your previous work If you cannot use immigration documents to prove your right to work You may be able to get a share code . Your employer can contact the Home Office to check if you can work .

Prove 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 British or Irish 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
your eligible immigration documents

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 have the right of abode in the UK

People with the right of abode are:

British citizens
some Commonwealth citizens

You can use a certificate of entitlement to prove your right to work, if you have one. This can be:

a vignette sticker in your passport
a digital certificate in your UKVI account - you’ll need to get a share code online

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.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Step 1 Get your National Insurance number
You'll usually need your National Insurance number when you start your new job.
1. Find your National Insurance number
1. Apply for a National Insurance number if you do not already have one
Step 2 Accept the job offer
The offer might be ‘conditional’ or ‘provisional’, which means you may need to give further details to your new employer or pass pre-employment checks.
1. Find out about your rights when accepting a job offer
Step 3 Share your details for any employer checks
Give your new employer what they need to complete any pre-employment checks.
1. Find out what checks your employer can make
1. You are currently viewing: Find out how to prove your right to work
1. Find out about criminal record checks
Step 4 Review your employment contract
Your new employer should give you an employment contract. Check the terms before you agree to it.
1. Find out about employment contracts
and If you're leaving a job, hand in your notice
Tell your current employer that you’re going to leave and when your last day will be. This is known as handing in your notice.
1. Find out how to hand in your notice
When you hand in your notice, ask your employer when you’ll get your P45.
1. Find out about the P45
Step 5 Prepare your personal information for your first day
To get paid, you’ll need to give your new employer:
- your National Insurance number
- your bank details
- proof of your identity
- what student loan repayment plan you’re on, if you have one
- details of what benefits you get, if any
Step 6 Give your P45 to your new employer
Your new employer will use your P45 to work out how much tax to take from your pay.
1. Find out about the P45
or If you do not have a P45, fill in the starter checklist
Use the starter checklist to give your employer details they need to work out your pay and tax.
1. Fill in the starter checklist
Step 7 Check your first payslip
Your employer must give you a payslip on or before payday.
1. Find out what should be on your payslip
It’s your responsibility to make sure you’re paying the right amount of tax.
1. Check if the tax on your payslip is correct
If you think the tax is wrong, your tax code may be incorrect.
1. Find out what to do if you think your tax code is wrong

Prove your right to work to an employer

Overview

If you’re a British or Irish citizen

If you’re not a British or Irish citizen

If you have the right of abode in the UK

If you cannot prove your right to work

Step 1 Get your National Insurance number

Step 2 Accept the job offer

Step 4 Review your employment contract

and If you're leaving a job, hand in your notice

Step 5 Prepare your personal information for your first day

Step 6 Give your P45 to your new employer

or If you do not have a P45, fill in the starter checklist

Step 7 Check your first payslip

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

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Prove your right to work to an employer

Overview

If you’re a British or Irish citizen

If you’re not a British or Irish citizen

If you have the right of abode in the UK

If you cannot prove your right to work

This page is Part of Start a new job: step by step

Step 1: Get your National Insurance number

Step 2: Accept the job offer

Step 3: Share your details for any employer checks

Step 4: Review your employment contract

and If you're leaving a job, hand in your notice

Step 5: Prepare your personal information for your first day

Step 6: Give your P45 to your new employer

or If you do not have a P45, fill in the starter checklist

Step 7: Check your first payslip

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK

Step 1 Get your National Insurance number

Step 2 Accept the job offer

Step 3 Share your details for any employer checks

Step 4 Review your employment contract

Step 5 Prepare your personal information for your first day

Step 6 Give your P45 to your new employer

Step 7 Check your first payslip