What documents can I accept?

The Home Office provides two lists of documents (list A and list B) that employers can accept as a person’s proof of right to work in the UK. You must only accept documents on these lists – no other documents are acceptable as proof of right to work.

List A comprises documents that can be accepted for a person with a permanent right to work. If a prospective employee has a permanent right to work and you correctly complete a Right to Work Check before their employment begins, you’ll establish a continuous statutory excuse for the period of their employment with you.

List B comprises documents that can be accepted for a person with a temporary right to work. Carrying out a check on a person with a temporary right to work will establish a time-limited statutory excuse. This means you’ll need to carry out a re-check in order to retain the statutory excuse – usually when the person’s permission to be in the UK comes to an end. You’ll find the expiry date on the document you use to conduct the check.