What documents employers in the UK legally accept for right-to-work checks?
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Executive summary
Employers in the UK must accept either defined “List A” documents that give an ongoing right to work (for example British or Irish citizenship and indefinite leave) or time‑limited documents in “List B” that require follow‑up — and many physical immigration cards are being replaced by online eVisas and the Home Office online check (GOV.UK guidance updated July 2025; guidance and check changes cited) [1] [2] [3]. The 2025 guidance updated the Annexes and acceptable manual documents (clipped passports disallowed; birth certificates acceptable with corroborating government evidence) and pushes employers towards using the online service for eVisa holders [2] [4] [5].
1. What the Home Office says: two practical lists employers must use
The official employer guide frames acceptable evidence in two functional groups: List A documents prove an ongoing right to work so a single correct check creates a “statutory excuse”; List B documents grant only a time‑limited right and require the employer to diarise follow‑up checks to maintain a statutory excuse against illegal‑working penalties (GOV.UK employer guide, updated July 2025) [2] [1]. The guidance also notes changes to acceptable items and the removal of some pandemic‑era temporary measures [2] [5].
2. The big change: physical BRPs are being replaced by digital status (eVisa) — use the online check
The Home Office has been moving away from physical biometric residence permits/cards toward digital immigration status and an online checking service. Employers are expected to rely on the Home Office online service (and Identity Service Providers) for eVisa holders; individuals whose BRPs expired around the transition were encouraged to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa (GOV.UK guidance and related commentary) [3] [6] [5].
3. Examples of documents still in play (manual checks) — what you will commonly see
Guidance and practitioner guides list the sorts of manual documents that remain acceptable in various circumstances: British or Irish passports, documents showing indefinite leave to remain/right of abode, Home Office letters or stamps showing leave with no work restrictions, and certain combinations involving birth certificates plus official evidence of identity/NINO where updated guidance permits [1] [7] [4]. Updated Annex A in 2025 revised the manual list and clarified cases such as clipped (cancelled) passports being unacceptable [5] [4].
4. What employers must do to stay protected — process, record‑keeping and digital checks
Employers must carry out checks before employment starts and keep documentary evidence of the check, including date and copies where manual checks are used; for eVisa holders employers should use the Home Office online check (creating a share code when applicable) or approved Identity Service Providers under the Digital Verification Service framework [8] [3]. The statutory excuse depends on following the correct process for the specific document used [1] [2].
5. Recent clarifications and practical pitfalls to watch for
2025 updates removed some duplications and adjusted List B items, clarified that clipped British/Irish passports are cancelled and not acceptable, and allowed UK birth certificates to be used only with corroborating government/employer evidence of name and National Insurance number — these are subtle changes that have practical payroll/HR impact [5] [4]. Legal commentators warn employers that manual checks now cover a narrower range of documents and that failing to use the online route for eVisa holders risks gaps [6] [9].
6. Competing perspectives and limitations in available reporting
Official guidance (GOV.UK) is the controlling authority and emphasises the online route and updated annexes [2] [3]. Private legal and HR advisers interpret those updates as both simplifying long‑term checks (List A) and increasing employer reliance on digital verification for time‑limited permissions [6] [5]. Available sources do not mention a comprehensive, single‑page list of every acceptable document in this dataset; instead they point employers to Annex A/B in the Home Office guidance and associated checklists [2] [10].
7. Bottom line for employers and HR teams
Use the GOV.UK employer guide and checklist as your authority, prioritise the Home Office online check for eVisa holders and Identity Service Providers for passports where recommended, treat List A documents as giving ongoing protection and diarise follow‑up for List B items, and update record‑keeping and internal policies to reflect the 2025 Annex changes [2] [3] [5].