Is a digital identity required to prove right to work in the UK in 2025?
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Executive summary
The UK government announced on 26 September 2025 that a national digital ID will be rolled out and will be mandatory for Right to Work checks by the end of the current Parliament (no later than 2029) [1] [2]. Government statements and multiple news outlets report employers will be required to check the digital ID as evidence of someone’s right to work once the scheme is in force [2] [1].
1. What the government has announced — mandatory for future Right to Work checks
The government’s official briefing and press release state the scheme will be made mandatory for Right to Work checks by the end of this Parliament; the digital ID will be available to all citizens and legal residents and employers will be required to check it as evidence of the right to work [1] [2]. Prime Minister Keir Starmer framed the policy as part of efforts to reduce illegal working and tighten border control [3] [1].
2. Timeline and legal status — announced, not yet law
The policy was announced in September 2025 and the government says it expects to roll the system out by the end of the parliamentary term (not later than 2029). Multiple government documents and legal explainers note a public consultation and further legislation or secondary rules are still to come, meaning the scheme is planned but not yet fully implemented or operational across the labour market [2] [4].
3. How employers check right to work now — digital checks already exist
Employers already have digital options: Home Office and private-sector systems, share codes and certified digital identity service providers (IDSPs) are used for Right to Work checks, and current rules require employers to retain identity document copies or use online verification methods [5] [6]. Some reporting highlights that employers have been conducting digital checks since earlier 2025 under updated rules [7] [6].
4. Practical implications — who will need an ID and when
Government messaging says the digital ID will be free, stored in a GOV.UK wallet and intended for all UK citizens and legal residents; when the scheme is in force it will be compulsory to use it to prove the right to work when applying for a job [2] [4]. Several outlets add the requirement will apply to people applying for new jobs after rollout, and the government plans special arrangements for those without smartphones or documentary proof [8] [9].
5. Points of contention — privacy, exclusion and political motives
Critics and civil-rights groups argue the scheme raises surveillance and exclusion risks; MPs and campaigners warned of privacy and inclusion problems at parliamentary evidence sessions, and groups such as the EFF publicly contested the case for mandatory digital ID [7] [10]. Political framing matters: officials present the scheme as immigration control, while opponents see it as a large expansion of identity infrastructure that could entrench state control [3] [11].
6. Legal and technical safeguards the government cites
Official materials say the system will limit unnecessary data sharing, use encryption and a trust framework on a statutory basis (the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 is cited in parliamentary analysis), and a public consultation is planned to address edge cases and inclusivity [12] [2]. The government also promises dedicated casework for people who lack traditional identity proofs [2].
7. What this means for someone asking “Is a digital ID required in 2025?”
As of the reporting in these sources, the digital ID is announced and will be mandatory for Right to Work checks once rolled out, but it was not yet universally required in 2025 because the scheme was still being designed, consulted on and scheduled for rollout through to the end of the Parliament [1] [2]. Employers continue to use existing digital and paper-based checks in the meantime [6] [5].
8. How to prepare — pragmatic next steps for workers and employers
Monitor the government consultation and legislation timelines, update HR and onboarding procedures to anticipate a mandatory GOV.UK Wallet/check requirement, and plan for alternatives for digitally excluded workers; legal and professional advisers already urge employers to consider how contractors and gig workers will be covered [9] [4]. Available sources do not mention finalised operational details such as exact employer access flows or transitional grace periods beyond the government’s broad commitments [2].
Limitations: this account relies solely on the cited government releases and contemporary reporting; the scheme’s precise legal form, implementation regulations and operational details will be determined in future consultations and legislation [2] [4].