Recruiting British and Irish citizens: check routes

British and Irish citizens generally use the applicable document or eligible identity-service-provider routes for right-to-work checks. Check the current permitted evidence and process, including the conditions for using a provider and any digital certificate of entitlement exception.

Current share-code guidance also covers British or Commonwealth citizens with a digital certificate of entitlement proving right of abode. Confirm the evidence route for the actual document or digital status presented; do not make a blanket assumption from nationality alone.

Apply the same recruitment process with the correct evidence route

British and Irish citizens should be included in the employer's right-to-work checking process. Their citizenship does not justify skipping the check, and the employer should not select applicants for scrutiny based on appearance or accent. What differs is the evidence route available. British and Irish citizens cannot generate an ordinary right-to-work share code, so a policy demanding one from every candidate will not work. ^[1]

Explain the accepted options before the candidate's start date. A person without a current passport may still be able to use another permitted manual combination. Do not describe a passport as legally mandatory where the guidance provides alternatives. Keep the recruitment decision focused on the vacancy while the authorised checker establishes identity and evidence through the appropriate route.

Understand current and expired passport evidence

The current manual document list includes a passport showing British citizenship, or the specified UK and Colonies citizenship with right of abode, whether current or expired. It also includes an Irish passport or passport card, current or expired. The checker must still establish that the document is acceptable and belongs to the person presenting it. An expired document is not the same as a cancelled document; the guidance excludes cancelled passports. ^[1]

Inspect originals and retain the required information with the actual check date. If the holder appears through a live video link for a manual check, the checker must physically possess the originals. A scan emailed by the applicant is not enough for that route. Where age or appearance has changed since a passport photograph was taken, assess identity carefully and escalate a genuine unresolved mismatch rather than assuming all expired passports are unacceptable.

Use permitted combinations when a passport is unavailable

The manual list provides specified birth or adoption certificate combinations with an official document showing the person's name and permanent National Insurance number, issued by a government agency or previous employer. It also includes a British registration or naturalisation certificate with the required supporting National Insurance evidence. Check the exact document combination in the current list rather than accepting a certificate or number on its own. ^[1]

A National Insurance number alone is not proof of permission to work. Its role in a listed combination should not be confused with a general immigration approval. If names differ across the documents, establish and record the link using appropriate evidence. Our guide to A name mismatch in right-to-work documents explains how to resolve a name mismatch without drawing unsupported conclusions or collecting unnecessary personal history.

Know what the digital identity option covers

A qualifying digital verification service can provide the identity-checking element for holders of valid British and Irish passports, including Irish passport cards. The valid-document requirement for that digital route differs from the manual list's treatment of expired passports. The employer must still satisfy itself that the result relates to the individual presenting for work and keep the required evidence. ^[1]

Do not treat applicants less favourably because they lack a valid passport or choose an accepted alternative to a digital service. Explain the manual option and arrange it practically, particularly for remote recruitment. A provider may offer other identity products, but those products do not automatically establish a statutory excuse for every immigration category. Confirm the scope of the service actually purchased and used.

Complete the record and avoid unnecessary repeat checks

A correctly completed List A check establishes a continuous statutory excuse for the employment, so routine follow-up checks are not required merely because the passport later expires. Keep the evidence securely for employment and the required period afterwards. The expiry of a travel document and the right to work are different matters; HR should not automatically suspend a British or Irish employee because a passport-renewal reminder appears in a system. ^[1]

For help through Employer right-to-work process review, describe the available documents, the proposed checking route and the specific point of uncertainty. Case-specific immigration advice should be supplied by an appropriately regulated or otherwise legally authorised adviser. Use secure channels for identity evidence and keep the initial enquiry limited to the question that needs resolving. The aim is a correctly evidenced check, completed fairly before the person starts, without unnecessary demands for a document the rules do not require.

Review recruitment templates for phrases such as “valid passport required from all applicants” or “share code mandatory”. Where those phrases misstate the available evidence routes, replace them with instructions that direct candidates to the appropriate options and a named contact for assistance.

Illustrative scenario

An Irish candidate is asked for a share code they cannot obtain for this purpose. HR corrects the request and uses the appropriate prescribed evidence route.

Preparation checklist

• Identify the permitted route
• Check acceptable evidence
• Confirm provider eligibility if used
• Retain the employer record