How to check a right to work share code
Short answer
Ask the applicant for their share code and date of birth. Enter both, with your company name, at gov.uk/view-right-to-work. Check the photo is of the person, then save the profile page gov.uk shows you. Do it before they start work.
What you need
- The applicant's share code: 9 characters, like AB1CD2EF3. They get it from gov.uk/prove-right-to-work, and it lasts 90 days.
- Their date of birth.
- Your company name, which gov.uk records against the check.
Step by step on gov.uk
- 1
Open the employer check
Go to gov.uk/view-right-to-work. This is the only official place to view a share code.
- 2
Enter the share code
Type it exactly as the applicant gave it. Spaces and lower case are fine.
- 3
Enter their date of birth
If it does not match the share code, gov.uk will not show a result.
- 4
Enter your company name
gov.uk shows it to the applicant as the employer who checked.
- 5
Check the photo and save the result
Make sure the photo is of the person who will work for you, in person or on a video call. Then save the profile page gov.uk shows you, as a PDF, as your evidence.
Keep a record
Keep the profile page and the date you checked for as long as the person works for you, and for two years after they leave. If their permission to work has an end date, check again on or before that date. People with indefinite leave or settled status don't need a follow up check.
The Home Office guidance is the authority on all of this: Employer's guide to right to work checks.
Checking a lot of people?
Check Share Code runs these same steps for you from your own software. One API call returns the result, the photo and the PDF.
This guide is not legal advice. The Home Office guidance is the authority on what counts as a valid check.