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£9UK law · England & Wales

UK Right to Work Checklist Template

A Home Office compliant right-to-work check that establishes a statutory excuse against the civil penalty regime under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. Avoids the up-to-£60,000 per worker penalty. £9.

Editable Word (.docx) + PDF · Re-download any time · UK GDPR compliant

Legal background

Under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 (sections 15–25), employers can be fined up to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach and up to £60,000 for repeat breaches (uplifted from £20,000/£15,000 in February 2024). A correctly conducted right-to-work check before employment begins establishes a statutory excuse: even if the worker turns out not to have the right to work, you avoid the penalty.

Sample excerpt

A short preview of the kind of clauses your generated document will contain. The full document is tailored to your inputs.

Right to Work Check Record Employee: [Name] | Position: [Job Title] | Start date: [Date] 1. Document(s) examined: ☐ List A document (permanent right to work) — type: [_______________] ☐ List B document (time-limited right to work) — type: [_______________] ☐ Online check via gov.uk share code: [_______________] ☐ IDVT (Identity Document Validation Technology) check certificate ref: [_______________] 2. Document number: [_______________] | Expiry: [_______________] 3. Verification carried out: ☐ I have seen the original document (or original digital identity verification); ☐ I am satisfied the document(s) appear genuine and relate to the prospective employee; ☐ Any photograph is consistent with the prospective employee; ☐ Any dates and personal details are consistent. 4. Date of check: [_______________] | Checker name: [_______________] | Signature: [_______________] 5. Where the right to work is time-limited, follow-up check date: [_______________] This check establishes a statutory excuse against the civil penalty regime under sections 15–25 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, provided the check was conducted before employment commenced and a copy is retained for the duration of employment plus two years.

What's in the template

  • List A and List B documents reference
  • Manual document check process and copy retention
  • Online right-to-work check via gov.uk (for share codes)
  • Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) check route for British/Irish citizens
  • Recording the date of check and document details
  • Follow-up check date for time-limited permission
  • Retention: duration of employment + 2 years
  • Discrimination-safe wording (Equality Act 2010 aware)

Who this is for

  • Every UK employer hiring any new employee or worker
  • Companies relying on right-to-work checks done by agencies (still your responsibility)
  • HR functions wanting an audit trail
  • Employers conducting follow-up checks for visa-time-limited staff

Ready in under a minute

Answer a few questions, get a fully tailored UK document. Editable Word + PDF.

Generate your right-to-work checklist — £9 →

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum civil penalty?

From 13 February 2024: £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach, and £60,000 for repeat breaches. Significantly higher than before.

Can I rely on the share code online check?

Yes — for non-British/Irish workers, the gov.uk online right-to-work check using their share code establishes a statutory excuse. Save the PDF result.

Do I need to repeat the check?

For workers with permanent right to work (settled status, British/Irish citizenship, ILR) — no. For time-limited permission — yes, before the expiry date. The checklist tracks this.

These templates are general legal information, not bespoke legal advice. For high-value or unusual matters, ask a solicitor to review.