UK right to work share code: how to get it and how long it lasts

Before hiring you, a UK employer must confirm you have the right to work. British and Irish citizens prove this with a passport. For everyone else, the simplest route is a share code — a one‑time code that lets an employer view your immigration status online.

Where do you get the code?

You generate it for free on the government's "view and prove your immigration status" service on gov.uk. To sign in you need one of the following: your passport, national identity card, biometric residence card (valid or expired), an expired biometric residence permit (BRP), or your UKVI customer number. You also need access to the phone or email linked to your UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) account.

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How long is it valid?

A share code lasts 90 days. You can use it as many times as you like within that period, and get a new one for free afterwards.

What does the employer see?

Using the code and your date of birth, the employer can see what work you are allowed to do and how long you can work in the UK. You do not have to show your whole status — the service tells you in advance what the checker will see.

What if you cannot use the service?

A non‑citizen who cannot use the online service can prove their right to work with original immigration documents. An employer cannot refuse an eligible document just because you did not give a share code. If your status cannot be confirmed, the employer can use the Employer Checking Service.

The same code also proves your right to rent a home — the process is identical; only who is checking changes.

What does the employer do?

Checking a code gives the employer a statutory excuse — legal protection against a penalty for employing someone without the right to work. That is why employers usually ask for a code. If status cannot be confirmed online, the employer can use the Employer Checking Service; a reply typically comes within a few working days and also gives protection while the check is under way.

It helps workers to remember that a code reveals only the data needed and only for a limited time, so it is best generated shortly before a check. There are separate codes for the right to work and the right to rent — make sure you generate the right one. You can see exactly what the employer will see in the service before you share the code.

In short: the code is free, lasts 90 days and is generated on the government service on gov.uk. Keep your sign‑in document and the phone or email for your UKVI account to hand — then you can create a code before a check in a couple of minutes, without holding up your start at work.