The Home Office sets out two official lists of acceptable documents:
List A
List B
You must use these lists to confirm an individual’s legal right to work in the UK.
Important:
These are the only documents you can accept.
No substitutes or alternatives are legally valid for Right to Work checks.
List A – Permanent Right to Work
List A includes documents that show the person has an ongoing, unrestricted right to work in the UK.
Typically, these documents show:
Indefinite leave to remain, or
Another status that gives a permanent right to work.
Statutory Excuse for List A
If you:
Complete the Right to Work check before employment begins, and
Follow the correct procedure, including:
Obtaining original documents
Checking them properly
Keeping a clear copy
Recording the date of the check
then you establish a continuous statutory excuse.
This means:
You are protected from civil penalties if the individual is later found to be working illegally,
as long as you carried out the check in line with Home Office guidance.
List B – Temporary Right to Work
List B covers individuals who have time-limited permission to work in the UK.
Documents in List B may include:
A visa showing work conditions and an expiry date, or
A Home Office Positive Verification Notice.
Statutory Excuse for List B
When you complete a compliant Right to Work check using List B documents:
You gain a time-limited statutory excuse.
This excuse lasts only until the expiry date of the individual’s permission to work.
To stay compliant:
You must carry out a follow-up Right to Work check before their permission to work expires.
The List B document you use will clearly show the date when you must re-check.