Working In The UK

If you’re planning to come to the UK to work, it's important to understand whether you have the right to do so.

This depends on your nationality and immigration status. If you don’t have the right to work, you might be able to apply for it.

How to check the right to work in UK

British and Irish citizens automatically have the right to work in the UK. You can check if you're a British citizen using the government's online service GOV.UK.

You might be a British citizen if you:

Have a British parent
Were born in the UK or a British overseas territory
Were born in a British colony before 1983

If you’re a European Economic Area (EEA) national or a Swiss national, you’ll need immigration permission to live and work in the UK, unless you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

If you’re not from the EEA or Switzerland, you’ll generally need a visa to work in the UK.

You can use GOV.UK to check if you have the right to work in the UK. Employers will also use this service to check your right to work or examine your documents.

How to get a work visa in the UK

If you need a visa to work in the UK, there are different types depending on what kind of job you’ll be doing and for how long.

The most common ones include:

Skilled Worker visa
Health and Care Worker visa
Global Talent visa

The Skilled Worker visa is for people who have been offered a skilled job in the UK. To get one of these, you must:

Work for a Home Office-approved employer
Have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ (CoS) from your employer detailing the role you’ve been offered
Have a job that’s listed as an eligible occupation
Be paid a minimum salary – the amount depends on the type of work and when you got your CoS

Health and Care Worker visas are for medical professionals to work in the UK for the NHS, an NHS supplier or in adult social care.

To get one of these, you’ll have to:

Be qualified as a doctor, nurse, or a professional in health or adult social care
Have an eligible job in health or social care
Work for a Home Office-approved employer
Have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ (CoS) from your employer detailing the role you’ve been offered
Be paid a minimum salary – the amount depends on the type of work you do

A Global Talent visa is for anyone who’s a leader or potential leader in academia, research, arts and culture or digital technology. You need to be at least 18 and be endorsed by a recognised UK body.