I need a share code

If you are a non-British or Irish citizen and you’re applying for a job in the UK, you will need a share code so that you can prove your legal right to work to an employer in UK. If you’re a non-British or Irish citizen and you’d like to rent a residential property in England, you’ll also need a share code to secure your right to rent.  

What is a share code?

A share code is used by potential employers to check the types of jobs you are allowed to do in the United Kingdom and how long you will be allowed to work in the UK for. A share code is also used by landlords and letting agents to evidence your right to rent in England. 

What does a share code look like?

A right to work share code is a unique code that is made up of both numbers and letters (alphanumeric) and it is nine characters long. If you need a share code, you can generate a share code via a government website. Searching ‘gov.uk share code’ on a search engine like Google is an easy way to find the right government site.  

Do I need a share code in the UK?

A British or Irish citizen has several different ways of verifying their right to work in the UK. These can include a valid British passport or national insurance number. Often potential employers run right to work checks on British citizens at the point of interview – this is why it is important to bring your passport with you.  

If you are a non-British or non-Irish citizen, you may need a share code to prove your right to work in the UK.  

Does my candidate need a share code?

As employers or an HR professional, you’ll know that checking the right to work for a British or Irish citizen is quite straightforward and can be done digitally, affordably and quickly, through MyVetting’s portal. 

If you are interviewing potential candidates from outside the UK and Ireland, they will need to a share code to prove their right to work based on immigration status. They may be an asylum seeker, be from a Commonwealth nation or have indefinite leave to remain. 

All candidates will need to obtain a right to work check from the Home Office, using the share code.  

Employers can check candidates’ right to work with an online right to work check from MyVetting.com. Once you have bought your checks, a check alert will go to your candidate’s device and they can complete the check in minutes. For international candidates, our guide to share codes will help them get the code they need. 

What do I need to get a share code?

To get a share code, you will need to prove your immigration status. You will need documentary evidence, some personal information and access to the internet to obtain a share code online.  

The first step will be to create a UKVI account. A UKVI account is a UK Visas and Immigration account. This is a system which is becoming fully digital and replacing physical documents with online records of an individual’s immigration status.  

The eVisa system states your immigration status and your permission to work in the UK. Your eVisa will also indicate how long you are entitled to stay in the UK.  

To access your eVisa, you must first create a UKVI account.   

Key documents for you if you need to generate your share code:

• Your passport
• National identity card
  or
• Biometric residence card or biometric residence permit (BRP) 

You will also need one of these documents to open your UKVI account. 

Information you will need to generate your share code:

Your date of birth 

You will also need to have access to the same mobile number or email address that you used to create your UKVI account as you will be sent a code for signing in. You will need to enter this code in order to proceed. 

Have I got a UKVI account already? 

You may have already opened a UKVI account, if you have ever: 

• Opened a UKVI account to apply for a visa 

• Used the UK Immigration: ID Check app to verify your identity when applying for a visa Made an application to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) 

• Created an UKVI account to access an eVisa 

How can you generate a share code UK? 

When you are ready to apply for a share code, you must visit the government website – https://www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status. If you need a share code to prove your right to work in the UK, it is you – as the job applicant – that will need to generate the share code. 

Rather than your potential work checking for a share code or a future employer, it is the individual that needs to generate a share code rather than a company.  

Generating a share code online is straightforward. Every share code you generate will last for 90 days before invalidating. You will then have to generate a new share code.  

Once you have your share code, you can use it in your right to work application or your right to rent application with MyVetting. You will simply have to add it to the online system when requested.  

Generate a share code – step by step 

Ensure that you have your biometric residence permit BRP, biometric residence card number, passport, and national identity card to generate a code.  

• Log into your UKVI gov.uk account with the ID you used for your initial visa application. 

• Input the 6-digit code that is sent to your phone or email to log in. 

• Once logged in, you can generate your share code. 

It is important to remember that each share code generated can only be used for one particular purpose. If you have generated a share code to prove your right to work, you cannot then use that share code to prove your right to rent in England. You will have to generate a different code to use for each purpose.