Working in the UK
- Who can work in the UK?
- Work Permits
- Students
- Highly Skilled Migrants
- Advice for Migrants from New EU States
- Advice for Migrants from Romania and Bulgaria
- Refugees
- Community Languages
- Comparing, Using and Developing Overseas Qualifications
Who can work in the UK?
Citizens from the following EEA countries can work in the UK without a work permit/visa/other Home Office Authorisation.
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.
Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are not members of the European Union (EU) but citizens of these countries have the same rights to enter, live in and work in the United Kingdom as EU citizens.
Nationals from the following EEA countries* below have to register under the Worker Registration Scheme if they wish to work for an employer in the United Kingdom for more than one month and are a citizen of:
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- Hungary
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
Nationals from Romania and Bulgaria will require a Worker Authorisation document from the Home Office i.e. Accession Worker car/registration certificate if they wish to work for an employer in the United Kingdom.
For more information about working in the UK, follow the link to the Border and Immigration Agency website from the external links section at the bottom of the page.
|Back to TopWork Permits
Work permits are only available to people who have already been offered a specific job by a UK-based employer. There are six separate groups for ordinary work permit applications:
- business and commercial
- training and work experience
- sportspeople and entertainers
- student internships
- general agreement on trade in services (GATS)
- hospitality and food processing (sector-based schemes)
You can't apply for a permit yourself - you'll need the UK-based employer to do it for you. How long your permit lasts for will depend on the work you do and the type of permit applied for.
To find out more about UK Work Permits, click on the Border and Immigration Agency website link in the external links section at the bottom of the page.
|Back to TopStudents
If you're an international student from outside the EEA countries, you may not be able to work in the UK. To find out whether or not you can work, check the visa stamp in your passport. If it says ‘prohibited’ you cannot work in the UK.
If it grants you leave to enter or remain in the UK as a student, there are likely to be restrictions on the amount and kind of work you can do. Under these restrictions, you:
- Can work up to 20 hours a week during term time, with no limit during holiday periods
- Can’t engage in business, be self-employers or provide services as a professional sportsperson or entertainer
- Can’t take a permanent, full-time position.
Highly Skilled Migrants
The Highly Skilled Migrant programme is designed to let highly skilled and qualified workers come to the UK to work or become self-employed. If you're allowed to enter the UK this way you don't need a specific job offer.
Under this scheme you are issued entry clearance for 12 months, after which you can apply to stay for longer, but must remain in work/self-employment.
To find out more about the Highly Skilled Migrants programme, click on the Borders and Immigration Agency website link in the external links section at the bottom of the page.
|Back to TopAdvice for Migrants from New EU States
There are special rules under the Worker Registration Scheme which apply to migrants coming from the new accession states (known as A8), including Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. A special guide has been produced by the TUC to explain these rules and workers' rights. A link to this guide, called Living and Working in the UK: Your Rights, can be found in the attached files section at the bottom of the page.
|Back to TopAdvice for Migrants from Romania and Bulgaria
There are special rules for migrants from Romania and Bulgaria who want to work in the UK. The Borders and Immigration Agency have produced a guide to these rights and responsibilities, called Living and Working in the United Kingdom - Bulgarian and Romanian Nationals, along with leaflets in Bulgarian and Romanian that summarise this information. These can all be found in the attached files section at the bottom of the page.
More information can also be found on the Borders and Immigration website, highlighted in the external links section at the bottom of this page.
|Back to TopRefugees
If you have been granted leave to remain, you will be entitled to seek work in the UK. If you need support finding work, you may be eligible for support under the Haringey Guarantee. You may also find information under our Job Search Support section useful.
If you have a higher level education or a professional qualification, the Refugee Assessment and Guidance Unit (RAGU) at London Metropolitan University, based on the Holloway Road, may be able to offer additional support to find the right job for you. More information on RAGA’s services can be found by following the link to their website in the external links section at the bottom of the page.
|Back to TopCommunity Languages
Multikulti provides accessible, accurately translated advice and information on a range of topics, including health, employment, debt, education and racism. Translations are available in 12 community languages:
Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Farsi, French, Gujarati, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu
To reach the Multikulti website, follow the link in the external links section at the bottom of the page.
|Back to TopComparing, Using and Developing Overseas Qualifications
UK NARIC is the national agency responsible for providing information on vocational, academic and professional skills and qualifications gained overseas and how they can be used in the UK. This service includes comparing overseas qualifications to those needed by UK employers, and developing a career path to translate overseas qualifications to UK equivalents. To reach the UK NARIC website, follow the link in the external links section at the bottom of the page.
|Back to Top| Filename | Filetype | Size |
|---|---|---|
living and working in the uk - your rights.pdf  | 1112K | |
| Living and Working in the United Kingdom - Bulgarian and Romanian Nationals.pdf | 189K | |
| Bulgarian Leaflet.pdf | 169K | |
| Romanian Leaflet.pdf | 177K | |
| PDF documents require Adobe Acrobat reader. Please click here to download. | ||
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Update MePage Last Updated: 29 May 2008
This page belongs to the following categories :
- Jobs and careers > Finding work
- Jobs and careers > Finding work > Job seekers
- Community and living > Ethnic communities
