Apply for a visa
Who has permission to work in the UK?
You will normally be eligible to work in the UK if you are in one of the following categories (see the Home Office UK Border Agency website for more information).
- You are a legal national of the UK or other country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or a Swiss national. Nationals from Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia are free to work in the United Kingdom but are required to register with the Home Office under the Worker Registration Scheme within the first month of starting work. Nationals from Bulgaria and Romania, who joined the EU on 1st January 2007, require a Work Permit (which must be applied for by their university) and must also register with the Home Office under the Accession Worker Card Scheme.
- You currently have Tier 1 Highly Skilled Worker or Post Study Worker status (see section below).
- You are a dependent, husband, wife or civil partner of a UK or EEA national or individual who has an existing right to work in the UK and you hold an approprate dependent's visa.
- You have acquired indefinite leave to remain in the UK or have a UK Ancestry visa
- You have a valid student visa which entitles you to work on a part-time basis (limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week during term-time, and subject to the permission of your course supervisor).
I need more information
If you need additional information or have a question about your right to work in the UK the Immigration Advisory Service (IAS) is also a good place to seek help.
If you require someone to take on your case, you can ask the IAS if they are able to help, or find another local immigration adviser by contacting the Community Legal Service or the Law Society (details below). You may need to pay for legal advice (an adviser will explain this to you before carrying out any work).
Community Legal Service
Telephone: 0845 345 4345
If you need to get in touch with your embassy in the UK, check out the Embassy World website.