Right to work · IDVT digital identity check

Right to work digital identity checks: when IDVT applies and what UK employers need to know.

Direct answer

Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) is the digital right-to-work check route for British and Irish citizens with valid passports — the workers who are not in scope of the share-code online service. The employer engages a certified Identity Service Provider (IDSP), the worker uploads their passport and a live photo, the IDSP verifies the document and identity digitally, and the employer retains the IDSP's output. IDVT was introduced for right-to-work checks on 6 April 2022. A correctly conducted IDVT check via a certified IDSP, before the worker starts work, with the records retained for the standard right-to-work retention period, establishes the statutory excuse against an illegal-working civil penalty.

Who this applies to: UK employers hiring British or Irish citizens with valid passports — and any HR or operations lead deciding whether to use IDVT, a manual passport check, or another method for a specific worker.

Regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority

When IDVT is the right method

The decision rule: passport, nationality, and willingness.

IDVT is not the default for every UK worker. It is one of three valid right-to-work check methods, each with a defined scope. Knowing which method applies to which worker is the discipline that prevents the wrong method being used and the statutory excuse being lost.

→British or Irish citizen with a valid in-date passport — IDVT is available. Most SME employers default to a manual check; IDVT is the digital alternative.

→Non-British, non-Irish worker — use the share-code online check (most common) or a manual check on the original document if the worker is not in the digital Home Office system

→Worker without a valid passport (expired, lost, or never issued) — manual check on whichever in-date document from the published list they hold; IDVT is not available

→Worker who declines to use IDVT — switch to a manual check on the original passport. IDVT is not mandatory and the worker's preference does not weaken the manual check.

→Worker hired before 6 April 2022 — IDVT was not available at the time of the original check. No retrospective IDVT requirement.

IDVT vs manual vs share code

The three right-to-work check methods compared.

IDVT digital identity check

Carried out via a UKAS-certified IDSP. Employer engages and pays the IDSP. Digital from end to end. Statutory excuse established by the IDSP's verified output.

British / Irish + valid passport

Manual right-to-work check

Employer checks the original document in person, copies the relevant pages, and signs and dates the copy. The fallback method when IDVT or share code is not available.

Any worker, in-person

Online share-code check

Worker generates a share code; employer verifies it on gov.uk Check a Job Applicant's Right to Work. The default for most sponsored workers.

Non-British, non-Irish workers

Statutory excuse

Each method, carried out correctly and recorded correctly, establishes the statutory excuse. The wrong method for the wrong worker does not.

All three establish it

Retention period

Records must be kept during the worker's employment and for a further 2 years after they stop working for you. Applies equally to all three methods.

Employment + 2 years

IDVT was introduced for right-to-work checks on 6 April 2022. The employer's guide to right-to-work checks was last updated 31 July 2025. Always verify the current rules on gov.uk before relying on a specific method.

What a certified IDSP actually does

The IDVT check, end to end.

An IDSP is a commercial provider that has been certified by UKAS (the United Kingdom Accreditation Service) to provide IDVT to a Home Office-compliant standard. The certification is the thing that makes the check valid for right-to-work purposes — using a non-certified provider, even if the technology looks similar, does not establish the statutory excuse.

→Employer engages a UKAS-certified IDSP — typically a per-check fee in the £5–£15 range

→Worker is sent a link by the IDSP and completes the check on their own device — typically a few minutes

→Worker uploads a photo of their passport and a live selfie (or short video) to the IDSP

→IDSP runs document validation (passport authenticity), biometric matching (photo vs selfie), and liveness checks

→IDSP issues an output — a digital identity verification report, typically as a PDF — confirming the check was conducted and the result

→Employer retains the IDSP's output as the right-to-work record, along with the date of the check

What the employer keeps on file

The IDVT record that establishes the statutory excuse.

The records required for an IDVT check are different from a manual or share code check — the IDSP does most of the heavy lifting, and the employer's job is to retain the IDSP's certified output correctly. The retention period is identical to the other check methods.

→The IDSP's identity verification report or certificate — typically a PDF showing the worker's name, date of check, document checked, biometric match, and IDSP identifier

→The name of the IDSP and confirmation it is UKAS-certified at the time of the check

→The date the check was carried out

→The name of the person on the employer's side who engaged the IDSP and reviewed the output

→Retention period: during the worker's employment AND for 2 years after they stop working for you

→Digital storage is acceptable — but records must be retrievable on request, including during an unannounced Home Office compliance visit

Why IDVT vs manual matters

The commercial case for IDVT — and the cases where it does not apply.

For most SME employers, the manual passport check is fine — it has been the default for years and works. IDVT becomes more valuable as the business grows, hires remote workers, or operates across multiple UK sites where carrying out an in-person check is operationally awkward.

→Remote hires — IDVT allows a right-to-work check without the worker travelling to a UK office for an in-person manual check. Particularly valuable for multi-site or hybrid businesses.

→Volume hires — at high hiring volumes, the per-check cost of an IDSP is often lower than the HR time of in-person manual checks

→Audit defensibility — an IDSP's output is a structured, time-stamped digital record. Easier to retrieve and produce at a compliance visit than a paper file with a copied passport and a handwritten date.

→Speed — IDVT typically completes in minutes, vs scheduling an in-person check

→Cost — IDVT has a per-check fee where a manual check is 'free' in cash terms (paid in HR time). The trade-off varies by business model.

→IDVT is not available for workers who do not hold a valid British or Irish passport — those workers go through manual or share code routes regardless

What goes wrong

The five IDVT mistakes we see most often.

→Using a non-UKAS-certified provider that markets itself as 'digital identity' — the technology may look similar but the check does not establish the statutory excuse

→Using IDVT for a worker who does not hold a valid British or Irish passport — wrong method, no statutory excuse

→Treating the IDSP's check as a substitute for a manual check on the worker's actual passport when IDVT is not available — wrong method, no statutory excuse

→Retaining the IDSP confirmation email instead of the IDSP's full identity verification report — incomplete record

→Destroying IDSP records when the worker leaves — same 2-year-after retention rule applies as for manual and share code checks

How Harveys helps

What we do for employers building an IDVT-inclusive RTW process.

Most employers do not need ongoing help with individual IDVT checks — once the IDSP is selected and the retention process is built, the checks run themselves. Where we help is at the design stage, when you are deciding whether IDVT is worth introducing, and when something has already gone wrong.

→Right-to-work process design — building the policy and the IDVT-vs-manual-vs-share-code decision tree for your specific hiring profile

→IDSP selection guidance — which UKAS-certified providers fit your hiring volume, sector, and audit defensibility requirements

→Right-to-work audit — structured review of recent checks (IDVT + manual + share code) against current Home Office rules, before a compliance visit identifies the gaps

→Civil penalty response — urgent regulated work where an IDVT check has been challenged or a notice has been served

→Audit-Ready Sponsor Compliance retainer — for licensed sponsors, RTW (including IDVT) sits alongside sponsor duties and reporting

→All work delivered under IAA Level 1 regulation — Regulation No. F202537009

Common questions

Questions employers ask us.

Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) is a digital right-to-work check method introduced on 6 April 2022 for British and Irish citizens with valid passports — workers who are not in scope of the Home Office online share-code service. The check is carried out by a UKAS-certified Identity Service Provider (IDSP) on the employer's behalf, typically remotely via the worker's own device.

Primarily British and Irish citizens with a valid in-date passport. Workers without a valid British or Irish passport — including all sponsored Skilled Worker route workers and most other non-British, non-Irish workers — are checked via the share-code online service or a manual document check, not IDVT. Always verify against the current Home Office Employer's Guide to Right to Work Checks before relying on IDVT for a specific worker category.

No. IDVT is an option, not a requirement. A manual right-to-work check on the worker's original passport remains valid and establishes the statutory excuse if conducted correctly. Most SME employers still use the manual route for British and Irish citizens; IDVT becomes attractive at higher hiring volumes or for remote and multi-site businesses.

IDSPs charge a per-check fee, typically in the £5–£15 range — the exact rate varies by provider, volume commitment, and whether the IDSP is bundled into a wider HR or pre-employment-checks platform. The cost is paid by the employer, not the worker.

The IDSP's full identity verification report (typically a PDF), the date the check was conducted, the name and confirmation of UKAS certification of the IDSP, and the name of the person on your side who engaged the IDSP. Retain these records during the worker's employment and for 2 years after they stop working for you — the same retention rule as for manual and share-code checks.

Yes — when carried out correctly. The check must be (1) for an eligible worker (British or Irish citizen with valid passport), (2) carried out before employment starts, (3) through a UKAS-certified IDSP, and (4) with the IDSP's output retained for the full retention period. Using a non-certified provider, the wrong method for the worker, or failing to retain the records does not establish the statutory excuse and leaves the employer exposed to a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker.

Related services & resources

IAA

Regulated immigration advice

Harveys Legal is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority.

Firm Reg No. F202537009. Verify on the IAA register before engagement.

Deciding whether IDVT is worth introducing? Get the process right before you commit to an IDSP.

Book a consultation. We will work through your hiring profile, the IDVT-vs-manual-vs-share-code decision for your specific worker categories, and what a defensible IDVT process looks like end to end — before you commit to a specific IDSP or roll IDVT out across the business. Harveys Legal supports immigration applications, sponsor compliance preparation and related legal processes. Final decisions remain with the Home Office or relevant decision-maker.

Book a Consultation →See full RTW compliance framework

Harveys Legal supports immigration applications, sponsor compliance preparation and related legal processes. Final decisions remain with the Home Office or the relevant decision-maker.