Guide • Compliance • 14 min read
Right-to-work checks in Ireland and the UK
Como verificar o direito de um candidato ao trabalho na Irlanda e no Reino Unido, evitar penalidades por trabalho ilegal e manter registros em conformidade.
Why right-to-work checks matter
Employers in Ireland and the UK have a legal duty to ensure that everyone they employ is permitted to work. Getting this wrong exposes the business to civil penalties and, in serious cases, criminal liability. It is the local equivalent of the US I-9 process, but the rules, documents and record-keeping requirements are different and must not be conflated.
The right approach is to check consistently for every new hire, not selectively, because inconsistent checking risks discrimination claims. Build the check into your standard onboarding workflow so it happens the same way every time.
A situação na Irlanda
Irish and EEA/Swiss nationals have an automatic right to work in Ireland. Non-EEA nationals generally require an employment permit (such as a Critical Skills Employment Permit or a General Employment Permit) or another permission that allows employment, such as certain immigration stamps. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment administers the employment-permit system.
Os empregadores devem verificar a nacionalidade da pessoa e, quando relevante, ver e registrar a permissão apropriada ou autorização de imigração antes do início do emprego. Empregar um nacional de fora do EEE sem a permissão exigida é uma infração, então mantenha evidência da verificação e controle em agenda quaisquer datas de expiração para que as permissões sejam renovadas a tempo.
A situação no Reino Unido
In the UK, employers must carry out a prescribed right-to-work check to establish a statutory excuse against a civil penalty for illegal working. Since Brexit, EU nationals no longer have an automatic right to work and must evidence their status, most commonly through the online share-code service or under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Há três caminhos: uma verificação manual de documentos, o serviço online de verificação do Home Office (usando um share code) ou o uso de um Identity Service Provider certificado para certos detentores de documentos. Siga exatamente as orientações atuais do Home Office, porque as listas de documentos aceitos e os processos são atualizados periodicamente.
Registros, prazos e verificações repetidas
Carry out the check before employment starts, retain a clear dated copy of the evidence for the duration of employment and for a defined period afterwards, and store it securely in line with the GDPR. For people with time-limited permission, schedule a follow-up check before their permission expires.
An HRIS helps by storing right-to-work evidence against each employee record with restricted access, and by triggering reminders ahead of expiry dates. This turns a compliance risk into a routine, automated step rather than something that depends on an individual remembering to act.
