Guide • Compliance • 14 min read
Right-to-work checks in Ireland and the UK
Como verificar o direito de um candidato a trabalhar na Irlanda e no Reino Unido, evitar penalizações por trabalho ilegal e manter registos 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 aplicável, ver e registar a autorização ou permissão de imigração adequada antes do início da relação laboral. Empregar um nacional de um país não pertencente ao EEE sem a autorização exigida constitui uma infração, pelo que deve conservar a prova da verificação e registar quaisquer datas de validade 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.
Existem três vias: uma verificação manual de documentos, o serviço online de verificação do Home Office (usando um share code) ou a utilização de um Identity Service Provider certificado para determinados titulares de documentos. Siga com exatidão a orientação atual do Home Office, porque as listas de documentos aceites e os processos são atualizados periodicamente.
Registos, 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.
