Guidance

Licensing authority guide to right to work checks

Guidance for licensing authorities on how to check the immigration status of people who apply for a taxi or private hire licence.

From:
UK Visas and Immigration and Home Office
Published
1 December 2016
Last updated
206 MarchAugust 2025 — See all updates

Documents

Guidance for licensing authorities to prevent illegal working in the taxi and private hire sector in the UK: 216 JuneAugust 20242025 (accessible version)(accessible)

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Guidance for licensing authorities to prevent illegal working in the taxi and private hire sector in the UK: 216 JuneAugust 20242025

PDF, 671709 KB, 35 pages

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Canllawiau i awdurdodau trwyddedu i atal gweithio anghyfreithlon yn y sector tacsi a hurio preifat yn y DU: 21 Mehefin 2024 (Welsh accessible version)

HTML

Canllawiau i awdurdodau trwyddedu i atal gweithio anghyfreithlon yn y sector tacsis a hurio preifat yn y DU: 21 Mehefin 2024 (Welsh version)

PDF, 531 KB, 35 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

You can find the previous version of this guide at the National Archives, along with earlier versions

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20240611190531/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/licensing-authority-guide-to-right-to-work-checks

Details

This guidance is for licensing authority staff responsible for the issue, renewal, suspension and revocation of private hire and taxi driver licences and operator licences (called booking office licences in Scotland).

It has been issued to support the implementation of provisions in the Immigration Act 2016 in relation to illegal working in the private hire and taxi sector. These provisions commenced on 1 December 2016 with the exception of booking offices in Scotland.

Provisions in respect of booking offices commenced 22 January 2018 and the second edition of this guidance reflects this change. Licence applications are subject to immigration checks to prevent them being issued to anyone who does not have the right to work in the UK.

It includes information on:

  • who is disqualified from holding a licence
  • how and when to conduct right to a licence checks
  • acceptable documents for these checks
  • how to provide information to the Home Office

Updates to this page

Published 1 December 2016

Last updated 206 MarchAugust 2025 + show href="#full-history">+ show all updates

  2. Welsh guidance updated.

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