Right to workSync or asyncWebhooksSandbox
Right to work check API
Send a share code and date of birth from your software. gov.uk’s answer comes back as JSON in about 20 seconds, with the photo and the gov.uk PDF.
- Sandbox key straight away
- 10 live checks a month free
- No card
POST /v1/check/right-to-work
{
"share_code": "AB1CD2EF3",
"date_of_birth": "1990-01-01",
"company_name": "Acme Ltd"
}JANE EXAMPLE DOE
They have the right to work in the UK until 1 January 2027.
- Valid until
- 1 January 2027
- Check again by
- 1 January 2027
- gov.uk reference
- WE-EXAMPLE-12
- Checked for
- Acme Ltd
Why an API
Stop typing share codes into gov.uk
Page 1 of 3
Enter the share code
Page 2 of 3
Enter their date of birth
Page 3 of 3
Enter your company name
Then save the PDF, copy the expiry date into a diary, and start again for the next applicant.
Sample run: 6 checked · PDFs saved · next checks scheduled
1 request
instead of three pages typed by hand
About 20 s
a typical live check, gov.uk included
0 diaries
recheck_date comes back whenever there is a date to check again
How it works
What happens in those 20 seconds
Your app
01const res = await fetch( "https://api.checksharecode.co.uk/v1/check/right-to-work", { method: "POST", headers, body })
One request with the share code and date of birth, and your bearer key. The spec is at /openapi.json.
gov.uk, by our browser
02- Share code entered
- Date of birth entered
- Company name entered
- Reading gov.uk’s answer
We fill in gov.uk’s form in a real browser, the same pages a person would. Usually 15 to 40 seconds.
Back to you
03{ "outcome": "ACCEPTED",
"recheck_date": "2027-01-01",
"pdf_data_url": "data:…" }The outcome, dates, photo and gov.uk PDF as JSON. Wait for it, or get a webhook when it’s done.
Sandbox
Every answer gov.uk can give, before your first real applicant
Your sandbox key comes the moment you sign up. These test codes answer instantly, or as slowly as gov.uk if you ask, never touch gov.uk and are never charged.
ACCEPTED
AA1AA1AA1Skilled Worker visa with an expiry date
REJECTED
BB2BB2BB2With a restriction
NOT_FOUND
CC3CC3CC3No gov.uk record matches the code and date of birth
SHARE_CODE_UNUSABLE
DD4DD4DD4gov.uk will not use this code, ask for a new one
GOVUK_UNEXPECTED
EE5EE5EE5gov.uk had a problem
TIMEOUT
FF6FF6FF6gov.uk did not answer in time, retry later
BUSY
GG7GG7GG7Every gov.uk session is in use, retry after Retry-After
Any other code: ACCEPTED, indefinite leave to remain.
£0
10 live checks a month
Unlimited sandbox. No card.
£14
a month for 100 checks
Bigger plans on the pricing page.
£0
when gov.uk fails
Timeouts and gov.uk errors aren’t charged.
Ask your AI about this API
It reads this page, then tells you if it fits, what it costs and what building it takes.
Questions
Before you build
Is there an official gov.uk right to work API?
No. gov.uk has no REST API for right to work checks. The only official route is the three page form at gov.uk/view-right-to-work, filled in by hand, one applicant at a time. Check Share Code runs that check for you: POST a share code and date of birth to /v1/check/right-to-work and get the outcome, conditions, photo, reference and gov.uk PDF back as JSON. It is an independent service, not affiliated with HM Government, the Home Office or gov.uk.
Do I need a certified DVSP for share code checks?
No. The Home Office employer’s guide (1 October 2026) prescribes three right to work checks: a manual document check, the Home Office online check with a share code, and a check through a registered Right to Work digital verification service provider (RtW DVSP). For anyone with an eVisa, employers must use the online check, and that is the check Check Share Code runs through the API. RtW DVSPs are registered with the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA); they may check British and Irish passports and some digital documents, and provide facial recognition, though services vary by provider. Check Share Code is not a DVSP. You still confirm the photo in the result is the person you are hiring: in person, by video call, or through a registered RtW DVSP’s facial recognition. The employer stays responsible for the check, and the Home Office does not currently support or endorse technology for online checks.
Why not automate gov.uk ourselves?
You can, but it is four jobs. gov.uk’s form needs a real browser session, with cookies and three page loads for every check. When gov.uk changes a heading or a step, a home made scraper breaks quietly; we watch for that and fix it. You need to keep the PDF and the date you checked against each employee. And share codes, names and photos are personal data: we keep them for 7 days at most, only to investigate problems.
Can I use it from an ATS or HR platform?
Yes. It is a plain HTTPS API with bearer keys, so it works from any backend. Each of your customers can use their own company name on the check.
What happens when gov.uk is down?
The API returns TIMEOUT or GOVUK_UNEXPECTED, and the check is not charged. Live status for the API and for gov.uk is at /status.
Does it cover right to rent?
Yes. Send share_code, date_of_birth, checker_name (the landlord or company) and checker_type (landlord or agent) to POST /v1/check/right-to-rent, its own endpoint. Immigration status checks are live too, at POST /v1/check/immigration-status, and so are DVLA driving licence checks, at POST /v1/check/driving-licence. See /right-to-rent-check-api, /immigration-status-check-api and /driving-licence-check-api.
Your first right to work check,
in the next ten minutes
Sandbox key straight away. 10 live checks a month free.