Face to face immigration checks

Before you can get a licence to drive a taxi or private hire vehicle in the UK, we need to make sure you're allowed to work here. We have to do this by meeting you in person.

To check this, we must see you face to face.

This applies to:

• Private hire drivers (including renewals)
• Hackney carriage drivers (including renewals)
• Private hire operators.

As part of your application for a licence, we'll check if you're allowed to work in the UK. This might involve checking your immigration status and sharing information with the Home Office.

You can prove your right to work by using the Home Office's online checking service. If you use this, we'll make a copy of the confirmation page. If you prefer, you can come in person and we'll make copies of your documents. We'll return the originals to you.

Your application won't be considered complete until we have all the necessary information, including any original documents, and you've paid the fee.

We'll invite you for a face-to-face appointment to check your documents and check codes (as required by the Home Office).  During this appointment, we'll make sure:

• Your photos and dates of birth match across all documents.
• Your permission to stay in the UK hasn't expired.
• You're allowed to work and there are no restrictions that would stop you from getting a licence.
• Your documents are real, haven't been changed, and belong to you.
• We'll also check if there are any differences in your names across documents, like due to marriage or divorce.

If your application is successful, we'll keep copies of your documents.

After we've met you in person, we won't need to see you again unless your visa has restrictions.

If you're allowed to work in the UK with restrictions, we'll only give you a licence until your permission to work expires. We'll then check your immigration status each time you renew or extend your licence. If you don't follow UK immigration laws during this time, your licence will be cancelled, and you'll need to give it back to us. Not doing so is against the law.

Documents to prove your right to work

Applicants must be able to show current right to work documents as follows:

List A

These are the documents accepted for someone who has a permanent right to work in the UK:

• A passport showing the holder, or a person named in the passport as the child of the holder, is a British citizen or a citizen of the UK and Colonies having the right of abode in the UK.
• Irish passport or passport card.
• A document issued by the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey or the Isle of Man, which has been verified as valid by the Home Office Employer Checking Service, showing that the holder has been granted unlimited leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU to the Jersey Immigration Rules, Appendix EU to the Immigration (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008 or Appendix EU to the Isle of Man Immigration Rules.
• A current document issued by the Home Office to a family member of an EEA or Swiss citizen, and which indicates that the holder is permitted to stay in the United Kingdom indefinitely.
• A current Biometric Immigration Document (Biometric Residence Permit) issued by the Home Office to the holder indicating that the person named is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK or has no time limit on their stay in the UK.
• Online evidence of immigration status. Either via the View and Prove service or using the BRP or BRC online service. Issued by the Home Office to the employer or prospective employer, which indicates that the named person may stay in the UK and is permitted to do the work in question. Must be valid. Note: this includes the EUSS digital status confirmation
• A current passport endorsed to show that the holder is exempt from immigration control, is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK, has the right of abode in the UK, or has no time limit on their stay in the UK.
• A current Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office to the holder with an endorsement indicating that the named person is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK or has no time limit on their stay in the UK, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer.
• A birth or adoption certificate issued in the UK, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or a previous employer.
• A birth or adoption certificate issued in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Ireland, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or a previous employer.
• A certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or a previous employer 

List B – Group 1

Documents we can accept for a person who has a temporary right to work in the UK

• A current passport endorsed to show that the holder is allowed to stay in the UK and is currently allowed to do the type of work in question.
• A current Biometric Immigration Document (Biometric Residence Permit) issued by the Home Office to the holder which indicates that the named person can currently stay in the UK and is allowed to do the work in question.
• A current document issued by the Home Office to a family member of an EEA or Swiss citizen, and which indicates that the holder is permitted to stay in the United Kingdom for a time limited period and to do the type of work in question.
• A document issued by the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey or the Isle of Man, which has been verified as valid by the Home Office Employer Checking Service, showing that the holder has been granted limited leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU to the Jersey Immigration Rules, Appendix EU to the Immigration (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008 or Appendix EU to the Isle of Man Immigration Rules.
• A document issued by the Bailiwick of Jersey or the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which has been verified as valid by the Home Office Employer Checking Service, showing that the holder has made an application for leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU to the Jersey Immigration Rules or Appendix EU to the Immigration (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008, on or before 30 June 2021.
• A frontier worker permit issued under regulation 8 of the Citizens' Rights (Frontier Workers) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020.A current Immigration Status Document containing a photograph issued by the Home Office to the holder with a valid endorsement indicating that the named person may stay in the UK, and is allowed to do the type of work in question, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a Government agency or a previous employer.
• A current Immigration Status Document containing a photograph issued by the Home Office to the holder with a valid endorsement indicating that the named person may stay in the UK, and is allowed to do the type of work in question, together with an official document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance number and their name issued by a government agency or a previous employer.

List B – Group 2

• A document issued by the Home Office showing that the holder has made an application for leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU to the immigration rules on or before 30 June 2021 together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service.
• A document issued by the Bailiwick of Jersey or the Bailiwick of Guernsey showing that the holder has made an application for leave to enter or remain under Appendix EU to the Jersey Immigration Rules or Appendix EU to the Immigration (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Rules 2008 on or before 30 June 2021 together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service.
• An Application Registration Card issued by the Home Office stating that the holder is permitted to take the employment in question, together with a Positive Verification Notice from the Home Office Employer Checking Service.
• A Positive Verification Notice issued by the Home Office Employer Checking Service to the employer or prospective employer, which indicates that the named person may stay in the UK and is permitted to do the work in question.