Right to Work in the UK

As a Self Employed Professional it is your responsibility to check that you have the correct documentation to legally work in the UK. 

You may need to prove these rights to:

• HMRC (for tax registration)
• Clients who are looking for compliance
• Banks (for business accounts)

Typical Evidence would be:

• UK or Irish passport
• Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) or Biometric Residence Card
• Home Office online “Share Code” proof (if you have digital immigration status)
• Letter or document from the Home Office confirming your immigration status

Only certain visa categories permit self-employment. You cannot be self-employed on most sponsored work visas (like the Skilled Worker visa), unless the visa explicitly allows it.

Visas that permit self-employment include:

• British or Irish citizenship → unrestricted

• EU Settlement Scheme (settled/pre-settled) → unrestricted

• UK Ancestry visa → permitted

• Global Talent visa → permitted

• Innovator Founder visa → permitted

• Start-up visa → permitted

• High Potential Individual visa → permitted (no sponsorship required)

• Graduate visa → permitted (you can freelance or set up a business)

Visas that generally do not allow self-employment:

• Skilled Worker visa (unless it’s “supplementary employment” within certain limits)

• Student visa (self-employment is not allowed)

• Seasonal Worker visa

• Temporary Worker visas (usually restricted to the sponsored role)

When you are legally Self Employed you must also:

• Register with HMRC as self-employed (within 3 months of starting)

• Keep tax records and file a Self-Assessment tax return each year

• Pay National Insurance and any income tax owed

You are illegally self-employed if you:

• Work for yourself (freelance, contract, or run a business) without having the right to work in the UK; or

• Work in breach of your visa conditions (for example, on a Student or Skilled Worker visa that doesn’t allow self-employment).

Even if you are not employed by anyone, working for yourself still counts as work under UK law.

If the Home Office finds you have been self-employed illegally:

• Visa cancellation or refusal – Your current visa can be revoked, or future visa applications refused on grounds of non-compliance.

• Removal (deportation) – You can be detained and removed from the UK for breaching visa conditions.

• Ban on re-entry – You may face a re-entry ban (typically 1–10 years), depending on the circumstances.

• Loss of settled/pre-settled status – If you hold pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and breach immigration conditions, you could lose your right to remain.