Do Employers Need to Meet Applicants Face to Face for UK Right to Work Checks?

Whether you need to meet a candidate face to face depends on the result Zinc gives you and which route the candidate used to prove their right to work. ## If Zinc Returns a Clear Result A **Clear** result — most commonly a valid, in-date British or Irish passport verified through Zinc's Identity Service Provider (Entrust) — means you don't need to hold or inspect the original passport. But you still need to complete an **imposter check**: confirm, either in person or via video call, that the person in front of you matches the photograph and biographic details (for example, date of birth) shown on the Zinc report. You only have a full statutory excuse once this check is done and recorded. We'd recommend using the [Comments section](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/a7f39f7b-how-to-use-the-comments-section-on-a-candidates-report) on the candidate's report to note when and how you did it. ## If Zinc Returns a Consider Result A **Consider** result means you need to check the documents yourself, face to face. This applies to: - An expired British or Irish passport - A British birth certificate, certificate of adoption, or certificate of naturalisation, together with proof of the candidate's National Insurance number - Immigration documents, for non-UK citizens who can't provide a Share Code For any of these, you must meet the candidate face to face — in person or via live video call — and hold the **actual physical original documents**. Photos, scans, or faxed copies aren't enough. You only have a full statutory excuse once this check is complete. Related: [Can I Accept an Expired Passport for a Right to Work Check?](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/858b676a-can-i-accept-an-expired-passport-for-a-right-to-work-check) and [Can Zinc Verify Birth Certificates and National Insurance Proof for UK Right to Work Checks?](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/14b906c4-can-zinc-verify-birth-certificates-and-national-insurance-proof-for-uk-right-to-work-checks) cover what you'll see on the platform for each of these. ## If the Candidate Uses a Share Code A Share Code works differently — you never need to see physical documents. Instead, to get a full statutory excuse, you must both: 1. Independently verify the candidate's right to work using the Home Office's official service at [gov.uk/view-right-to-work](https://www.gov.uk/view-right-to-work) 2. Complete an imposter check, confirming the candidate matches the photo shown in that government check You can do both at once, in person or via video call. This applies whether Zinc returns a Clear or Consider result for the Share Code — the result reflects any restrictions or conditions on the code itself, not whether you can rely on Zinc's check alone. ## What Counts as "Face to Face" A live video call counts as face to face, as long as: - The candidate is present on the call - You're holding the physical original documents at the time (for a Consider result) or comparing the candidate to their photo (for an imposter check) - You're not relying on a photo, scan, or fax of the document **Note:** This guidance applies to right to work checks only— see [What Documents Do I Need for an Identity Check?](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/2c3242ed-what-documents-do-i-need-for-a-dbs-identity-check) for DBS-specific guidance. For the full record-keeping requirements and how to mark a check as reviewed on Zinc, see [Interpret Your Candidate's UK Right to Work Results on Zinc](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/dd0e3f80-interpret-your-candidates-uk-right-to-work-results-on-zinc). For more detail from the Home Office, see the [Employer's Guide to Right to Work Checks](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checks-employers-guide).