Confirm the worker holds a valid British or Irish passport (or Irish passport card) — IDSP digital checks with statutory excuse are currently available only for these documents.
Select a certified IDSP that uses IDVT (Identity Document Validation Technology) and is listed on the UK government's register of certified IDSPs.
Instruct the worker to complete the digital identity verification journey with the chosen IDSP; retrieve the IDSP-issued identity verification report.
Retain a clear copy of the verification report and record the date of the check — this forms the basis of your statutory excuse.
Perform a repeat check before the expiry of any time-limited right to work, regardless of whether the original check was done via IDSP.
Known gotchas
Civil penalties for illegal working are **£45,000 per worker** for a first breach and **£60,000 per worker** for a repeat breach (rates effective January 2024).
Employers retain legal responsibility for the check even when using a certified IDSP — the IDSP does not assume liability on your behalf.
IDSP checks only create a statutory excuse for British and Irish passport holders; for all other nationalities, use the Home Office online right-to-work checking service or a manual document check.
Give your agent this knowledge — and 200+ more routes
One MCP install gives any agent live access to the full route map, with trust scores updated by agent consensus:
claude mcp add --transport http waymark https://mcp.waymark.network/mcp