If you’ve ever tried to start a new job or sign a tenancy agreement in the UK as someone without a British passport, you’ve probably run into the term “share code” fairly quickly. It’s one of those small pieces of bureaucracy that can feel confusing the first time round, but once you understand how it works, it takes about five minutes to sort out. This guide walks you through exactly what a share code is, how to generate one, and how to avoid the common mistakes that trip people up.
By the end of this article, you’ll know precisely what to do the next time an employer, landlord, or letting agent asks you for a share code, and you’ll understand why this small string of letters and numbers matters so much for your right to work or rent in the UK.
What Is a Share Code?
A share code is a unique, temporary code issued by the UK Home Office that allows someone to prove their immigration status online, without needing to hand over a physical document. It’s typically nine characters long, made up of a mix of letters and numbers, and it’s linked to a specific type of check, such as right to work, right to rent, or a general status check.
Instead of carrying around a biometric residence permit or a passport every time proof is needed, you generate a share code through the government’s online service, and the person checking your status (an employer or landlord, for example) enters that code alongside your date of birth on a separate verification page. This gives them a real-time snapshot of your immigration status directly from Home Office records.
Who Actually Needs One?
Not everyone in the UK needs a share code. It’s mainly relevant to:
- People with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- Visa holders, including work visas, student visas, and family visas
- Anyone whose immigration status is stored digitally rather than on a physical document
If you’re a British or Irish citizen, you generally won’t need to generate a share code, since your right to work or rent is proven through other documents like a passport.
How to Generate a Share Code Step by Step
Getting a share code is more straightforward than people expect, but there are a few details worth getting right the first time.
Step 1: Visit the Official Government Service
You’ll need to go through the official “View and Prove” service, which is the only legitimate route to generating a valid code. Avoid any third-party site that claims to generate one for you, since these are either scams or simply won’t produce a code that’s recognised by employers or landlords.
Step 2: Log In With Your Details
You’ll be asked to sign in using the details linked to your immigration status, usually your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. This is the same account you would have used when you first applied for your visa or settled status.
Step 3: Choose the Type of Check
The system will ask what the code is for. Common options include proving your right to work, proving your right to rent, or sharing your status with an organisation for another purpose. Choosing the correct option matters, because the information shown to the checker changes depending on what you select.
Step 4: Generate and Share the Code
Once generated, your share code will usually be valid for 30 days. You can share it directly with your employer or landlord by giving them the code along with your date of birth. They’ll enter both into a separate checking service to confirm your status.
Why Employers and Landlords Rely on Share Codes
From an employer’s perspective, using a share code isn’t optional in many cases; it’s part of their legal responsibility. Employers in the UK are required to carry out right to work checks before someone starts a job, and for many applicants, an online check using a share code is the only accepted method.
Landlords face a similar obligation under right to rent legislation. If they fail to check a tenant’s status properly, they can face significant penalties. That’s why you’ll often be asked for a share code fairly early in the process, sometimes even before a job offer or tenancy is finalised.
This system benefits both sides. For the person being checked, there’s no need to send sensitive documents by post or email. For the employer or landlord, the information comes directly from official records, which reduces the risk of fraudulent documents slipping through.
Common Problems People Run Into
Even though the process is designed to be simple, a few issues come up again and again.
The Code Has Expired
Since a share code typically only lasts 30 days, it’s easy to generate one too early and have it expire before it’s actually used. If this happens, the fix is simple: just generate a new one.
Entering the Wrong Date of Birth
The checking service requires both the code and your date of birth to match exactly what’s on file. A small mismatch, even a typo, will cause the check to fail. Double-checking this detail before sending the code can save a lot of back-and-forth.
Confusion Between Right to Work and Right to Rent Codes
Because the type of check affects what information is displayed, using the wrong category can cause delays. If an employer needs a right to work check but receives a right to rent code, they may not be able to proceed until a new one is generated correctly.
Sharing the Code With the Wrong Organisation
Since the code reveals personal immigration information, it should only ever be shared with the specific employer or landlord who needs it, and ideally through a secure or direct channel rather than something like a public form or unofficial email chain.
What to Do If You Don’t Have Online Access
Not everyone’s immigration status is stored digitally. If your status is on a physical document, such as an older style biometric residence permit or a stamp in your passport, you may not need a share code at all, and the physical document check applies instead. If you’re unsure which category you fall into, it’s worth checking your specific visa or status documentation, since the requirements can vary based on when and how your status was granted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a share code valid for?
A share code is generally valid for 30 days from the date it’s generated. After that, it expires and a new one needs to be created.
Can I use the same share code for multiple employers or landlords?
Yes, as long as it hasn’t expired, you can share the same code with more than one party, though many people prefer generating a fresh one for each check to keep things simple.
Is a share code the same as a visa number?
No. A share code is a temporary access code used to view your status online. It’s separate from your visa or permit number and changes each time you generate a new one.
What happens if my share code doesn’t work?
This is usually caused by an expired code, a mismatched date of birth, or selecting the wrong type of check. Generating a new code from the official service typically resolves the issue.
Do British citizens need a share code?
Generally, no. British and Irish citizens prove their right to work or rent using a passport rather than a share code, since their status isn’t held in the same digital immigration system.
Final Thoughts
A share code might seem like a small administrative detail, but it plays a genuinely important role in how immigration status is verified in the UK today. Once you understand the process, generating one takes just a few minutes, and knowing the common pitfalls in advance means you’re far less likely to run into delays with a new job or tenancy. If you’re preparing to start work or move into a new rental property soon, it’s worth generating your share code a little ahead of time so you’re not scrambling at the last minute.
