Home Office updates taxi licensing guidance on right to work checks

Licensing authorities across the UK have been issued updated guidance on preventing illegal working in the taxi and private hire sector, with the revised rules taking effect from 1 October 2026. The guidance updates the previous version published in August 2025 and sets out how councils must assess whether applicants are entitled to hold taxi, private hire vehicle (PHV) and operator licences.

The Home Office emphasises that licensing authorities remain under a legal duty not to issue, renew or extend a licence to an individual who is disqualified from holding one because of their immigration status. Before granting a licence, authorities must carry out a prescribed “right to a licence” check to ensure an applicant is lawfully present in the UK and permitted to undertake the work associated with the licence.

The updated guidance also draws a distinction between licensing checks and the new Right to Work Scheme requirements that came into force on 1 October 2026. While councils are responsible for determining whether an individual can lawfully hold a licence, some taxi and private hire businesses now face separate legal obligations to prevent illegal working through their own right to work checks.

Among the most significant changes in the new edition are strengthened requirements around the use of Digital Verification Service Providers (DVSPs). Licensing authorities using digital checks must now use registered Right to Work DVSPs when conducting digital right-to-a-licence checks.

The guidance also includes a dedicated section explaining when authorities should contact the Status Verification, Enquiries and Checking Service (SVEC), alongside updated advice on eVisas, biometric residence permits (BRPs) and share codes. Clarifications have been added on evidence retention, identity verification and the detection of impersonation and fraudulent applications.

Further revisions include updated information covering outstanding immigration applications, appeals, administrative reviews and Section 3C leave, as well as a consolidated section on EEA citizens. A new support section brings together guidance on document fraud, reporting concerns and sources of Home Office assistance for both licensing authorities and applicants.

The revised guidance places greater emphasis on consistency and non-discrimination. Authorities are reminded that all applicants must be given a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate their eligibility through one of the prescribed checking methods and that assumptions about immigration status based on nationality, ethnicity, accent or surname must not influence decision-making.

Councils are also encouraged to incorporate immigration checks into their existing licensing processes and update application forms to make clear that an applicant’s immigration status will be verified and that licences may lapse if a holder subsequently becomes disqualified because of their immigration status.