Right to Work and Employ
This section highlights what the individual needs to take into account to ensure they have the right to work in an overseas country and the impact of working overseas on the right to work in the UK for non-UK/Irish nationals.
If the individual is not a national of the country, they will be working in, they may need to apply for and secure a visa permitting them to work for the University while living in that country. The visa obtained may also be time restricted. In this situation the individual will be required to apply for an extension to their visa or must leave the country.
Passports
The individual will need to ensure that their passport is valid for the duration of the time working abroad. The individual will need to ensure there are at least 6 months until the passport expires at the point they intend to travel.
The UK Government provides UK citizens with comprehensive online advice and guidance regarding passport requirements. It is recommended that the individual familiarise themselves with this guidance before planning to work abroad.
Similarly, it is recommended that individuals who are not a UK citizen, should check their home country’s website for appropriate guidance.
Visas
Individuals must check whether the country they will be living and working in requires them to apply for and secure a work permit/visa. Managers should take in to account visa application costs and processing times when planning resources for overseas projects.
If the individual has a status through the EU Settlement Scheme or a visa e.g. a Tier 2/Skilled Worker visa, they will need to take care that their absence from the UK does not impact their visa status and future applications to remain in the UK.
More information for visa holders can be found under the section ‘Applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain’ at:
If the individual has EU Settlement Scheme pre-settled/settled status, more information can be found under the section 'Absences from the UK with pre-settled/settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme’ at:
If an individual is sponsored by the University to work in the UK and there is a need for them to work abroad temporarily, their manager must check whether working outside the UK would have any impact on the sponsored visa or any relevant sponsorship requirements. There is important information in relation to this for managers of sponsored staff at:
Depending on the duration of the employment, employment rights applicable to working abroad may be based on the employment law of the country in which the work is taking place. The University may have a legal requirement to issue an amended contract which may include in the language of the host country or in the native language of the employee. This is likely to require planning and additional cost in requesting the contract translation from an employment lawyer. This additional cost will be met by the School/Department.