Global mobility COMPLIANCE
Travel to United Kingdom safely and compliantly
Planning a workation in Manchester? Or a business trip to London? Learn the essential information you and your employees need to work safely and compliantly while traveling in the United Kingdom, including working conditions, safety and health regulations, tax treaties, social security, and more.
Download Compliance Guide for United Kingdom
As an employer, there are many things you need to consider before sending an employee to Germany. A handy PDF downloadable for free.
What you can expect
Capital city
London
Telephone code
+44
Official language
English
Currency
British Pound Sterling (GBP)
Time zone
UTC+0, UTC+1
Visa
To work legally while in another country, employees generally need a valid work permit. Keep in mind that the consequences of entering without the proper documentation can be significant for both the employee and the employer.
For those planning an assignment, business trip or work-from-anywhere trips to the United Kingdom, here's a quick overview:
- A new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has been introduced for entering the United Kingdom as of April 2, 2025, unless travellers already have another residence permit or visa. Read more about it here.
- For EU citizens traveling to the United Kingdom: take your passport, not your identity card. This also applies to transit passengers.
MUST-KNOW for Assignment in the UK:
- Sponsor Licence: The UK employer or host entity must hold a valid Sponsor Licence before any assignment can begin. Plan for approximately 8 weeks lead time to obtain it.
- Immigration Skills Charge: Employers must pay between £364 and £1,000 per year of assignment, depending on company size.
- Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): £1,035 per year, payable upfront by the employee at the point of application.
- Minimum Salary Threshold: £48,500 per year or the going rate for the role, whichever is higher.
- No Settlement Pathway: The Global Business Mobility route does not lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
Short Term Assignment: (Employer Sponsorship required)
- Standard Visitor Visa: Covers stays of up to 6 months; permits certain business activities such as meetings, conferences, and training.
- ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation): Required for citizens of 80+ nationalities as of April 2025; usable for short-term business activities.
Long-Term Assignment: (Employer Sponsorship required)
Typical Processing Time: ~3 weeks standard · 5 days Priority · Next day Super Priority
- Global Business Mobility - Senior or Specialist Worker Visa: For employees transferred within a multinational group; valid for up to 5 years in any 6-year period.
Business trips:
- ETA: required for citizens of 80+ countries and territories, and usable for business trips covering certain activities. See if you're eligible here.
- Standard visitor visa: Required for nationalities not eligible for ETA. Covers certain types of business activities.
- Work visa: required for types of business activities not covered by ETA or Standard visitor visa.
Need trip-specific visa information? Reach out WorkFlex Visa services.
Work-from-anywhere trips:
- ETA: required for citizens of 80+ countries and territories. See if you're eligible hier prüfen.here
- Standard visitor visa: Required for nationalities not eligible for ETA
Need trip-specific visa information? Reach out WorkFlex Visa services.
Working hours
Most employees in the United Kingdom work from Monday to Friday, with a standard workweek consisting of 35-40 hours. The workday is typically running from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with a lunch break of 30-60 minutes in between.
To remain compliant during your trip abroad, here are some suggestions to follow:
- Avoid working overtime: Regulations regarding overtime can differ significantly and may be much stricter compared to those in your home country.
- Refrain from working outside regular hours: The rules surrounding working outside regular hours may vary and could be stricter than in your home country.
- Do not work on weekends: If the weekend days differ from those in your home country, please avoid working on both your regular weekend days and the local weekend days.
Public holidays
Get information about specific public holiday dates for this year here.
- January 1: New Year's Day
- April 3: Good Friday (date varies annually)
- April 6: Easter Monday (date varies annually)
- May 4: Early May Bank Holiday
- May 25: Spring Bank Holiday
- August 31: Summer Bank Holiday
- December 25: Christmas Day
- December 26: Boxing Day
Note: When Dec 25 or 26 falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday is given
Depending on the region you're visiting, there may be additional region-specific public holidays. For more information about these holidays, please check here.
To comply with labor laws, please refrain from working on national or regional holidays during your trip. These days hold significant importance for locals and provide a great opportunity for you to blend in and celebrate with the community.
Social security compliance
When working remotely abroad, your employees may become subject to the social security scheme of the destination country, which means you, as an employer, would need to pay social security premiums accordingly. United Kingdom has entered into numerous social security treaties with various countries, available here, to prevent the payment of double social security premiums or non-insurance.
To ensure your employees remain compliant with these treaties, they must possess a valid Certificate of Coverage (CoC) obtained from the relevant local authorities. For WorkFlex users, the CoC is issued automatically after a trip request is submitted. Discover our solution for efficient social security risk mitigation here.
Tax compliance
United Kingdom has signed multiple bilateral tax treaties to prevent double taxation and encourage foreign investment, available here. Despite the existence of many tax treaties, the issue of Permanent Establishment remains a significant compliance concern for employers with employees temporarily working in United Kingdom, whether for a workation or a business trip. If a traveling employee is deemed to constitute a Permanent Establishment in the destination country, the employer may be required to register the company locally, allocate profits to the local business (branch), and file corporate taxes, leading to substantial administrative burdens.
To avoid this scenario, here are some key strategies:
If your employees are traveling for a workation, they should refrain from negotiating or signing sales contracts during the trip. Additionally, they should avoid visiting clients or any office, including the employer's local office in the destination country. Following these guidelines will help mitigate the important compliance risk for the employer related to permanent establishment.
If your employees travel for business, it may be impossible to refrain from the activities above. In this case, please make sure to inform your (tax) compliance department of this matter. If you and your organization are a WorkFlex user, this topic is covered through the WorkFlex platform.
Overriding local employment provisions
Employees traveling to United Kingdom are expected to comply with some basic local employment provisions that may be qualified as overriding, such as minimum salary standards. See the recent information on minimum wage requirements here.
Travel health insurance
Urgent safety information
For travellers using WorkFlex:
Please refer to your trip's risk assessment under the "Health and Security" dimension to review any urgent security information relevant to your travel.
For other travellers:
Please visit official authority websites to check for any current threats or urgent security advisories:
Terrorism
The United Kingdom has experienced several terrorist attacks in recent years, including incidents in Nottingham (2023), Liverpool (2021), and London (2020).
The government assesses the terrorist threat level on a scale from one to five, with the current level set at three ("Substantial"), indicating a moderate threat. This means that there will be increased vigilance and preventive measures across the country.
To ensure your safety, please keep the following in mind:
- Always stay alert, especially in busy public spaces and during special events.
- Pay attention to suspicious bags or behavior, particularly on public transportation.
- Follow the instructions of UK security forces and report anything unusual.
- Stay informed by checking global security advisories.
Crime
In the UK’s major cities, particularly in tourist areas and public transportation, petty crime such as pickpocketing is common, with occasional violent offenses. The risk of theft, such as mobile phones being snatched from pedestrians, has increased in larger cities.
Certain districts in large cities, may experience varying levels of crime and violence.
To help ensure your safety, please consider the following tips:
- Be aware of your surroundings and stay informed through media reports.
- Keep your personal belongings secure, and if possible, store electronic copies or photos of important documents.
- Prefer cashless payments and carry only the necessary amount of cash for the day, avoiding unnecessary valuables.
- Stay especially vigilant in larger crowds, such as at airports, train stations, subways, and buses. Always keep an eye on your valuables.
- Avoid displaying valuables in your car and ensure it is always locked when unattended.
- Be cautious of unusual emails, phone calls, prize notifications, offers, and requests for help from supposed acquaintances. Verify credibility in person or contact the police if needed.
USE CASES
What assignments can you cover with the WorkFlex solution?
From Europe to Asia, Americas to Africa - WorkFlex handles compliance complexity for any country combination worldwide, covering all your international secondment scenarios
Long-term strategic deployments lasting 1-3 years to establish new entities, fill key management roles, or transfer critical expertise to international markets
Structured programs where employees work temporarily with partner organizations, subsidiaries, or different departments to share knowledge, develop skills, and build cross-cultural competency
Deployment of specialized teams to execute international projects, like system implementations, market launches, or technical installations. Often takes place in groups, requiring coordination of multiple compliance requirements simultaneously
Solution
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International assignments shouldn't overwhelm your HR team. Let WorkFlex automate the complexity
Get information about specific public holiday dates for this year here.
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Depending on the region you're visiting, there may be additional region-specific public holidays. For more information about these holidays, please check here.
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FEATURES
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Step-by-step guidance on country-specific compliance requirements, pre-assessment tasks, and arrival procedures tailored to your assignment type
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Unlimited compliance questions to human experts - explore scenarios and refine your assignment plan without consultant fees
Travel calendar & Compliance tracking
Monitor business trips, workations, and time off during assignments for seamless tax reporting and PE risk management
Vendor platform
Benefit from trusted partners for work permits, taxes, relocation, and insurance - all with access to complete assignment information throughout the assignment
Document repository
Centralized, secure storage for all assignment-related documents from A1 certificates to balance sheets with audit-ready organization
Real-time risk alerts and monitoring
Get instant alerts when political unrest, natural disasters, or health crises emerge
24/7 SOS support
Multilingual support connects you instantly to doctors and emergency coordinators
Travel health insurance
Medical coverage by ALH Group Hallesche added to every approved trip, worldwide
Repatriation management
Get step-by-step repatriation checklists covering tax obligations, immigration requirements, social security transitions, payroll changes, and residence registration, and more
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What you'll discover:
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- Certified Dutch tax lawyer
- 16+ of global mobility compliance experience
- Former Tax Director at PwC
- Certified lawyer (Volljuristin)
- 25+ years of global mobility compliance experience
- Trainer at the People Mobility Academy
- PhD in European Law
- 12+ years of legal experience
- 8+ years of global mobility compliance experience
- Expertise in international assignment compliance
- Expertise in international assignment compliance
- 2+ years of global mobility compliance experience
- Certified Spanish tax lawyer
- 6+ years of legal experience
- 14+ years in travel risk and crisis response
- Ex-military
- 30+ years in healthcare leadership
- Healthcare risk management specialist with experience in patient safety, quality management, medical outcome assessments
- 6+ years of specialized emergency medical training
- Master of Science in Medicine
- 16+ years in global security and crisis management
- Ex-military
