Work & skilled workersPublishedMedium impactVerified

UK Right to Rent Checks: COVID-19 Adjustments Removed, Updated Guidance for Landlords

🇬🇧 United KingdomEntry Rules2 recorded versionsLast change 17 Aug 2026

ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

The caseworker guidance for Appendix International Forces and International Civilian Employees has been updated to reflect several changes. Specifically, the name Nauru has been changed to Naoero. Dependants of exempt international armed forces personnel are not automatically eligible to accompany them and must now apply for entry clearance. Civilian employees of the UK Ministry of Defence and the UK Armed Forces are explicitly out of scope for the International Civilian Employee route. The guidance also covers the introduction of exempt digital status to replace physical exempt vignettes and in-country requests for proof of exempt status. Additionally, references to 'Part Suitability' have replaced 'Part 9' in the Immigration Rules throughout the guidance, and the eligibility criteria for international civilian employees have been updated based on changes in HC 836.

Overview

The UK Visas and Immigration and Home Office have updated the 'Right to rent document checks: a user guide' on 10 August 2026. This update primarily removes information regarding COVID-19 related temporary adjustments to right to rent checks, indicating these provisions are now obsolete. Landlords should ensure they are following the current guidance for document verification.

Who is affected by the latest change

Immigration staff
Dependants of exempt international armed forces personnel
Applicants under Appendix International Armed Forces and International Civilian Employees
Individuals with exempt status (regarding documentation format)

What changed in the latest version

Before

The old guidance might have suggested that people who depend on exempt international armed forces personnel were automatically allowed to enter. Or it did not clearly say that civilian employees of the UK Ministry of Defence and the UK Armed Forces could not use the International Civilian Employee route. The information available does not show that an opposite rule was clearly in place. Instead, the new rule makes things clearer or updates them.

After

The guidance for caseworkers for Appendix International Forces and International Civilian Employees has new changes. The name Nauru is now Naoero. People who depend on exempt international armed forces personnel are not automatically allowed to join them. They must now apply for entry clearance. Entry clearance is a visa applied for outside the UK. Civilian employees of the UK Ministry of Defence and the UK Armed Forces are clearly not allowed to use the International Civilian Employee route. The guidance also includes exempt digital status. This status will replace physical stickers (vignettes) in passports and requests for proof of exempt status made in the UK. Also, 'Part Suitability' has replaced 'Part 9' in the Immigration Rules throughout the guidance. The rules for international civilian employees have also changed, based on updates in HC 836.

This updated guidance directly affects immigration staff. It clarifies how to process applications and who can apply among international forces and civilian employees. People who depend on exempt international armed forces personnel now have a new rule: they must get entry clearance. Entry clearance is a visa applied for outside the UK. This means they are no longer automatically allowed to join their family member. Civilian employees of the UK Ministry of Defence and the UK Armed Forces are clearly not allowed to use the International Civilian Employee route. This limits their immigration options under this specific rule. The change from physical stickers (vignettes) to exempt digital status shows a move to modern digital ways of proving immigration status. This changes how people get and show their exempt status.

Explained simply

Imagine your parent works for a special international group that gets to come to the UK easily. If you're their child, you don't automatically get to come with them anymore; you need to apply separately, like getting a special ticket. Also, if you work for the UK's own military or defence department as a civilian, you can't use this special 'International Civilian Employee' route to come to the UK, even if you thought you might be able to. These rules just make it clearer who needs to do what.

Frequently asked

Version history

v4Effective 17 Aug 2026PublishedMedium impact
UK Clarifies Entry Requirements for Dependants of Exempt International Armed Forces Personnel and Updates Civilian Employee Scope under Appendix International Forces Guidance
UK Visas and Immigration updated its 'Appendix International Forces: caseworker guidance' on 17 August 2026. This update changes 'Nauru' to 'Naoero'. It makes clear that people who depend on exempt international armed forces personnel are not automatically allowed to enter the UK. They must apply for entry clearance. Entry clearance is a visa applied for outside the UK. The update also states that civilian employees of the UK Ministry of Defence and the UK Armed Forces cannot use the International Civilian Employee route. The guidance now includes information on exempt digital status. This status replaces physical stickers (vignettes) in passports. It also reflects updates to 'Part Suitability' in the Immigration Rules. Finally, it updates the rules for international civilian employees.
v3Effective 10 Aug 2026EffectiveMedium impact
UK Right to Rent Checks Guidance Updated: COVID-19 Information Removed
On 10 August 2026, the UK updated its guide, 'Right to rent document checks: a user guide'. It removed information about checks during COVID-19. This guidance used to tell landlords and tenants how to do right to rent checks. The previous rules included temporary changes for the pandemic. These changes are now old. The guide removed them. This means that standard rules are back for all people in Great Britain.

Timeline

Takes effect
17 Aug 2026
The caseworker guidance for Appendix International Forces and International Civilian Employees has been updated to reflect several changes. Specifically, the name Nauru has been changed to Naoero. Dependants of exempt international armed forces personnel are not automatically eligible to accompany them and must now apply for entry clearance. Civilian employees of the UK Ministry of Defence and the
Announced
10 Aug 2026
The UK Visas and Immigration and Home Office have updated the 'Right to rent document checks: a user guide' on 10 August 2026. This update primarily removes information regarding COVID-19 related temporary adjustments to right to rent checks, indicating these provisions are now obsolete. Landlords should ensure they are following the current guidance for document verification.
Takes effect
10 Aug 2026
Information about COVID-19 checks has been removed from the guidance as it is out of date.
Announced
12 Apr 2024
UK Visas and Immigration has updated its 'Appendix International Forces' caseworker guidance. This update clarifies that dependants of exempt international armed forces personnel require entry clearance to accompany them, removing any assumption of automatic eligibility. Furthermore, civilian employees of the UK Ministry of Defence and UK Armed Forces are now explicitly excluded from the Internati

goborda provides monitoring and explanation of publicly available policy information. It is not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source or a licensed immigration professional before acting.