Seasonal Work in the UK: Why a Job Offer Alone Is Not Enough

The UK still attracts people looking for a short stint of work. Seasonal job adverts can look familiar: farm work, harvesting, packing, start immediately, accommodation included, weekly pay. The catch is that since Brexit, a job offer on its own is not enough to come to the UK and start working legally.

For candidates from abroad, the most important question today is not just how much you can earn, but on what basis you are allowed to work in the UK at all. If you do not already have the right to live and work here, you need the right visa route. For many seasonal jobs, that means the Seasonal Worker visa.

Since Brexit, you can no longer just turn up

Before Brexit, EU citizens could travel to the UK, find work and start straight away without any visa process. Today the situation is different. EU citizens who do not have settled or pre-settled status, or another basis to live and work in the UK, usually have to meet the UK's immigration requirements. Our guide to getting your first job in the UK as a foreigner explains the main routes.

That means an advert simply saying "work in the UK" should set off a small alarm bell. It is not only about the hourly rate, accommodation and transport. You need to check whether the employer or recruiter is genuinely operating within a legal route and whether you will be able to get the documents you need for a visa.

The Seasonal Worker visa covers specific sectors

The Seasonal Worker visa is not a general pass for any job in the UK. It mainly covers seasonal work in horticulture, for example picking fruit, vegetables or flowers, and certain jobs in the poultry sector.

In practice, this means that work in a hotel, restaurant, warehouse, shop or cleaning company does not automatically become available just because it is seasonal. If an advert suggests "any seasonal job in the UK" on the back of one simple visa, be careful.

The sponsor matters more than a slick advert

For a Seasonal Worker visa you need a sponsor. That does not mean any company that messages you to say it has a vacancy. The sponsor must be an approved scheme operator that can issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

A Certificate of Sponsorship is not an ordinary contract or a promise of work. It is the document you need to apply for the visa. Among other things, it should state the type of work, the dates of employment, where you will work and the number of hours. Without it, an offer may look attractive, but it does not solve the most important issue: your right to work legally. Once you arrive, your employer will also carry out a right to work check.

How long can you stay for seasonal work?

For horticultural work, the Seasonal Worker visa lets you work for up to 6 months. In the poultry sector the period is shorter and tied to the end of the year, from 2 October to 31 December. Visa applications for poultry work must be submitted by 15 November at the latest.

This matters because the visa is not a route to permanent employment in the UK. You cannot use it to stay longer, switch sectors once you are here or look for a different job after you arrive. You may do the work described in your Certificate of Sponsorship and must keep to the conditions of your visa.

You cannot pick up extra work anywhere you like

A common mistake is thinking that once you are in the UK, you can "find something else on the side". On a Seasonal Worker visa you cannot take a permanent job or a second job beyond the one described in your sponsorship document.

This is very practical information. If the offer does not include enough hours, or the rota is uncertain, you cannot simply assume you will make up the shortfall elsewhere. Whether your work is legal depends on your visa conditions, not on whether a local employer happens to need staff.

Work out the costs before you travel

Applying for a Seasonal Worker visa costs money. You also have to meet a financial requirement, unless your sponsor confirms that it will support you. On top of that come travel costs, getting to the workplace, accommodation and living costs until your first payday.

So your plans should never rest on the line "you'll pay it back from your first wage". If an agent or recruiter demands large upfront payments, pushes for a quick bank transfer or avoids details about the sponsor, documents and costs, stop before you sign anything. Our article on red flags that give fake recruiters away lists the warning signs.

Pay must comply with UK law

Seasonal work in the UK does not mean work outside the rules. The job must comply with UK minimum wage and working time rules. From April 2026, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour. Lower age-related minimum rates apply to younger workers.

That does not mean every offer at this rate is automatically a good one. Check how many hours are guaranteed, how overtime is paid, whether accommodation costs are deducted and when you will be paid.

Accommodation can change what you really earn

Seasonal offers in the UK often include accommodation. That is convenient, especially for farm work or jobs far from larger towns. But find out what the standard is, how many people share a room, how much is deducted from your pay and whether it is close to work.

An offer with a seemingly good rate can look much weaker once costs are taken off. On the other hand, honestly described accommodation, a clear rota and a steady number of hours can make a more modest offer safer than an advert full of big promises.

The riskiest offers are the vague ones

Be especially wary of adverts that promise a quick start, high earnings and minimal paperwork, but give no sponsor name, visa type, job description or costs. Missing details are not a minor issue: they may be a sign that you will not receive the documents you need to work legally.

Be equally cautious about adverts posted only from private social media profiles, with no company details, asking you to send documents over a messaging app, or pressing for an immediate "booking fee". When you are moving to another country for work, "it'll be fine" is not a plan.

An offer is the start, not a guarantee

Seasonal work in the UK is still possible, but it requires more care than it did a few years ago. The biggest difference is that an attractive offer is not enough if you do not have the right to work or do not meet the visa requirements.

A good trip starts with the basics: is the job in the right category, is there a sponsor, can you get a Certificate of Sponsorship, and will the costs swallow most of your earnings? Only then is it time to pack your suitcase. In the UK, the paperwork is not a footnote at the end of the advert. It is the gateway to the whole job.

Already have the right to work here? Browse current jobs in the UK and compare offers on hours, pay and accommodation, not just the hourly rate.