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Joining documents for a new job: the list, before HR asks

You got the offer. Now HR wants papers, and some of them take days to get. This is the list employers commonly ask for, with what each one is for and a link to the official page where there is one. Start with the ones that take longest.

Show the list for:

The documents most employers ask a new hire for. The names differ by country; the kinds do not. Ask HR for their exact list, and use your government's official website for anything issued by the state.

Identity and right to work

Tax and pay

Background and records

Health and family

Ask HR for their exact list

Send this the day you accept. It saves a second trip for a missing paper.

Hello [name],

Thank you again for the offer. So that I can have everything ready before my joining date, could you send me the list of documents you need?

Please also tell me which ones you need as originals and which as scanned copies, and where I should upload or bring them.

Best regards,
[your name]
Nothing to upload here. Your ticks are kept in this browser only and are not sent anywhere.

How to use it

1

Start with the slow ones

Clearances, certificates from a school and letters from your old employer can take days or weeks. Ask for those first, the day you accept.

2

Ask HR for their list

Send the email above. Their list beats any general one, and it tells you what is an original and what is a copy.

3

One folder, two copies

Scan everything into one folder with clear file names, and keep a paper set for day one. Tick each line here as it goes in.

Questions people ask

What documents are needed when joining a new job?

Usually a photo ID, your tax number, your social-security or retirement-fund number, education certificates, letters from your last job (relieving or employment certificate), recent payslips, bank details for salary, and sometimes a medical check or a police or background clearance. The exact list is your employer's; ask HR for it in writing.

Should I give HR my original certificates?

Many employers look at originals once and keep copies. If an employer wants to keep an original, ask why, for how long, and for a written receipt. Check what your contract and local rules say, and ask HR if anything is unclear.

Is this list legal advice?

No. It is a checklist of what employers commonly ask for. Rules change and differ by employer and place. Your HR team's own list is the one that counts; check with them, and use the official government pages linked on each item.

Next on this path

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