HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a virtual assistant in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to virtual assistants. Here is how to check the ICO fee, agree confidentiality and share access safely.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a virtual assistant in five steps

  1. List the tasksInbox, diary, data entry, research, social posts or bookings, and how many hours a week.
  2. Check the ICO registerA virtual assistant handling personal data as a business usually has to pay the ICO fee.
  3. Sign a written agreementHours, rate, confidentiality, data handling and notice.
  4. Share access through a password managerNever by email; give each tool only the access needed.
  5. Review the time logHours against the package each week or month.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses virtual assistants in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is needed. References, the ICO fee and the written agreement are the checks.

Ask for two clients you can contact and the agreement before access is given.

ICO data protection fee

A virtual assistant, like any business or sole trader processing personal data must pay the ICO data protection fee unless exempt; for most small organisations it is £52 or £78 a year, and its details appear on the public register.

Search the virtual assistant's name on the ICO register. gov.uk →

Written processor terms (UK GDPR)

A virtual assistant working on your customer or staff data acts as a processor. The ICO's guidance lists what the written contract between you must cover: acting only on your instructions, confidentiality, security and deletion at the end.

Put those terms in the agreement before the virtual assistant starts. ico.org.uk →

Off-payroll working (IR35)

Where a virtual assistant works through their own limited company, HMRC's off-payroll rules may apply; most clients decide status, but a small private-sector client leaves it to the VA's company.

Ask how the virtual assistant is engaged. gov.uk →

VAT

Virtual assistance is standard-rated, so a registered virtual assistant adds 20% to the hourly rate or the monthly package of hours. Registration becomes compulsory once a virtual assistant has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the virtual assistant for the VAT number, or a note that they are not registered, before the first month's package. gov.uk →

“Are you registered with the ICO as a virtual assistant?”

A good answer: Yes, with a name you can search on the register, or a clear reason they are exempt.

“What tasks have you done for clients like me?”

A good answer: Examples matching your list, and a client you can contact.

“How will you keep my information confidential as my assistant?”

A good answer: A confidentiality clause and processor terms in the agreement.

“How should I share passwords with my virtual assistant?”

A good answer: Through a password manager, with access you can remove.

“How does a virtual assistant like you log hours?”

A good answer: A time log against the package, shared regularly.

“What happens if I need urgent work?”

A good answer: An out-of-hours rate or availability stated in advance.

“What is the notice period?”

A good answer: In writing, with data and access returned at the end.

Getting the quote right

  • Hourly rate, or a monthly package of hours
  • Who actually attends to your inbox and diary: the virtual assistant you chose, or a subcontracted assistant covering for them
  • Tasks included and what counts as extra
  • Minimum hours and notice period
  • Software and phone costs: who pays
  • Confidentiality and data processing terms
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the monthly package

Walk away if

  • Asks for passwords by email
  • Not on the ICO register with no reason given
  • No written agreement
  • Uses their own accounts for your customers' data
  • No time log
  • Unclear about who else will see your data
LOW
£12
TYPICAL
£30
HIGH
£45

What a virtual assistant costs: £12–£45 per hour

Virtual assistants charge by the hour or sell monthly packages of hours, usually with a minimum and a notice period. Virtual Assistant price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Virtual assistants near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. OnboardingTasks, tools, access and communication agreed.
  2. AccessLogins shared through a password manager.
  3. The workInbox, diary, data or research tasks done.
  4. Check-insRegular updates and questions for your decision.
  5. ReviewHours logged and the package adjusted.

VA
Virtual assistant: remote admin support, usually self-employed.
Retainer
A monthly block of hours paid in advance.
Processor
Someone who handles personal data on your behalf.
Password manager
A tool for sharing logins securely.
Time log
A record of hours spent on each task.
Delegated access
Access to your inbox or diary without your own password.

AFTER

When the job is done

Remove access when you part waysRevoke the virtual assistant's logins and change shared passwords.
Ask for deletionWritten confirmation that copies of your data are deleted.
Keep the time logsAgainst the invoices, for your records.
Rate the workReviews on Locufy come only from booked jobs, so yours counts. If the virtual assistant fell short, use the make-it-right step first and they get the chance to put it right.

STEP 1Raise it with the virtual assistantDescribe the fault and give a fair deadline to fix it. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 expects reasonable care and skill from the virtual assistant as a trader, so you can insist on the work being put right or the bill cut.
STEP 2Ask Locufy to help put it rightA rating under four stars asks whether the virtual assistant should hear about it first. Agree, and the make-it-right step runs before your review appears.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplineFor advice on your rights against the virtual assistant, or to report a trader who breaks the law, call Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060 or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims courtSmall claims is the last step against the virtual assistant: the limit is £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a virtual assistant: questions people ask

No licence or register applies to VAs in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, though many must pay the ICO data protection fee.

If they process personal data as a business, they usually must pay the data protection fee unless exempt, and their details appear on the ICO's register.

Yes: where they process personal data for you, UK GDPR expects written terms covering instructions, confidentiality, security and deletion.

Expect £12–£45 per hour; £30 is typical. Specialist tasks, experience and urgent work raise the rate; monthly packages lower it. Our virtual assistant price guide breaks the figures down, and your town above brings up virtual assistants close by.

Through a password manager or delegated access, never by email.

By the hour or in monthly packages, from a few hours to several days a month.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

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Virtual assistants near you

Virtual assistants in LondonVirtual assistants in ManchesterVirtual assistants in BirminghamVirtual assistants in GlasgowVirtual assistants in BelfastAll virtual assistants on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — pay the data protection fee
  2. ICO — contracts between controllers and processors
  3. gov.uk — understanding off-payroll working (IR35)
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register