How to Get a National Insurance Number in the UK: A Guide for Non-Residents

If you’re looking to work in the UK, even if it’s just part-time while you study, you’ll need to apply for a National Insurance (NI) number. But what exactly is national insurance, and how do you actually go about getting that all-important number? 

To save you from information overload, we have summarized the essential data for you right here. So let’s dig into the NI.

What is a National Insurance Number?

With roots going back to 1911, National Insurance, commonly called NI, is essentially a tax on profits. Establishing a consistent NI pay record will allow you to accumulate your entitlement to benefits such as state pension, job search allowance, and maternity allowance.

Contributions to the NI must be paid by anyone over the age of 16 and one of the following:

• An employee whose earnings exceed a certain threshold per week.
• A self-employed person whose earnings exceed a certain threshold per year.

These threshold amounts may change from year to year. That means it’s worth checking what the current thresholds are so you can get an idea of ​​what you’ll be responsible for paying. 

To make contributions to NI, you’ll need your own unique National Insurance Number that you’ll keep for life. It consists of a series of letters and numbers and is automatically given to all UK residents just before their 16th birthday. If you are moving to the UK from another country and need a NI number, you will need to apply for one. 

How to apply for a national insurance number

Due to disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is currently only possible to apply for a NI number in England, Wales and Scotland if you entered the UK on a visa. The impact of the pandemic also means that you currently cannot apply for a NI number in Northern Ireland. But don’t worry, you can still legally work in the UK in the meantime, as we’ll see in a moment.

1. If you are applying for your NI number in England, Wales or Scotland, you can call the National Insurance number request line on 0800 141 2075, Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm. m. to 6 p.m. m.
2. Following this call, an application form will be sent to you to complete and return with documents proving your identity and that you have the right to work in the UK. The exact documents required will be specified in the application form.
3. After that, it’s just a matter of being patient and waiting. It will take weeks or even months before the process is complete and you receive a letter confirming your NI number.

Can I start working without my NI number?

The good news is that you can start earning a living before you receive your NI number. You just need to be able to prove that you have the right to work in the UK, for example by showing your biometric residence permit or passport. Some employers may not be aware of this and mistakenly insist that you must have an NI number to start work. If you have problems like this, you can tell them to go to the official government website which confirms that this is not the case .

What about companies that offer online NI number application services?

Anyone searching Google for “national insurance number” may stumble upon third-party companies offering to help you in some way to obtain your NI number. They may even hint that they provide a faster and easier path to get the number. The fact is, these are independent companies not affiliated with the UK government charging money for something you can do yourself for free. So we recommend staying away from these companies and applying directly from the National Insurance Number application line . 

How much are the national insurance contributions?

If you are an employee, you will pay class 1 national insurance contributions, which are automatically deducted from your weekly or monthly salary. The amount is a percentage of how much you are earning. As we mentioned earlier, you only have to pay NI contributions if you earn above a certain set threshold. 

If you earn below this threshold, you will not have to pay NI contributions and the government will still give you NI credits as if you had paid. This means that you may still qualify for benefits like the full state pension in the long run. Just keep in mind that there is a second threshold, the “lower income limit”. If you earn below this amount, you will not have to pay NI contributions, but you will not be awarded NI credits either.

Self-employed? In this case, you will pay “class 2” national insurance contributions if your earnings exceed a minimum threshold, and “class 4” national insurance contributions if they exceed a second higher threshold.

If you have gaps in your NI record from not making contributions because you were unemployed or earning below the minimum threshold, you can always make up for it later with voluntary contributions.