A national insurance (N.I.), number is a code issued to UK citizens on their sixteenth birthday. An N.I. number is used to record an individual’s national insurance and credit contributions and is also required to claim social security benefits. Some countries call this a tax file number.

If you were born abroad but are living and planning to work in the UK you will need to apply for an N.I. number. You will need to arrange an interview at your local Jobcentre Plus branch and you will need to bring several documents with you.

We suggest you apply for your N.I. number only once you start looking for work or once you have secured a job. There are a few reasons for this, the first being that at your interview you will need to prove that you need an N.I. number. In other words, you need to prove that you are actively seeking work or are self-employed. You can do this by presenting numerous documents such as; letters from any employment agencies you have registered with and clearly stating you have registered with their organisation and are actively seeking work, by providing rejection letters from jobs you have applied for or, if you are self-employed, bringing invoices and remittance slips with your contact details clearly displayed. If not, you will be turned away. You will be supplied with a full list of documents you need to bring to your interview once you arrange it. Keep in mind that interviews will probably be booked anywhere from a week to six weeks in advance.

Once you have proved you require an N.I. number at the interview, a series of checks will be run on your identity, your visa or working status and your current address. It is important that you bring all of the requested documents and evidence with you to this meeting. This process takes between one to three hours.

If your application is successful, you will receive an N.I. number in the mail as soon as possible, which means anywhere from a week to six weeks’ time. You will then receive an N.I. number-card in the post in another four to eight weeks’ time. Make sure you immediately notify your employer as soon as you receive confirmation of your NI number.

N.I. Rebate
If you plan to work in the UK for over three-months but do not plan to or are not eligible to retire in the UK, you should consider applying for an N.I. rebate. This is a portion of your N.I. contributions which you are able to redirect into an approved stakeholder pension plan in your own name. You are not contributing any extra funds, you are just choosing where this money goes.

By setting up an N.I. rebate you are setting up your own personal pension plan which your N.I. payments will eventually be deposited in to, rather than contributing to the national pension plan. This means you will be able to claim an N.I. rebate before you leave the UK and will then be able to access this money when you retire, wherever you may be in the world.

If you do not retire in the UK and do not apply for an N.I. rebate you may never see your N.I. contributions again as you will not receive these pension payments outside of the UK. The self-employed are ineligible for an N.I. rebate.

The following table gives you a rough idea of how much money you could be contributing to future British retirees if you do not set up an N.I. rebate. Please note that the amount will differ due to both your age and your wage:

Age	Yearly gross pay	Yearly N.I. rebate estimation
18 years	£10,000	£0
18 years	£13,000	£693
20 years	£16,000	£775
23 years	£21,000	£905
25 years	£19,000	£880
27 years	£27,000	£1,088
30 years	£24,000	£1,037
35 years	£30,000	£1,286
35 years	£40,000	£1,456
40 years	£32,000	£1,469

Sourced: 1st Contact

Note: The above figures are an indication of the estimate of the Government payments to your plan and are before any tax relief on your rebate.

For more information on the state pension, visit The Department for Work and Pensions website. If, after careful consideration, you decide to go ahead with applying for an N.I. rebate and you have an N.I. number and make regular N.I. contributions, we recommend contacting a travel assistance company.