Getting a National Insurance Number in the UK

A National Insurance number is essential for working in the UK and paying the correct amount of tax. This guide explains what it is, how to get one as a visa holder, how long it takes, and what to do while you wait.

Checked 7 March 20269 min readWritten by the Rowan Editorial Team

Section: Practical Life in the UK
Reading time: 9 min
Last checked: 7 March 2026
Source: The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
Rowan does not: Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.

In short

You can start work before your National Insurance number arrives, as long as you can prove your right to work.
Check first: if you have an eVisa the number may be in your UK Visas and Immigration account, and older biometric residence permits had it printed on the back.
If you do not have one, you apply online on GOV.UK, and you have to be in the UK to do it.
It can take up to 4 weeks after you have proved your identity.
Your National Insurance number is permanent and stays the same for life, whatever happens to your immigration permission.

Your National Insurance number is your personal reference in the UK tax system. You do not need it before you start a job, as long as you can prove your right to work. Some people already have one printed on an old biometric residence permit or shown in their UK Visas and Immigration account; everyone else applies online from inside the UK. This guide covers the full process.

What Is a National Insurance Number?

A National Insurance (NI) number is your personal reference number for the UK tax and benefits system. It is used by:

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to track your tax and National Insurance contributions
Your employer to process your pay and deductions
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for benefits and state pension
Benefit and student loan claims, once one is being paid

The format is 2 letters, 6 numbers and a final letter, for example QQ123456B. Once allocated, your National Insurance number stays with you for life. It does not change if you change jobs, addresses, names, or immigration status.

You do not need one to start an application for benefits or a student loan, and you do not need one to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Do You Already Have One?

Some people already have a National Insurance number without realising. Check:

Your eVisa: log in to your UK Visas and Immigration account and look at your status
The back of an old biometric residence permit, if you were issued one before they stopped at the end of 2024
A payslip, a P60, or letters about tax, pensions or benefits, if you have worked or claimed here before
The HM Revenue and Customs app or your personal tax account, both of which can produce a letter showing the number

If you find it in any of these places, you do not need to apply separately. Note that HM Revenue and Customs will not give you your National Insurance number over the phone or on webchat.

If you do not have one and you plan to work, you need to apply. You can only apply while you are in the UK.

How to Apply

The application is online. GOV.UK sets three conditions: you live in the UK, you have the right to work in the UK, and you are working, looking for work, or have an offer to start work.

Get your documents ready. A passport from any country, or a national identity card from a European Union country, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland. You can still apply without these, but you may need an in-person appointment to prove who you are.
Apply online through the GOV.UK service. The service is also available in Welsh.
Prove your identity. You upload a photo of yourself holding your passport, plus photos of any other identity documents. A smartphone, tablet or digital camera is enough, and someone else can take the photos for you.
Watch for the confirmation email. It carries your application reference number and tells you whether you need to provide further proof of identity.
Wait. It can take up to 4 weeks after you have proved your identity.

If you cannot upload photos you can still apply online, but the application takes longer and you may be asked to attend an appointment or post copies of your documents.

Working Without an NI Number

This is an important point: you do not need a National Insurance number to start working. GOV.UK says you can start work before you receive it as long as you can prove you have the right to work in the UK.

New starters are often put on an emergency tax code, but the usual cause is a missing P45 rather than a missing National Insurance number:

An emergency code ends in W1, M1 or X. Tax is worked out on what you are paid that week or month alone, as if you earned the same every week or month of the year
If your new employer does not have your previous income and tax details, they use an emergency code. Giving them your P45 from your previous job helps take you off it
HM Revenue and Customs updates the code once it has the details from your new and previous employers. That can take up to 35 days
Any tax overpaid under the emergency code is put right once the correct code is applied

The published rule is on the GOV.UK page for applying for a National Insurance number, which says in as many words that you can start work before you receive the number if you can prove your right to work.

NI Number vs Right to Work

It is important to understand that an NI number is not proof of your right to work. They are separate things:

Right to work: Proved through your eVisa share code or other immigration documents. Your employer checks this before you start work.
NI number: A tax reference used by HMRC. It does not confirm your immigration status or your permission to work.

An NI number remains active even after your visa expires. This does not mean you can continue working. Your right to work ends when your permission to stay ends (unless you have Section 3C leave or ILR). See our visa fees guide when planning your next application.

National Insurance Contributions

Once you start working, you will pay National Insurance contributions (NICs) through your salary. These contributions:

Fund the state pension and certain benefits
Are deducted automatically from your pay by your employer
Build up your entitlement to the state pension over time

For the 2026 to 2027 tax year, employees pay 8% on earnings from £242 to £967 a week (£1,048 to £4,189 a month) and 2% on earnings above that. Your employer pays a separate employer contribution of 15% on earnings above the secondary threshold, which is the employer's cost rather than a deduction from your pay.

Your NI contribution record matters if you eventually apply for British citizenship or claim the state pension. It is worth checking your record periodically through your personal tax account on GOV.UK.

Common Issues

I lost my National Insurance number

Check old payslips, P60 forms, or letters about tax, pensions or benefits. You can also find it in the HM Revenue and Customs app or in your personal tax account, and either can produce a letter showing it. HM Revenue and Customs will not give you the number over the phone or on webchat.

My application is taking too long

GOV.UK gives up to 4 weeks after you have proved your identity. If it has been longer than that, or if you have moved house or your personal details have changed since you applied, call the application helpline: 0800 141 2079 for England, Scotland and Wales, or 0800 587 0024 for Northern Ireland, Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm. Have your application reference number ready.

My employer says I need a National Insurance number before I start

GOV.UK says otherwise: you can start work before you receive it as long as you can prove your right to work in the UK, which you do with a share code or your eVisa rather than with a National Insurance number.

Next Steps

Check your UK Visas and Immigration account first, in case you already have a National Insurance number. If you do not, the application is online and can only be made from inside the UK. Work can start before the number arrives, once your right to work has been checked.

Related guides:

Questions and answers

What is a National Insurance number?

A National Insurance number is your personal reference in the UK tax and benefits system. It is made up of 2 letters, 6 numbers and a final letter, for example QQ123456B. It stays the same for life, even if your name, address or immigration status changes. It is a tax reference, not a document that proves you are allowed to work.

Do I need a National Insurance number to start work?

No. GOV.UK says you can start work before you receive your National Insurance number as long as you can prove you have the right to work in the UK. What often puts new starters on an emergency tax code is a missing P45 from a previous job rather than a missing National Insurance number. HM Revenue and Customs updates the code once it has your details from your new and previous employers, which can take up to 35 days, and any tax overpaid is put right after that.

How do I apply for a National Insurance number?

You apply online on GOV.UK, and you must be in the UK to do it. You prove your identity as part of the application, usually by uploading a photo of yourself holding your passport plus photos of any other identity documents. If you cannot upload photos, you can still apply online but it takes longer and you may be asked to attend an appointment or post copies. Check first whether you already have one: if you have an eVisa, look in your UK Visas and Immigration account, and if you held a biometric residence permit it was printed on the back.

How long does it take to get a National Insurance number?

GOV.UK says it can take up to 4 weeks to get your National Insurance number after you have proved your identity. You get an email with an application reference number when you apply. There is an application helpline for England, Scotland and Wales on 0800 141 2079 and for Northern Ireland on 0800 587 0024, open Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, and you can call it if you applied more than 4 weeks ago, if you have moved house, or if your personal details have changed.

Is my National Insurance number linked to my visa?

No. Your National Insurance number is permanent and stays the same for life, whatever happens to your immigration permission. Having one does not prove your right to work: employers must check your immigration status separately through a share code or your eVisa. It is a tax reference, not an immigration document.

This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.

All guides Free tools