Everyone who is legally able to work in the UK needs an NI Number or NINO. If you are coming from overseas there is a recommended way to apply for your NI number.
This can save you time and frustration by having everything organised for you and ensuring all the correct documents are submitted (generally no interview is required).
Check out some of the comments on this website to see what can go wrong.
However if you have the time and patience here are the steps on how to apply for a NI number.
Please pay particular attention to the documents required.
They say here on the www.gov.uk website, “You can still apply if you do not have any of these documents but you may need to attend an appointment to prove your identity.”
How to Apply for NI Number Yourself:
You will need:
- a passport from any country
- a biometric residence permit (BRP)
or a national identity card from:
- a country in the EU, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland
If you do not have the required documents:
- You can still apply but this may result in an appointment and proving who you say you are.
What happens next?
- The Jobcentre Plus will write and let you know whether your application was successful and what your National Insurance Number is (NINO).
- This usually takes up to 16 weeks currently.
Summary
Getting an NI Number is a process that everyone has to go through if they have just arrived in the UK and want to work. You can avoid a lot of frustration and unnecessary headaches by getting a NI Number with the services of a work and travel company.
Getting assistance with the online application can provide peace of mind (while you wait up to 16 weeks) and saves you time and frustration.
If I have a UK passport and want to work temporarily in England must I have an interview, if so, where in South Affrica? Thanks. P.
I am a British subject and citizen of UK. I have never had a NIN and I have applied for Student loan and I was asked for a
National Insurance Number. How do I obtain one quick.
Hi Natalia, If you are in the UK and you have lived their all your life you will have one – But if not, you may need to apply for one. Quickest way is to use a service to help you arrange the interview – BUT first make sure you don’t already have one.
Hi Quinn,
I attended on 13th of march an interview to get a NIN but still haven’t received a letter yet.I phoned them up and they said that it takes 6-8 weeks and I rang two weeks ago and another adviser said it takes 4-6 weeks.I am from Romania but lived here for more than 3 years.What should I do?I applied twice before and they refused me to get a NIN for student loan
Alberto – I would pay for assistance if it does not get resolved soon – sounds like you just need to wait up to 8 weeks to me…
What happens if you apply for an NI number BUT already one? as per your advice above to Natalie.
If you have one already I will imagine that they will figure this out during the EOI process. If not for some strange reason, you will need to tell them you have two NIs – it must happen on rare occasions, but it is not in anyones interest to have two.
Hi Quinn
You’re providing a great service -Thank you very much for it
I’m from southern Ireland and I’ve got a few interviews lined up in England over the coming 2 weeks and one of the interviewers has asked that bring my National Insurance number and prove of 3 months residence in the UK.
I’m still living in Ireland (I will stay with a friend in England when I get a job offer) so I don’t have either unfortunately and I was under the impression that if I did receive an offer of work that this would speed up my NI application (which I haven’t yet started)
Can an employer refuse to offer a job if I’ve not got an NI offer do you know?
Thanks again
Sean
Hi John, Thanks for the kind words. You question has more of a recruitment answer than anything to do with NI numbers. I suspect they are using residency and the NI number as a way of seeing how settled you are. Not sure how ethical or even legal that is but it is what it is. They could refuse to employ you for another reason and you would not know. If on the other hand they think that you need an NI to work – they are mistaken but since they also asked for 3 months residency I don’t think thats their motive. If I were you, I would do my best to give them what they want so that they at least meet you or perhaps just give them a call (at the risk of not getting interviewed) and explain your situation but emphasis that you are settling in England if they seem to want. It’s hard for me to know exactly what is going on but hope that helps somewhat…
Hello,
I have italian passport and just moved to UK and I dont have any proof of address because Im living in a friends house until Ill get a job, so they dont want arrange an interview.
I have no ideia how I get a address in my name. Any suggestion?
Hi Carla, Yes the service I recommend can help you with this.
Hi Quinn,
I am a British citizen but have grown up in Ireland and was not in the UK when I turned 16 so I never got an NI number I have been offered a job and am just wondering how to go about applying for it as I still live in Ireland can I do the interview and stuff in Dublin
Hi David, You will need to be in the UK for the interviews with a British address. If you are in Ireland I am not sure why you would need an NI though so the easy solution might be that you do not need one.
Hi Quinn,
My sons both hold British Citizenship since I was born in Scotland, we live in Canada, and hold dual citizenship.
Both boys, now university students are interested in working during the summer of 2015 in Scotland.
How do you recommend they go about getting an NI number, and attending an interview?
They are starting their preparation in order to get this plan rolling.
I would like to assist them with this as much as I can.
Thanks so much.
Hi Susan, I do recommend using a service to assist – that is the best way to make sure things run smoothly but this page is all about how to do it yourself so if you have specific questions – I will do my best to help.
Hi Quinn,
I am a foreigner (a citizen of an EU/EEA country) and would like to register as a sole trader in England to work from my home country while paying taxes to England. Can I obtain an NI number for this purpose, and if so, do you know how I could go about doing that?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Tamara,
You need to be a resident of the UK to get one.
Cheers, Quinn
Hi,
I’m british but I live in France and have never lived in Britain. Therefore I don’t have a NIN. I’m doing a summerjob in wales this summer and have been asked an NIN. I don’t really know how to get one, since I’m not living in the UK and will only be there for six weeks, living in an accomodation within the hotel I’m going to work in. Any idea?
Gosh only there for 6 weeks means by the time you do the EOI meeting you will be leaving again. If you plan on working in the UK again at any stage in the future you might as well just go through the process. I would recommend highly using a service to help ensure you get it (so that it gets sent to the correct address after the meeting)
hi iam from france and i would like to apply for an insurance number but i dont have an address as i stay with friends how will i do to have an inssurance number? i’m actively looking for job and i know i will be ask for it
thank you
You can use the company I recommend – they will give you an address. See https://easyninumber.com/how-to-get-a-ni-number-online-assistance/
My grandson proposes to come to study in Germany. He will need health insurance. He lives in New Zealand but holds a valid British passport. He understands that in order to get reciprocal health insurance in Germany, he will first need a Ni number. What is the easiest way to get the number? He has never lived in England.
Clearly from these posts Quinn, you are doing a sterling job. Thank you.
Interesting one William and Thanks! He will have to go to the UK to get it and it takes some time… there is no workaround that I know of. Probably easier to pay for health insurance until he can get German residency (or whatever is required to qualify). At least he can legally work in the EU!
My daughter is British but moved abroad aged 2. She was abroad at age 16 so didnt get an NI number. She returned aged 17 to do A levels at Boarding School and when we tried to get an NI number we were told she didnt need one unless she was looking for a job. she was a student so we left it. Now we re applying for University student loan and need NI number. What can we do? Surely she doesnt need an interview!? Ive called the HMRC number whose automated service says fill out form CA5403 but it seems this is not for use if you never had an NI number… Help!
Hi Sarah, I understand how your feel. She does need to do an interview to prove she is who she says she is. Recommend getting the help of the service we are currently recommending – takes a lot of guesswork out of it.
My husbands job has kept us out of the U.K. For 20 years. We have lived in quite a few countries and my children have been born abroad as a result. My husband and I have uk passports and so do my children. My eldest is 17 and needs a national insurance number . We are only ever in the uk for 6 weeks in the summer. I presume she will need an interview but how quick are they to book as our time is limited.
Should be enough time to get the interview organised. You will need a UK address for them to send it though as it may arrive after you have left.
Hi
I worked in UK for approx 3 months in 2017.
However i did not apply for NI number.
However my tax was deducted.
Now i am back to india and if i want to apply for NI number how can i do so as i need to claim tax refund.
Br,
Mayur
Unfortunately you need to be in the country to get one and be there for a reasonable amount of time get it all sorted. If you have plans to go back you could still get the tax collected. With only 3 months work, you would likely get almost all of it.