National Insurance Number
What is an National Insurance number?
A National Insurance number is to make sure your National Insurance contributions and tax are recorded against your name only. It is made up of letters and numbers and never changes.
Who uses your National Insurance number?
The following organisations will need to know your NI number:
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- Your employer
- Electoral Registration Officers
- Your Individual Savings Account (ISA) provider if you choose to open an ISA
Do migrants get a National Insurance number?
If you have Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
If you have a BRP then you may already have a National Insurance Number. If you do it will be printed on the back of your BRP. If you don’t, then you will need to apply.
If you do not have a BRP
You can apply for a National Insurance number if you:
- live in the UK
- have the right to work in the UK
- are working, looking for work or have an offer to start work
You can find out more about how to Apply for a National Insurance number on gov.uk.
You can look for and start work without a National Insurance number if you can prove your right to work in the UK. You can prove your right to work with a share code or your immigration documents. More detailed information about how to Prove your right to work to an employer can be found on GOV.UK.
Employers are required to conduct mandatory Right to Work checks on all prospective employees. Having a National Insurance number is not part of these checks and the possession of a National Insurance number does not prove that an individual has a right to work.