National Insurance Number Application in the United Kingdom

Step-by-Step

1. 1

   Confirm You Are Eligible and Do Not Already Have a NINO

   1. Check that you live in the UK, have the right to work in the UK, and are working, looking for work, or have a job offer — these are the three eligibility criteria gov.uk lists for the application.
   2. If you have a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), look on the back of the card — your National Insurance number may be printed there already.
   3. If you have an eVisa, sign in to your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account and check whether a NINO is already attached to your record.
   4. If you find an existing number, do not apply again — your NINO is for life and never changes.

   💡 Tip: Your National Insurance number is the identifier that ties together your tax record at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and your benefits record at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Apply only if you do not already have one.

2. 2

   Gather Your Identity Documents

   1. Have your passport ready — gov.uk accepts a passport from any country.
   2. Or, if you do not have a passport, have a national identity card from an EU country or from Norway, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland (no other national ID cards are accepted in the online flow).
   3. If you have neither, you can still apply but should expect to be routed to an in-person appointment.

   💡 Tip: The online service does not list any other identity documents beyond a passport (any country) or an EU/EEA national ID card. Do not assume a driving licence or other photo ID will be accepted — it will not, in the online flow.

3. 3

   Start the Online Application

   1. Go to gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number and select Apply — the link goes to the HMRC service at apply-national-insurance-number.service.gov.uk/work.
   2. The service is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) — choose your language at the start.
   3. Have a working email address ready; you will receive your application reference number at this email after you submit.

   💡 Tip: If you cannot apply online for any reason, the application helpline is 0800 141 2079 (English, Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm) or 0800 141 2349 (Welsh, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm). Both lines use the UK 0800 freephone prefix.

   gov.uk — Apply for a National Insurance number (gov.uk ↗) gov.uk — How to apply (gov.uk ↗)
4. 4

   Take and Upload Identity-Verification Photos

   1. When the service prompts you, take a photo of yourself holding your passport up to the camera — this is the distinctive identity-verification micro-step of the online flow.
   2. Then take separate photos of your identity documents themselves (passport, and any other ID the service asks for).
   3. Use a smartphone, tablet, or digital camera. The service walks you through how to compose each photo and what it must look like.
   4. Upload the photos through the service when prompted.

   💡 Tip: The selfie-holding-passport photo is the moment that tells you the application is genuinely identity-verifying you. If the service rejects your photos repeatedly, do not abandon the application — it will reroute you to an in-person appointment or a postal photocopy path. Either route still completes the same application.

5. 5

   Submit Your Application and Save the Reference Number

   1. After you submit, gov.uk states you will get an email with your application reference number.
   2. The email will tell you if you need to provide further proof of your identity (for example, by attending an in-person appointment or posting photocopies).
   3. Save the reference number — it appears at the top of the confirmation email and you will need it if you call the helpline later.

   💡 Tip: If the email asks for further proof, follow the route specified in the email exactly. The 4-week processing clock starts only after your identity proof is complete — not after the initial online submission.

6. 6

   Receive Your National Insurance Number

   1. Per gov.uk, it can take up to 4 weeks to get your National Insurance number after you have proved your identity.
   2. Your number arrives as an alphanumeric reference (format: 2 letters, 6 numbers, a final letter — gov.uk gives QQ123456B as the example).
   3. Save it somewhere durable — your Personal Tax Account at gov.uk/personal-tax-account, the HMRC app, or Apple or Google Wallet.
   4. If 4 weeks pass and you have not received your NINO, call the application helpline (0800 141 2079) with your application reference number ready.

   💡 Tip: Your NINO remains the same for life. No renewal, no re-application — even if you change name, address, employer, or immigration status.

7. 7

   Link Your NINO to Your Personal Tax Account (Optional but Recommended)

   1. Sign in to your Personal Tax Account at gov.uk/personal-tax-account using a Government Gateway user ID, or create one.
   2. Per gov.uk, the Personal Tax Account lets you find your National Insurance number, check your Income Tax estimate and tax code, submit or manage a Self Assessment tax return, claim a tax refund, check your State Pension, and tell HMRC about a change of name or address.
   3. This becomes your central HMRC self-service hub — well worth setting up once your NINO arrives.

   💡 Tip: The Personal Tax Account is run by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and is free to use. It is also where you can find your NINO again if you lose track of it later.

   gov.uk — Personal Tax Account: sign in or set up (gov.uk ↗)