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Paying voluntary National Insurance contributions if you’ve worked or lived abroad

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Apply to pay contributions (CF83)

You need to apply to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions if you’ve been living or working abroad. This is to fill gaps in your National Insurance record.

Before you apply, you should check the rules on which National Insurance contributions you can pay if you live or work abroad (or have previously).

You cannot apply if you’re over, or within 6 months of reaching, State Pension age. Contact the International Pension Centre instead.

What you’ll need to apply

You’ll need the following information:

  • your full name
  • your date of birth
  • your National Insurance number (find your National Insurance number if you’ve lost it)
  • your address in the UK (if you have one)
  • your address abroad (if you have one)
  • the date that you left the UK
  • details of your employment before you left the UK
  • how long you lived or plan to remain abroad
  • details of your employment abroad if applicable
  • details of any government benefit you were receiving or claiming if applicable

You’ll also need a phone with a working camera and one of the following types of photo ID:

  • UK photocard driving licence
  • UK passport
  • non-UK passport with a biometric chip
  • UK biometric residence permit (BRP)
  • UK biometric residence card (also called a BRC)
  • UK Frontier Worker permit

If you’re a volunteer development worker

You’ll need to include information on your earnings. This should include all cash allowances paid by your employer. This should not include goods and services provided to you for free or at reduced cost (‘benefits in kind’), or any cash allowances not paid by your employer.

Apply

If you’re applying to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for multiple periods, you need to provide information for each period.

Apply now

What happens next

HMRC may contact you to ask for further information about your application. If your application is approved, HMRC will send an acceptance letter that includes:

  • how much you need to pay
  • when you need to pay it
  • your payment reference number

Find out when you can expect to receive a reply from HMRC.

You can contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries if you have further questions about paying National Insurance contributions and living abroad.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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