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

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Make an online or telephone bank transfer

You can make a bank transfer using Faster Payments, CHAPS or Bacs:

  • from your online bank account
  • by phoning your bank

You must apply to pay National Insurance contributions and wait for an acceptance letter from HMRC before making a payment. The letter will include your 18-digit payment reference number. 

Paying from a UK bank account

Make your payment to the following HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) bank account:

  • sort code - 08 32 20
  • account number - 12001004
  • account name - HMRC NIC Receipts

Payment reference number

Use your 18-digit payment reference number when making your payment. You’ll find it on your HMRC acceptance letter.

For Class 2 when making international payments, your number will begin with 11.

For Class 3 when making international payments, your number will begin with 60.

If you use the wrong reference number, your payment may be delayed or used to pay a different tax bill that you owe.

How long it takes

Payments by Faster Payments (online or telephone banking) usually reach HMRC on the same or next day, including weekends and bank holidays.

CHAPS payments usually reach HMRC the same working day if you pay within your bank’s processing times.

Bacs payments usually take 3 working days.

Overseas payments

Use the following details if you’re paying from an overseas account:

  • Business Identifier Code (BIC) - BARCGB22
  • account number (IBAN) - GB49 BARC 2020 4830 9447 93
  • account name - HMRC NIC Receipts

Overseas payment reference

Use your National Insurance number followed by ‘IC’, your surname then your initial (the first letter of your first name). If your bank limits you to a certain number of characters, you should use your National Insurance number followed by ‘IC’ and as much of your surname as possible.

Examples

If your National Insurance number is QQ123456A and your name is Anne Jones, you’d write the reference as QQ123456AICJONESA.

If your National Insurance number is QQ123456A and your name is John Douglas-Hamilton, you’d write the reference as QQ123456AICDOUGLAS-HAMILTONJ.

If you use the wrong reference number, your payment may be delayed or used to pay a different tax bill that you owe.

Banking address

HMRC’s banking address is:

Barclays Bank PLC
1 Churchill Place
London
United Kingdom
E14 5HP

After you’ve paid

Your National Insurance record and personal tax account  will be updated after HMRC gets the payment. This can take up to 8 weeks.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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