Getting a National Insurance number

If you want to work in the UK you will need a National Insurance number

It’s your personal reference number that’s used by the Government’s Revenue and Customs Department to work out how much National Insurance you must pay when you work.

National Insurance is a compulsory Government tax that is automatically deducted from your pay if you earn more than £110 each week.

You will usually have to pay about 11% of your pay.

If you don't already have a National Insurance number, your employer will usually issue you with a temporary one so you can start work, but you will need to get a permanent one.

To get your permanent National Insurance number

You need to phone 0845 6000643 and explain that you’re an international student who is looking for work and need a National Insurance number.

You will be asked some questions, and sent an application form that you will need to fill in and post back.

When your application form has been received, you will need to go for an interview at Jobcentreplus or the Benefits Agency.

You will need to take these documents with you:

• your passport
• proof of your UK address (such as a utility bill or bank statement)
• proof that you’re a student at the University of Derby
• proof that you’re looking for work or have started working, such as an application form that you’re going to complete to apply for a job, a letter from a recruitment agency showing that you’ve registered with them to find work, a letter from an employer showing that you’ve been offered a job or that you’ve not been successful when you applied for a job, or your pay slip or contract of employment.

Your National Insurance number will look like this: AB 12 34 56 Z.