Get your National Insurance number

Two official lines worth knowing

• You can start work before it arrives. gov.uk says that as long as you can prove your right to work in the UK (with your eVisa share code), you can start working before you get your NI number – just pass it on to HR once it comes through. An employer who says "no NI number, no start date" is stalling you.
• It's yours for life. If you already have one, don't apply again – not even if you've changed your name, address or visa.

Walk through it with screenshots

Each step shows what that screen actually looks like, captured on 2026-09-05. gov.uk does get redesigned – if a page doesn't match the picture, go with the live site.

Step 1: check you're eligible

The page spells it out, and all three must be true: you live in the UK, you have the right to work here, and you're working, looking for work or have a job offer.

A student visa lets you work within set limits, so the second one is usually fine; it's the third that trips people up – see step 4.

Step 2: get your passport out before you start

This is the screen most worth reading first. Three things:

1. Have your passport ready. In the page's words: before you start, have your passport (from any country) to hand, because you'll be copying details from it as you go.
2. You'll need a photo of yourself holding your passport. Plus photos of any other ID documents. A phone camera is fine, and someone else can take it for you. Loads of people only find this out halfway through and end up scrambling.
3. You can still apply without these documents, but you may need an in-person interview or to post copies, which is much slower.

One number people misread: the official "up to 4 weeks" only starts once you've proved your identity, not on the day you hit submit. So don't wait until you've passed a job interview to apply.

Step 3: first question – have you applied before?

If you're new to the UK and have never applied here before, choose No.

Choose Yes and it asks a few follow-up questions, then tells you whether you actually need to apply again - because the number is for life, chances are you've already got one.

Step 4: second question – are you working or looking for work? (the one that stops people)

The page couldn't be clearer: "Only apply for a National Insurance number through this service if you are working or looking for work."

Three options:

This is the only point in the whole process that can shut you out. People who apply before they've sent off a single CV get stuck right here – so start applying for jobs first, or simply choose "looking for work".

Step 5: third question – your full name (not the same boxes as the GP form)

There are only two boxes here: First and middle names (given name and any middle names together) and Surname.

Note this is different from the GP registration form, which splits it into three: First / Middle / Last. Same person, two government systems, different boxes – fill it in the way you did last time and you'll get it wrong.

• Write it exactly as it appears on your ID document (the page's words) – in other words, the name line on your passport;
• If your passport puts your family name first – say ZHANG SAN – SAN goes in First and middle names and ZHANG goes in Surname;
• The three expandable notes underneath cover names with accents, having only one name, and having extra names that are neither first names nor surnames – you'll only need them in unusual cases.

After that come your date of birth, address, contact details, and uploading the photo of you holding your passport.

Once you've applied

You'll get an email with an application reference number, telling you whether you need to do anything else to prove your identity. Once your identity is confirmed, allow up to 4 more weeks for the number to arrive.

If you get stuck, ring the helpline on 0800 141 2079 (England, Scotland and Wales).

Easy ways to get this wrong

• Paying an agent. Applying is free; an agent just fills in the same form for you.
• Starting without your passport to hand. You end up hunting for it halfway through, with no photo taken, and have to start again.
• Applying twice. The number is for life; if you have a BRP or eVisa you may already have one, so check your visa details first.
• Mixing up two separate things. Your NI number sorts out your tax identity; how many hours you can work is a visa condition. They're completely separate – for the term-time hours limit, see the "Student visa work limits: the red lines" guide.