What’s Inside This Guide

Thank you for taking the time to read our UK State Pension Guide for Expats. In this guide, you’ll find:

• Information on how to check your UK National Insurance record
• How to complete a request to pay missing years of contributions for UK expats.
• Information on eligibility for Paying Voluntary Class 2 NI Contributions Abroad

State Pension Basics

For most people, at the time of writing (2025), the maximum UK State Pension is £230.25 per week. If both spouses qualify for the full pension, they could receive over £23,920 per annum of steady retirement income from the UK government.

You’ll usually need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any State Pension and will need 35 qualifying years to get the full amount above (you’ll get a proportionate amount of the State Pension if you have between 10 and 35 qualifying years).

The good news is that if you are no longer a UK resident, you may be able to fund future years and back pay any missing years in your record via Class 2 contributions, which are very cost-effective (around £179.40 per year in 2025). Whether it is in your best interest to make voluntary contributions depends on your personal circumstances and should be reviewed with a professional adviser.

The current State Pension age (SPA) is 66, rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and currently scheduled to increase to age 68 for those retiring between 2044 and 2046.

You can check your State Pension age here: https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age

How Do I Check My National Insurance Record?

Here’s how to check your current National Insurance record (for State Pension purposes):

1. Log on to https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/check-your-state-pension
2. Click ‘Continue’
3. Create a Government Gateway account if you don’t have one
• This is very straightforward and takes around 10 minutes
• You just need your National Insurance number and passport details to hand
• This will be your login for any future HMRC queries
4. Log in with your User ID and Password
5. The next screen will bring up your State Pension forecast and contribution information (example below)

1. Scroll down and click ‘View your National Insurance record’
2. This will show you a summary and breakdown of any paid/unpaid years
3. Currently, in 2025, you will only be able to back pay for the preceding 6 tax years.
4. You can now apply to back pay your missing years as well as set up your ongoing contributions for future years using the online link or paper form CF83 (details below)

How to Apply

Many people find the online form to be the quickest and most efficient method, as it provides electronic confirmation from HMRC. It takes around 10 minutes to complete, and you will receive electronic confirmation of your submission from HMRC: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-pay-voluntary-national-insurance-contributions-when-abroad-cf83

If you’re working overseas, you should be eligible to pay Class 2 and not Class 3 contributions – if they quote you anything above £179.40 per annum, they’ve sent you the wrong class (in which case, call the NI office on +44 191 203 7010).

Should you prefer, you can also use the paper form CF83, which should be sent to the postal address indicated on the form.

Once you receive your statement back, this will show what you can backpay and the methods by which you can do this – the easiest is from a UK bank account.

How Do I Back Pay Missing Years?

You can now apply to:

• Back pay for your missing years
• Set up your ongoing contributions for future years

Use either the online link  or the paper form below for CF83: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65a4e2117eb42e000dceb7ab/CF83.pdf

Eligibility for Paying Voluntary Class 2 NI Contributions Abroad

You may be eligible to pay voluntary Class 2 NI contributions while abroad if: GOV.UK+3HMRC Community Forum+3GOV.UK+3

1. Immediately before going abroad, you were ordinarily an employed or self-employed earner in the UK.
2. You also satisfy either of the following conditions:
• Condition 2(a): You have lived in the UK for a continuous 3-year period at any time before the period for which NI contributions are to be paid.
• Condition 2(b): Before going abroad, you paid any of the following National Insurance:
• From April 1975 to give 3 qualifying years.
• From April 1975 to give 2 qualifying years and paid 52 NI contributions (of any class) before 6 April 1975.
• From April 1975 to give 1 qualifying year and paid 104 NI contributions (of any class) before 6 April 1975.
• 156 NI contributions (of any class) before 6 April 1975.

If you lived or worked in an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, or Turkey, time spent there may help you meet condition 2(a) or 2(b).HMRC Community Forum+1GOV.UK+1GOV.UK

You cannot pay Class 2 NI contributions for any period during which you’re liable to pay Class 1 NI contributions.GOV.UK+4GOV.UK+4LITRG+4

It is always best to contact HMRC directly to check if you qualify for Class 2 National Insurance contributions. The eligibility rules can be complex and often depend on your specific circumstances, such as your work history and residence status. Speaking with HMRC ensures you receive the most accurate and up-to-date guidance for your situation.