Client’s often ask me what is the process for maintaining National Insurance contributions whilst living abroad. It is important that British expats understand the rules in relation to their eligibility to the state pension.
The purpose of paying Voluntary National Insurance contributions is to secure entitlement to various UK National Insurance benefits like the basic State Pension. It has agreements with Reciprocal Agreement Countries and European Economic Area (EEA) regarding special benefits.
Living abroad and not paying UK National Insurance Contributions (NICs) may restrict your access to these benefits – not only now, but also in the future. If you continue paying UK National Insurance while living abroad, you may protect your entitlement to the following:
A full State Pension.Particular state benefits in EEA (European Economic Area) as well as some reciprocal agreement countries.
New rules are coming into play from next year, which mean individuals now have to pay National Insurance for more years than originally stipulated, in order to get a full state pension upon retirement.
The changes come into effect on April 6, 2016, and affect anyone retiring after that date. From this date, rather than needing the previous 30 years of National Insurance (NI) payments to qualify for a full state pension, retirees under the new regime will need a complete 35 years worth of contributions. Those with less than 35 qualifying years but more than the minimum qualifying period will receive a proportionally smaller state pension.
If your total years from the UK and EEA National Insurance exceed 10 years, you will be eligible for the UK State Pension, but the amount will be proportional only to your UK qualifying years.
The idea of the new pension arrangements being introduced is to offer a new and simpler flat-rate pension. This is expected to be worth around £155 a week, and will do away with the other elements that currently make up the state pension, such as the savings credit and additional state pension
It is prudent for British expats to find out how many years of NI contributions they have made to date, therefore allowing them to see how many years they will need to make up to achieve the full 35 years. For detailed information it is best to visit the HMRC website https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance-if-you-go-abroad. Or contact HMRC directly if you have specific questions.
If you need help in finding out your current projection for the UK state pension. Or you are looking to make additional contributions as an expat – contct me today
Let’s start the conversation
Online enquiry form
Related posts
Published On: September 25, 2025|2.3 min read|Longevity and Wealth – Planning to Fund 100 Years of Life
Thanks to advances in medicine, better living standards, and lifestyle awareness, many of today’s expats could easily live well into their 90s—or even past 100. While that’s good news for health and family, it presents a major financial challenge: How do you ensure your wealth lasts as long as you do?
Read more
Published On: September 3, 2025|2.2 min read|UK Budget 2025 Predictions – What Expats Should Be Watching
The Budget will take place on Wednesday 26 November, the chancellor has announced. With the UK shifting from a domicile-based to a residence-based tax system, the 2025 Budget is likely to bring further adjustments that expats need to watch closely.
Read more
Published On: May 20, 2025|3.4 min read|Accessing Your Pension at 55? That’s About to Change
The UK government is set to raise the Normal Minimum Pension Age (NMPA) from 55 to 57, effective 6 April 2028. This change will impact when individuals can begin drawing from their private pensions, including personal and workplace defined contribution schemes.
Read more
