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The short answer
You can keep adding money to your Nigerian RSA while living in the UK. Naira voluntary contributions go through your PFA, and since September 2025 PenCom's foreign currency guidelines also let Nigerians abroad contribute in US dollars from a Non-Resident Nigerian Ordinary Account. Withdrawal is limited: part of a voluntary contribution can be taken early under PenCom rules, and investment income is taxed if withdrawn within five years.
An RSA does not close because you left Nigeria. It sits with your Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) and keeps being invested. The question for someone in the UK is whether to keep adding to it, and if so, how. There are now two routes: the long-standing naira voluntary contribution and the newer dollar contribution scheme for Nigerians abroad.
Route one: naira voluntary contributions
Voluntary contributions (VC) are payments into your RSA on top of the mandatory employer and employee share. PenCom's 2023 FAQ describes them in the employment context: an employee can ask for extra deductions as long as total deductions from pay do not exceed one third of emoluments. Once you are no longer on a Nigerian payroll, the practical question is whether your PFA accepts direct VC payments into your RSA from you. Ask it for:
- the account details it uses for VC, and the reference it needs (usually your RSA PIN);
- whether third-party transfers from a relative's account are accepted on your behalf;
- how it confirms each payment, and how fast it shows on your statement.
If you were self-employed or worked for a very small employer, the Micro Pension Plan is the other naira route. PenCom's Micro Pension FAQ says it is open to Nigerians aged 18 and over with legitimate income who are self-employed or in organisations with fewer than three staff, with no minimum contribution and payment by cash, transfer or approved agents.
Route two: dollar contributions from abroad
PenCom issued Guidelines on Foreign Currency Pension Contributions in September 2025. According to the guidelines:
- the scheme is voluntary and open to Nigerians living and working abroad, among others;
- contributions are in US dollars only, into a Foreign Currency Dollar Fund;
- diaspora contributors remit from a Non-Resident Nigerian Ordinary Account (NRNOA) to the PFA's foreign currency collection account at the custodian;
- you need NIN, an international passport and next of kin details, with BVN and biometrics matched to NIBSS and NIMC records;
- contributions can be daily, weekly or monthly;
- each contribution is split 60% contingent and 40% retirement, with access to the contingent part after six months and at most twice a year;
- benefits start at 50, or earlier on health grounds, and are paid in dollars (naira on request);
- an existing RSA holder who moves abroad keeps the RSA by updating documentation.
Fees on the dollar fund are set by PenCom circular and deducted by the PFA; ask your PFA for the current figure in writing before you start. If your RSA was opened before July 2019, expect the PFA to ask for data recapture first.
Getting money back out
For naira VC, a KPMG summary of PenCom's circular effective 10 June 2024 says 50% of voluntary contributions can be withdrawn as a contingent withdrawal one year after the contribution date, down from two years. Under section 10(4) of the Pension Reform Act 2014, the income earned on voluntary contributions is taxable if withdrawn within five years; after five years it is tax-free. The foreign currency guidelines repeat that contributions are not taxable and income is taxable if withdrawn within five years.
A worked example
Example only. You pay ₦100,000 a month as naira VC for 12 months, ₦1,200,000 in all. Under the 2024 circular, half of each contribution, ₦50,000, becomes available as a contingent withdrawal one year after it was paid. If you withdraw the first ₦50,000 after a year, the investment income on it is taxable because it is inside five years; the principal itself is not taxed again.
Should you top up an RSA or a UK pension?
That depends on where you expect to retire, which currency you will spend in and how each pot is taxed where you live. A UK workplace pension usually comes with an employer contribution (GOV.UK's workplace pensions guidance sets a minimum employer share of 3% of qualifying earnings); money you send into an RSA from the UK has no employer adding to it. Read UK pension or Nigerian RSA: where to save before deciding. As a UK resident, investment income or gains inside a foreign pension may have UK reporting consequences; this is information, not advice.
What to check first
- Confirm your PFA, PIN and that your record is recaptured.
- Ask the PFA in writing which VC routes it accepts from abroad.
- For dollars, check you hold or can open an NRNOA with a Nigerian bank.
- Ask the PFA for its current fee on each fund.
- Keep every confirmation with your tax papers.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme account holds naira and pounds, so you can convert with Swap (rate and fee shown before you approve) and send naira VC to your PFA's collection account. Your Personal Assistant can prepare a monthly top-up for you to approve. The NRNOA required for dollar contributions is a Nigerian bank account type; check with your PFA which banks it works with.
Questions people ask
Can I pay into my RSA while living abroad?
Yes. Ask your PFA about naira voluntary contributions, or use the dollar contribution scheme PenCom introduced in September 2025.
When can I withdraw voluntary pension contributions in Nigeria?
Under the 2024 circular, 50% of each voluntary contribution can be withdrawn one year after it was paid. Income withdrawn within five years is taxable.
What account do I need to pay pension in dollars from the UK?
PenCom's guidelines say diaspora contributors remit from a Non-Resident Nigerian Ordinary Account to the PFA's foreign currency collection account.
Is there a minimum voluntary contribution?
PenCom's micro pension FAQ says there is no minimum for micro pension. For other VC, ask your PFA.
Sources
- PenCom: Guidelines on Foreign Currency Pension Contributions (September 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- Mondaq (KPMG): PenCom circular on voluntary contributions (24 Jul 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- PenCom: Frequently Asked Questions (2023 edition) · accessed Oct 2026
- PenCom: Micro Pension Plan frequently asked questions · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Workplace pensions · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.