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The short answer
If you hold an eVisa, sign in to your UKVI account and view your eVisa: GOV.UK says BRP and eVisa holders may already have a National Insurance number recorded there. If it is not there, check a payslip, P60 or HMRC letter, the HMRC app or your personal tax account, where you can also download a letter showing the number. HMRC will not read the number out to you over the phone or webchat.
Many Nigerians arriving on work and study visas were told they would "get a NINo with the visa" and then cannot find it when a new employer asks. The number exists in several places, and which one works depends on whether you have worked in the UK yet. This guide goes through them in the order that tends to work fastest.
1. Your eVisa in the UKVI account
GOV.UK says that if you have a BRP or an eVisa, you might already have a National Insurance number, and that you can find it by logging into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account to view your eVisa. Older BRP cards carried it on the back.
- Sign in to your UKVI account with the phone number and email you used to set it up. GOV.UK says you will already have an account if you used the UK Immigration: ID Check app for your visa, created one when applying, swapped a BRP for an eVisa, or applied to the EU Settlement Scheme. Do not create a second account.
- Make sure the account is linked to your eVisa. GOV.UK says access is usually immediate once linked but can take up to 24 hours.
- View your eVisa and look for the National Insurance number in your details.
If no number is shown, that usually means one was not issued with your visa. If you plan to work, you apply for one from inside the UK; our guide to applying for a National Insurance number covers the steps.
If you came on an older BRP
Your number may be printed on the back of the card. If the card has expired and you have not yet set up a UKVI account, GOV.UK (as at October 2026) says an expired BRP can still be used to create the account for 24 months after the expiry date on the card or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first. Setting the account up before that window closes keeps the eVisa route open, which matters for renting, changing jobs and travel as well as for finding your number.
2. The HMRC app and your personal tax account
Once HMRC has a record of you (usually after your first job), GOV.UK says you can find your number in the HMRC app if you live in the UK, or in your personal tax account. Both let you download a letter showing your National Insurance number, which is useful when an employer or the Student Loans Company wants written proof. If you have saved it to Apple or Google Wallet, it is there too.
3. Paperwork you already have
GOV.UK suggests checking things you already hold before anything else:
- a payslip from a UK employer
- a P60, the end-of-year certificate your employer gives you
- letters about tax, pensions or benefits
Your number looks like two letters, six numbers and a final letter (GOV.UK uses QQ123456B as its example). If you see something in that format on a payslip, compare it with your other documents before using it, because payroll errors do happen.
What does not work
| Route | What GOV.UK says |
|---|---|
| Calling HMRC | HMRC cannot give you your number over the phone |
| HMRC webchat | HMRC cannot give you your number on webchat |
| Applying again | Your number stays the same for life; you do not need a new one if your details change |
If none of the above works, GOV.UK has a short online tool that asks about your situation and tells you where to look or how to ask for the number. It times out after 15 minutes of inactivity and does not save your answers, so have your passport and visa details beside you before you start.
If your employer is waiting
You can start work before you have a number, provided you can prove your right to work. Tell payroll you are tracking it down. Until the number reaches them, your pay may be taxed on an emergency code; once HMRC links you, any overpaid tax is normally adjusted through your pay. Our article on what the 1257L code means explains what you should expect to see once it is sorted.
Keep the number private. GOV.UK lists the bodies that may need it, such as HMRC, your employer, the DWP, your pension provider and an ISA provider. A landlord or money transfer app should not.
Where Pryme fits
If you are setting up money in the UK at the same time, a Pryme Personal Account can be opened from the UK and gives you GBP and NGN account details in one place (how multicurrency works). Pryme does not need your National Insurance number to send money to family in Nigeria; sending shows the rate and fee before you approve. Outside Nigeria, Pryme works through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
Is my National Insurance number on my eVisa?
It may be. GOV.UK says eVisa holders might already have a number and can find it by signing in to their UKVI account to view the eVisa.
Can HMRC tell me my National Insurance number on the phone?
No. GOV.UK says HMRC cannot give you the number over the phone or on webchat. Use the HMRC app or personal tax account to download a letter instead.
Is the share code my National Insurance number?
No. A share code proves your immigration status for a job or rental. Your NINo is a separate reference made of two letters, six numbers and a final letter.
My eVisa has no NINo. What now?
Apply for one online from inside the UK if you plan to work. You can start work before it arrives if you can prove your right to work.
Sources
- Find your National Insurance number (GOV.UK) · accessed Oct 2026
- Apply for a National Insurance number (GOV.UK) · accessed Oct 2026
- eVisas: access and use your online immigration status (GOV.UK) · 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.