← FFCheckWho do I contact?EN
Papers · the UK
Updated September 2026

🔢 I just moved here — how do I get the national ID / tax / social-security number?

Direct answer

Everything — a job, a bank account, a doctor, a rental — needs the national identification number, so it is the first appointment after arriving. In the UK you get it from HMRC — National Insurance number / General Register Office (0800 141 2079) when you register your address or, for non-residents, from UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office) (0300 790 6268). Bring your passport or ID card, proof of address (a rental contract or a host's declaration) and, for non-EU citizens, the residence permit or visa from Your local council (gov.uk). Appointments fill up: book before you arrive if the portal allows.

There is no address registration in the UK. 'Registering' means telling HMRC, the DVLA, your GP surgery, your bank and the electoral register — and applying for a National Insurance number if you are new.

Call firstHMRC — National Insurance number / General Register Office
Report toUK Visas and Immigration (Home Office)
If that failsYour local council

🗣️ What to say

"I moved to the UK on [date] and live at [address]. I would like to register and obtain my [national number / tax number / social-security number]. I have [passport/ID, rental contract / host declaration, permit]. Which documents do you need and can I book an appointment?"

🪜 Step by step

  1. Book the registrationAt HMRC — National Insurance number / General Register Office: address registration and the number usually come together. Online booking where it exists; otherwise early morning in person.
  2. DocumentsPassport or ID, proof of address, birth certificate (sometimes with apostille), marriage certificate if relevant, permit or visa for non-EU citizens.
  3. Non-resident number: UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office)For work or tax before you have an address — the tax office issues a provisional or non-resident number.
  4. Non-EU: Your local council firstThe residence permit or the registration certificate may be a precondition; check the order for your case.
  5. Then everything elseBank, health insurance, employer, GP — all take the number. Keep the letter with it safe.

📇 All contacts

HMRC — National Insurance number / General Register OfficeNI number, birth/marriage certificates; no address registration in the UKOn arrival and for certificates📞 0800 141 2079🔗 www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number
UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office)Visas, settlement, citizenship applicationsFor residence and citizenship📞 0300 790 6268🔗 www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk
Your local councilNoise, waste, roads, housing standards, licensing, lost propertyFor anything the council handles🔗 www.gov.uk/find-local-council
Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman / Parliamentary OmbudsmanComplaints about councils and government departments, freeWhen a public body does not answer or acts unfairly📞 0300 061 0614🔗 www.lgo.org.uk

❓ Frequently asked

I have a job offer but no address yet

Ask the employer for a hosting letter or use the non-resident route at UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office); the number can be converted when you register an address.

How long does it take?

Same day in some countries, weeks in others. The appointment is the bottleneck, not the processing.

EU citizen — do I need to register at all?

Yes, after three months in most countries (sooner in some), and for the number you need it anyway.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

  • “national id number new arrival the UK”
  • “register address get number the UK”
  • “tax number foreigner the UK”
  • “social security number apply”
  • “moving to the UK first steps”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related questions

🚚Register your address→⏳Residence permit delay→📜Apostille→🎓Diploma recognition→

Your tools for the UK

Before it goes wrongCan I?What is allowed, what is not, which permit you need — with the official source.Energy · the UKElectricity & gasThe rules that protect you as an electricity and gas customer in the UK, and who to contact. Every fact is checked on an official source.Recognise it firstIs dit veilig?Check a phone number, website or message against 47,000 scam dossiers.