National Insurance for Mariners
You are defined as a ‘mariner’ if you are or have been employed under a contract of service as:
- a master or crew member of a hovercraft, or
- a master, crew member or radio officer of any ship, or
- a supernumerary – that is, a person employed on board a ship
in any other capacity, as long as
- the work is done for the ship, the crew or any passengers, cargo or mail carried by the ship, and
- the contract of employment is entered into in the UK, and is intended to apply wholly or partly during the voyage
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are National Insurance contributions?
- How do I get a National Insurance Number?
- When would I be liable to pay Class 1 National Insurance contributions?
- If I am not liable to pay NI can I pay voluntary contributions?
- I am about to start work with a new employer who doesn’t operate PAYE. What do I have to do?
- I am liable to pay Class 1 NI contributions. How much will it cost me?
- I think I have paid too much NI, how do I claim a refund?
- I pay NI to the UK. Am I covered overseas for healthcare and Social Security benefits?
- My shipmates don’t pay NI contributions. Why should I?
Contact us
We have a special unit to advise mariners about NI contributions. If you need additional information, you can contact us. If you want to email us.
You can write to us at this address:
Marine NICs
HMRC
15th Floor East wing
Ty Glas Road
Llanishen
Cardiff
CF14 5FP
You can also telephone us. The number you call depends on the first letters of your surname.
| Surnames beginning | Number to call |
|---|---|
| A - B C-Da Db - Gl Go- K L - N O - SL SM – Z |
+44 (0)29 2032 6043 +44 (0)29 2032 6124 +44 (0)29 2032 6329 +44 (0)29 2032 6979 +44 (0)29 2032 6302 +44 (0)29 2032 6042 +44 (0)29 2032 6419 |
To help us to advise you about your personal contributions position we will ask you to complete a Questionnaire giving information about you and the ship you work on. You can find the Mariners' Questionnaire (PDF 55K).
