Illustrative tool
£956.80 buys a qualifying year from abroad. See what that adds to your State Pension, and how quickly it pays for itself.
Illustrative only, not financial advice.
The Voluntary NI Top-Up Calculator is a free tool that illustrates what Class 3 voluntary National Insurance contributions cost at the 2026/27 rate and the extra State Pension each qualifying year is worth under the 35-year rule. It is built for expatriates weighing whether to fill gaps in their record from abroad, and it shows the payback period and the cumulative difference over a retirement horizon. Whether any given year actually adds to YOUR pension depends on your real record, which is what a specialist checks before anything is paid.
These figures are illustrative only and are not financial advice. The illustration uses the 2026/27 Class 3 rate (£18.40 per week) and the 2026/27 full new State Pension (£12,548 per year), assumes each year bought adds 1/35 of the full amount, and does not model uprating, tax on pension income, or eligibility. Some past years may be buyable at different historical rates, and people contracted out before April 2016 may need more than 35 years. Whether voluntary contributions add to YOUR pension depends on your actual record: check your State Pension forecast at gov.uk/check-state-pension before paying anything. New applicants from 2026/27 must meet tightened eligibility criteria. Speak with a regulated specialist before making any financial decisions.
Your forecast at gov.uk/check-state-pension shows this.
The standard lookback window for filling gaps is 6 years.
Total cost
£4,784
5 years at £956.80 each (Class 3, 2026/27)
Extra State Pension
£1,793
per year, for life, before any uprating
Pays for itself in
2.7 yrs
of drawing the pension
Over 20 years of retirement that is £35,851 of extra State Pension for a one-off £4,784, a net difference of £31,067 on these illustrative assumptions.
Illustrative only, not financial advice.
Gaps in your record? Tell us your situation.
A specialist checks your actual forecast, which years are worth buying, and how the State Pension fits your wider retirement plan.
Questions
Common questions about voluntary NI from abroad
Can expats still pay voluntary National Insurance from abroad?
Yes, in many cases. Class 3 voluntary contributions remain available at £18.40 per week for 2026/27. From 6 April 2026, Class 2 contributions were abolished for periods spent abroad, and new applicants from 2026/27 must meet tightened eligibility criteria, including at least 10 years of continuous UK residency or 10 qualifying years on their record. The application form is CF83, and the standard lookback window for filling gaps is 6 years.
How much State Pension does one qualifying year buy?
Under the new State Pension, 35 qualifying years earn the full £12,548 per year for 2026/27, so each qualifying year is worth roughly £358 per year of State Pension, for life. A full Class 3 year costs £956.80 at the 2026/27 rate, which means a bought year typically pays for itself within about three years of drawing the pension. People contracted out before April 2016 may need more than 35 years, which is why checking the actual forecast first matters.
When would topping up NOT add anything?
Once a record reaches 35 qualifying years (more for some who were contracted out), further contributions add nothing to the new State Pension. Years may also add nothing if the record already contains credits for them. This is why the first step is always the official forecast at gov.uk/check-state-pension, and why a specialist checks the record before any payment is made.
Is the State Pension I build up protected if I live abroad?
Entitlement continues to accumulate and can be claimed from abroad through the International Pension Centre. Whether the amount then rises each year depends on the country: pensioners in the EEA, Gibraltar, Switzerland, and agreement countries receive annual uprating, while in most other countries the pension is frozen at the rate first paid. Our frozen pension calculator shows what that difference can add up to.
Open the frozen pension calculatorThe regulated specialists we introduce review your forecast and your wider pension position together, so decisions are made once, with the full picture.