CF83, living abroad, buying back NI previous years, deadlines

I moved from the UK twenty years ago and have lived abroad ever since. My NI record says that I had 9 full years NI contributions before 2006, and 18 years of NI gaps since then that I can choose to pay voluntary contributions. However it says I cannot pay online and must contact the Future Pension Centre. But then I also read about submitting an online form CF-83 "Apply to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions when abroad". I have 3 questions I am seeking clarification on please: 1. What should be my first step - call the Future Pension Centre (which seems notoriously difficult to get through) or can I just proceed straight to submitting form CF83? Are they alternatives, or are both required? If both, which to do first? 2. I understand the deadline for "buying back" all these previous years is 5th April 2025. But what exactly is the necessary action to have been taken by that date? Is it... - Calling the FPC? Receiving a response from the FPC? - Submitting form CF83? Receiving a response from that? - Finalizing it all and actually making payment? 3. Finally, I live abroad and mail is slow. Will I be able to receive responses electronically by email through my Government Gateway account? Or if not, can I give a mailing address at my mother's house in the UK so that I can access the response more quickly (but without affecting my residence status abroad? Thank you for any help and advice.

Hi,
To be advised about paying voluntary National Insurance contributions whilst overseas, the first thing to do is to read our leaflet NI38 ‘Social Security Abroad’.  
If, after reading the NI38, you wish to pay voluntary contributions then complete and return the CF83 application form.  
Both the NI38 and CF83 can be found via:  Social Security abroad: NI38
Providing that we receive your CF83 application form before the 5 April 2025 deadline, then you will not be penalised for any delays before we reply to you.  
You will be given extra time to make any payments that you wish to if we reply close to the April date.
Advice will be in our reply to your CF83 application form to first contact Future Pension Centre before paying any voluntary contributions.  
This is because some shortfalls of voluntary contributions may not improve your pension entitlement – they will be able to advise which tax years it would be best for you to pay.
We are only able to contact you by post – we are not able to contact you electronically.  
If you would like to use a correspondence address then this would be fine.
Thank you.

I have been living abroad for many years. As a consequence, I only have 7 years of NI contributions in the UK. After checking my NI/pension status online, I could see that I can still make contributions going back to 2006, but only if I pay before 5 April 2025. At the beginning of February 2025, when I was in the UK, I called the Future Pension Centre about making some of these contributions for past years. I was informed that I would probably be eligible for Class 2 contributions, rather than the Class 3 shown online. I was told to complete a CF83 form to pay Class 2 contributions. I was also told that as long as the completed form had been received by HMRC before the 5 April deadline, then I would still be able to pay these contributions going back to 2006, even if a decision about whether I can pay Class 2 came at a later date. As a result, I completed the CF83 form when I returned home, which is abroad, and posted it to HMRC. It is now 28 February, and the 5 April deadline is getting closer. As i haven't heard anything back from HMRC, I have some questions: 1. As I sent the CF83 form by post, how do I know if HMRC received this form? 2. Can I have confirmation of this, and also written confirmation, or an email confirming that I will still be able to pay for the years going back to 2006, even if HMRC take some weeks, months... to inform me of the outcome of my CF83 form Class 2 application? 3. As I live abroad, I am not prepared to call the Future Pensions Centre, or any other UK number from abroad, as this will cost me dearly. Is there any way of communicating via email about my status and receiving confirmation about receipt of my form and being able to still pay for the years going back to 2006 after April 5? 4. Finally, how long does HMRC take to respond to CF83 forms sent from abroad by post? I would be very grateful for answers to these questions, because the gov.uk website seems to only post phone numbers for assistance, and not email addresses.

Hi,
Provided that we receive your CF83 application form before 5 April 2025, then we will use the rates in force when we received your query when calculating any shortfalls of voluntary National Insurance contributions that you may have when we reply to you. We will also give you more time to pay any that you may wish.
We do not have an e-mail address for National Insurance contributions but if you would like to check that we have received your CF83 application form, then please call our National Insurance team and they will be able to help you further.
National Insurance: general enquiries
If you are living in an EU country then our International Team that process these CF83 forms are currently dealing with those received in January 2024.
If you are living in a country outside of the EU then our International Teams are currently dealing with them received in March 2024.
Thank you.

 

Thank you for your response. From the sounds of it, I will probably not receive a response to my CF83 application until 2026. If this is the case, will I still be able to pay for the years from 2006 onwards in 2026, after I have had a reply about my CF83 application? And if yes, is this true irrespective of whether I am still in Class 3 or I have been put into Class 2 NI contributions? In short, even if I don't hear until 2026, will I still be able to pay for the years 2006 onwards? Thank you in advance for your answers.

Hi,
If you have already submitted a CF83 form, we’re processing it as quickly as possible. No one who has sent a form on time will be disadvantaged. You will be given time to make your payment once we issue your shortfall amounts regardless of when that is. So yes if you don't hear until 2026, you will still be able to pay for the years 2006 onwards? 
Thank you.

Hi I have been living abroad for 20 years and would like to top up my national insurance contributions for the last 10 years. How do I know which class I should pay. Also can I pay if I didn`t live 3 continuous years in the UK directly before the years I want to pay for? Thanks

Hi Hessreg,
You can find the criteria for paying Voluntary Contributions abroad by reading NI38 on the gov.uk website.
You’ll then have to apply using the form CF83 Application to pay National Insurance Contributions abroad.
This can be completed online or by print and post. 
Thank you.