The minister set out an April deadline for changes that are coming in
HMRC has issued an update regarding crucial documentation being sent out over National Insurance. You may want to verify your National Insurance (NI) records are current and your contributions are correctly logged, as these accumulate towards your state pension entitlement.
The full new state pension currently stands at £230.25 per week, and you generally require 35 years of NI contributions to receive this. A minimum of 10 years of contributions is needed to qualify for any state pension amount. Labour MP Juliet Campbell asked Chancellor Rachel Reeves in a written parliamentary inquiry about whether she had looked at the service teams handling A1 certification applications.
She also enquired when processing times are expected to “return to the standard service level”. In October 2025, there were reports of seven-month delays for these applications to go through. These essential certificates demonstrate that you will pay UK NI contributions whilst self-employed and working in either an EU country, the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
You may need to apply for an A1 certificate if you are working in:
- An EU country
- Gibraltar
- Iceland
- Liechtenstein
- Norway
- Switzerland.
Treasury minister response
Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson delivered the Government’s response. He said: “HMRC recognises how important it is for customers to receive their A1 certificates promptly and is strengthening the service to support this.
“Additional National Insurance advisers are being trained to further increase capacity.” He went on to confirm an April date as the tax department steps up its efforts.
Mr Tomlinson said: “The service‐level agreement (SLA) for A1 certificates is to process 80 percent of online applications within 15 working days, and 80 percent of postal applications within 40 working days. HMRC has implemented a plan to stabilise performance and expects to meet its SLAs by the end of the tax year.”
He also offered some practical guidance on how to ensure your application is processed swiftly. The minister said: “Customers are encouraged to apply online for A1 certificates, as online applications are quicker to deal with.”
Applications can be submitted via the Government website. You cannot apply for a certificate more than 12 months before you’re due to work overseas.
When you log in to use the service and submit your application, you may be required to verify your identity. This typically involves presenting a form of photo identification, such as a passport or driving licence.
