How to get IRL and NI for my Croatian gf

Hello guys and girls,


As per the title, my gf is a Croatian National who has been living and working in the UK for over 2 years as a self employed person (without any permits).

She really wants (and needs to) obtain a National Insurance number to improve her employment options and so she can start paying into the 'system' like the rest of us.

I have dual Citizenship (British and Irish) and understand British citizens can't apply for permits/ILR for EEA nationals, the amount of conflicting information on the GOV website is a minefield.

Can I use my Irish citizenship to make the application?


We've been together for over 2 years and are currently travelling, however the UK is our home.


If anyone is able to calrify this it would be greatly apppreciated.


Thanks in advance.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... KP__2_.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... _03-15.pdf

She should have a yellow registration cert if working as self employed.

Job centre for NI in the normal way.

A Croatian national who is the unmarried partner of a British citizen is not subject to the Accession worker regulation 2013.

Has she registered with HMRC as self-employed and submitted the relevant Self Assessment tax returns

CR001 wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:12 am

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... KP__2_.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... _03-15.pdf

She should have a yellow registration cert if working as self employed.

Job centre for NI in the normal way.

Hi CR001,

She does not and did not have any certificate for working self employed - it wasn't mandatory to have so we didn't bother as it seemed unnecessary.


Job Centre refused NI number..Croatia doesn't have FULL EU rights yet....... Any idea how she would get a NI number??

Obie wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2018 11:14 am

A Croatian national who is the unmarried partner of a British citizen is not subject to the Accession worker regulation 2013.

Hi Obie,

Sorry to sound ignorant here but what is the impact of that? I'm going round in circles trying to interpret all the different regulations and rules?

I just want to get my gf a NI number - HOWEVER, she does have a temporary NI number issued temporarily while working for an agency before they realised their error and asked her to become a LTD company entity.

Casa wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2018 12:38 pm

Has she registered with HMRC as self-employed and submitted the relevant Self Assessment tax returns

Hi Casa,

Yes, she was issued a UTR number to enable our accountant to file returns. He filed a LTD company return for her and it has just been received by Companies house.

She did work for an agency for around 9 months who had her under a 'temporary NI number' until they realised the error of their ways and she was asked to go LTD self employed or not to come back - She was awarded a decent tax rebate not too long ago as a result of the employment beong cut short - our accountant took care of it all for us.

I'd like her to have clear rights to remain and then be able to apply for a NI number via the normmal route of the job centre - she was refused previously as we were told by the agent at the job centre who took her application details.

She has recently just received a generic letter 'thhis is where your tax has gone this year' letter...




Thanks for all your advice guys

CR001 wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:12 am

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... KP__2_.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... _03-15.pdf

She should have a yellow registration cert if working as self employed.

Job centre for NI in the normal way.

CR001, I've just taken another look at the various permits and the blue permit sticks out to me - she could claim an exemption under the Accension state worker authorisation via myself being a British citizen and having been in a relationship for over 2 years.

Then once she has this certificate, she could obtain NI from the Job Centre in the normal way as you mentioned?