Can an immigrant buy extra NI years to quality for full pension?

CrackleNpop

I've moved from Ireland to the UK in 2015/16 tax year.

So far I've paid 8 NI years (supposedly, tbc, and this year when complete will be 9) and I planned to retire in 18 years. If I follow this plan, I will be short of the ~30ish years needed for the full state pension. 

I think I only need to buy a couple more years to get a full pension, and I read that people with missing years can fill them back to 2006. 

Is there anything I can do to ensure I am 'paid up' to get the full state pension (without working more years, obviously!).

DE_612183

Were you a UK national living in Ireland or an Irish nation who is now a UK Citizen?

I think it's important as I  doubt you can contribute to an Irish Pension, and then buy a UK one as well.

Brie

You could have your Irish SP taken into consideration.  (I assume there is one).  I'm not sure if you are able to buy years in the UK if you were also buying years elsewhere.  I know that I was able to get my UK SP as well as my foreign one as they did not overlap.  I didn't do a transfer into the UK SP as I had the full amount but will consider doing it for my OH though the foreign one starts a full year earlier so maybe not.

p00hsticks

CrackleNpop said:

I think I only need to buy a couple more years to get a full pension

That's not my understanding. The introduction of the New State Pension in 2016 introduced a minimum qualification of ten NI years to qualify for *any* UK state Pension, but ten years doesn't get you the full amount . I think that equivalent years earned in certain other countries can be counted towards these years, but wouldn't increase the amount of the UK Pension . 

As others have said, you may also have earned an entitlement to a RoI pension alongside any UK one. 
To get info from the horses mouth, contact the International Pension Centre
International Pension Centre - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Suhusa

You can buy years going forward, but you can't buy years from before you moved to the UK. So with the 9 years already paid (or to be paid soon) and the 18 years you have till you reach retirement, you can reach 27 years.

That said, does Ireland offer the option to buy additional pension contributions? You will have mandatory contributions in both systems taken into account for the calculation of both state pensions, but with voluntary contributions you may in effect be able to get two pensions (or in your case up to about 1 and three quarters of a pension), although depending on the Irish system it may or may not be a very efficient way to invest your money.

I've returned to Germany and I continue paying voluntary contributions in the UK because the returns are insanely generous. On the other hand paying voluntary contributions to the German system while in the UK is not such a stellar investment as it takes about 17 years to recoup the contributions (before tax iirc) and it costs you a lot more.