How long does the NI number application actually take?

Allow four to eight weeks from posting the application to receiving the letter. You can legally start work without an NI number, but HMRC will tax you on emergency code 0T until the number arrives, which usually means an extra 20 to 30 per cent withheld. Apply within your first week.

Do I have to file a UK tax return?

Most PAYE employees do not need to file a Self Assessment return because the tax is taken at source. You should file a P85 form when you leave the UK so HMRC can refund any over-withheld tax. Self-employed YMS holders (Uber drivers, freelance work) must file a Self Assessment by 31 January after the tax year.

Can I claim tax back when I leave?

Yes. Most YMS holders who leave part-way through the UK tax year (which runs 6 April to 5 April) are owed a refund because PAYE assumes a full tax year. File form P85 with HMRC, attach your P45, and provide a UK or Australian bank account for the refund. Refunds of GBP 800 to 2,000 are common.

Is the NHS surcharge worth it?

You pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) up front when you apply for YMS, currently around GBP 776 per year. It gives you the same NHS access as a UK resident. You will still need private travel insurance for repatriation, dental, and any treatment NHS waitlists make impractical.

UK Youth Mobility Scheme deep dive for Australians

The UK Youth Mobility Scheme (Tier 5) is the longest WHV available to Australians at three years, and the most expensive to set up. This page covers what tax you will actually pay, how to time the NI number application, the jobs that hire YMS holders, and the mistakes that wreck the budget of most arrivals.

This is general information only, not migration, financial or tax advice. Check the live source pages before relying on the figures here.

UK income-tax bands (2025-26 tax year, England and Wales)

The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April. Scotland sets its own rates; the figures below apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, where most YMS holders work.

Band	Income (GBP)	Rate
Personal allowance	0 to 12,570	0%
Basic rate	12,571 to 50,270	20%
Higher rate	50,271 to 125,140	40%
Additional rate	125,141+	45%

YMS holders are UK tax residents from day one and get the full personal allowance. The allowance tapers away once you earn over GBP 100,000 (lose GBP 1 of allowance for every GBP 2 of income), which rarely affects WHV jobs.

Source: gov.uk income tax rates.

National Insurance contributions (Class 1, employees)

NI is the UK's social-insurance tax. It funds the NHS and the state pension. Class 1 NI runs on top of income tax.

Band	Weekly earnings (GBP)	Rate
Lower earnings limit	0 to 242	0%
Main rate	242.01 to 967	8%
Upper earnings limit	967.01+	2%

A YMS holder earning GBP 30,000 a year pays about GBP 1,394 in NI, on top of GBP 3,486 in income tax. Take-home is roughly GBP 25,120 (about AUD 48,500 at GBP 1 = AUD 1.93).

Source: gov.uk National Insurance rates.

National minimum and living wage

The National Living Wage (21+) is GBP 12.21 per hour from April 2025. The 18-20 rate is GBP 10.00. Most YMS holders are over 21, so the higher rate applies.

Typical hourly rates in YMS-heavy roles:

London hospitality (waiter, barista, bartender): GBP 13 to 17 plus tips
London retail: GBP 12 to 14
Construction labourer (CSCS-card holders): GBP 15 to 20
NHS healthcare assistant: GBP 12 to 14
Office temp work (administration): GBP 14 to 18
Junior IT or design (London): GBP 30,000 to 45,000 salary
Ski resort hospitality (Verbier, Chamonix base in winter): EUR 1,500 to 2,200 per month plus board (separate French / Swiss visa needed)

Source: gov.uk National Minimum Wage rates.

NI number application timeline

You cannot start the NI number application from Australia. The process needs you to be in the UK.

Week 1 in the UK: Apply online at gov.uk apply for an NI number. You will need your YMS BRP (biometric residence permit), an active UK address, and a phone number.
Week 2 to 4: HMRC may ask you to attend an in-person identity interview at a Jobcentre Plus. Bring your passport, BRP, and proof of address (tenancy contract or council letter).
Week 4 to 8: NI number letter arrives by post.
The day it arrives: Give the number to your employer immediately. Ask them to change your tax code from emergency code 0T or BR to the correct code (usually 1257L for the standard personal allowance).

While you wait, you can legally work. Your employer must use emergency code 0T or BR until you provide the number. This taxes you at 20 per cent or higher with no personal allowance, so you over-pay. Once HMRC has your number and a full tax-year history, they refund the overpayment automatically through PAYE or after you file a P85.

Source: gov.uk apply for a National Insurance number.

Typical YMS job types and where to find them

London hospitality: Pret, Costa, Caffe Nero, JD Wetherspoon, Young's pubs, Mitchells and Butlers chains all hire YMS holders openly. Apply in store and online. Most accept open work permits without sponsorship.
Healthcare support: NHS trusts (Barts Health, Imperial College Healthcare, Guy's and St Thomas') hire healthcare assistants at GBP 12 to 14 per hour with overtime. NHS Professionals operates the agency side.
Construction labour: Holding a CSCS card and a CITB Health and Safety test certificate lets you onto most London sites. Daily rates of GBP 120 to 180 are common for general labour, GBP 200+ for skilled trades. Try Hays Construction, Daniel Owen, Fawkes and Reece agencies.
Office temp work: Reed, Adecco, Office Angels and Hays place YMS holders in admin, reception and finance-support roles. London office temp rates run GBP 14 to 25 per hour.
Au pair and nanny: Live-in nanny placements in West London suburbs (Hampstead, Chiswick, Wimbledon) advertise GBP 350 to 500 per week net, room and board included. Greycoat Lumleys is the standard agency.
Tech and graduate roles: Some London tech firms (Octopus Energy, Monzo, Revolut) will hire YMS holders for permanent positions because no sponsorship is needed. Use otta.com, Hired, and LinkedIn with the "Young Professionals" or "International Experience" filter.

Common mistakes YMS holders make

Renting in Zone 1 or 2 on a hospitality wage. A bedroom in Camden, Hackney or Brixton ranges from GBP 900 to 1,400 a month. On a GBP 13-an-hour barista wage, this leaves you GBP 200 a month after council tax, transport and food. Zones 3 to 6 (Leyton, Walthamstow, Tooting, Wimbledon, Tottenham) cut your rent in half and add 20 minutes to the commute.
Skipping council tax registration. If you rent solo or as the lead tenant, you owe council tax (about GBP 100 to 200 a month depending on band and borough). Full-time students get a 100 per cent exemption; YMS holders working full time do not. Failing to register triggers a backdated bill.
Using an Australian credit card for everything. International transaction fees of 3 to 4 per cent compound across a year. Open a Monzo, Starling or Revolut account in your first week using your YMS BRP and a UK address (a hostel letter works for some banks).
Assuming you can travel to the EU freely. Brexit ended free movement. As an Australian YMS holder, you get the standard 90-days-in-180 Schengen tourist visa across the EU, the same as any other Australian passport-holder. You cannot legally work in any EU country on a UK YMS.
Working cash-in-hand for months and not declaring it. Cash-in-hand work is common in London hospitality and construction. HMRC matches PAYE records against bank deposits; large unexplained deposits can trigger a tax-evasion investigation that affects future UK visa applications, including a Skilled Worker or partner-visa route.
Forgetting to file P85 when leaving. The P85 is the form that triggers your end-of-employment tax refund. Without it, HMRC will not chase you; the money stays with them. File P85 the week you leave, even if you plan to return.
Booking a return flight that prevents the full three-year stay. The YMS visa is valid for 24 months as standard, extendable to 36 months once inside the UK by applying before the first 24 months expire. Many YMS holders book a return flight at the 22-month mark and miss the extension window.
Not paying private travel insurance for dental, repatriation and trip cancellation. The IHS gives you NHS GP and hospital care but not dental, not repatriation to Australia in a medical emergency, and not the cost of a flight home if a family member becomes ill. A 36-month WHV travel-insurance policy from Cover-More or World Nomads costs about GBP 800 to 1,200.

Settling your tax when you leave

The tax year ends 5 April. If you leave the UK mid-year:

File form P85 with HMRC online. Attach your final P45 and any P60s.
Provide a UK or Australian bank account for the refund.
HMRC processes most P85 refunds in 8 to 12 weeks.
If you have not received a final payslip with a P45, ask the employer to issue one before your last day.

If you were self-employed (Uber, Deliveroo, freelance work), you file Self Assessment by 31 January after the tax year, not P85. You can do this from Australia using your Government Gateway login.

Source: gov.uk tax if you leave the UK.

What this means for your Australian tax

If you remain an Australian tax resident (the common case for short YMS stays), declare your UK earnings on your Australian return. Claim a foreign income tax offset for the UK tax paid. The Australia-UK double-tax treaty prevents you from being taxed twice on the same income.

If you became a non-resident for Australian tax purposes (broadly, you set up your "permanent place of abode" in the UK and intend to stay long-term), Australia stops taxing your UK income, but HECS-HELP repayment is still required if your worldwide income exceeds the threshold. See the working holiday visa tax basics page for the cross-border rules.

ExamExplained does not provide financial, tax or migration advice. The figures above are 2025-26 published rates from gov.uk; you must check the live source before relying on them. For your circumstances, see a registered Australian tax agent, a UK chartered tax adviser, and a UK Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) regulated adviser for visa questions.