About Northern Ireland

Find out about Northern Ireland, whether you live or work here, or are just coming to visit.

Key facts

Population	1,903,100 (census day, 21 March 2021)
Capital city	Belfast
Nationality and citizenship	British, Irish or both
Language(s)	English, Irish, Ulster Scots, British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL)
Weather	Northern Ireland forecast
Currency	Pound sterling (GBP) £
Calling code	from abroad dial 00 44 + area code (without 0) + local number
Electricity	240 volts (standard three-pin plugs)
Airports	Belfast International Airport, George Best Belfast City Airport, City of Derry Airport
Major sea ports	Belfast, Larne, Warrenpoint

If you want to find out more information about Northern Ireland, you'll find lots of useful and interesting statistics on the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) website and the NISRA Data Portal.

Public and bank holidays

Bank holidays are holidays when banks and many other businesses are closed for the day. Public Holidays are holidays which have been observed through custom and practice, such as Christmas Day.

Find out about the bank and public holidays in Northern Ireland:

Bank holidays

Nationality and citizenship

Northern Ireland is part of the UK.

The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement) was based on a series of basic principles. These include the birthright of the people of Northern Ireland to identify and be accepted as British or Irish, or both, and to hold both British and Irish citizenship.

You can find out more about the different types of citizenship at the following links.

Government

There are different levels of government in Northern Ireland. For example:

local councils that look after things like bin collections and leisure centres
the Executive and Assembly who run the government and pass laws
the UK Parliament at Westminster
Overview of government in Northern Ireland

Coming to Northern Ireland to visit, study or work

If you want to come to Northern Ireland to visit, study or work, you may need to apply for a visa through UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI).

You'll find a handy tool on the GOV.UK website to check if you need a visa. Simply enter the country that issued your passport or travel documents and what you want the visa for, for example work, study or visiting.

The checker will tell you if you need a visa and give you information on how to apply.

Check if you need a UK visa

You may also find the following links useful.

Visiting Northern Ireland

There are lots of things to see and do in Northern Ireland. You'll find everything here, from natural wonders like the Giant's Causeway, to the stunning Fermanagh Lakelands and magnificent sandy beaches along the coastlines. There's also the great food, culture and warm welcome that awaits you in the cities and towns.

Discover Northern Ireland

Get statistical information about your neighbourhood

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency’s (NISRA) Data Portal has local area statistics and maps about population, society and the economy.

NISRA Data Portal

The Census 2021 Flexible Table builder allows you to explore the results of Census 2021 for a range of census variables and geographic levels.

Census 2021 flexible table builder

Postcodes

You can find a list of Northern Ireland postcodes at the following link:

Northern Ireland postcodes

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What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit. Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme, email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about 60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly. We don't have access to information about you.

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