Which year is NHT refunding?
NHT pays a year’s contributions back in the 8th year after you made them. In 2026 that means 2018, plus any earlier year you haven’t claimed. Each January another year opens.
| Contributions made in | Opens | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 January 2026 | Open now |
| 2019 | 1 January 2027 | Expected, not announced |
| 2020 | 1 January 2028 | Expected, not announced |
| 2021 | 1 January 2029 | Expected, not announced |
Only the 2018 row comes from NHT. The rows after it are our working from NHT’s rule, so treat them as the likely dates until NHT confirms them on its refunds page.
How to apply
You can apply on NHT Online, on NHT’s online application form or on the NHT mobile app, which is on Google Play and the App Store. Applications are open all year. Have these ready:
- Your NIS number and your TRN.
- A valid photo ID, such as a driver’s licence, passport, voter’s ID or national ID card.
- The registered names of the companies you worked for, and the years you worked at each.
You choose where NHT sends the money. It can pay NCB, Scotiabank, Sagicor Bank, JN Bank, First Global Bank, FirstCaribbean or JMMB Bank. The name on the account has to match the name on your application, the account type has to be right and the account can’t be dormant. NHT also suggests you check the spelling of your name, special characters included, before you submit. A regular refund is paid in your name only, so bring proof if your name has changed.
How to check your refund status
When you apply, NHT gives you a reference number. Save it. NHT says that is how you track the application, and that it will tell you when it pays out. NHT’s refunds page doesn’t name a separate status tool, so quote the reference number when you ask NHT about a refund.
NHT also says that if you are in doubt about a message that seems to come from it, you should contact NHT to check.
How long it takes
NHT gives no payment time Not publishedSource: NHT: refunds, so we won’t guess one. It says you will be told when the money has gone to the bank you chose. Its own tips for a smooth payment are the right spelling of your name, the right account type and number, and your reference number kept safe.
If you have an NHT mortgage
Refunds used to go to the mortgage balance. From 1 July 2025, private-sector mortgagors whose accounts are up to date can take the refund in cash instead of putting it on the loan. NHT’s page adds that a public sector worker, or someone whose mortgage came through the Joint Finance Mortgage Programme or the Combined Mortgage Programme, may apply for the refund. If you are not sure which group you are in, ask NHT before you apply.
Special refunds
A special refund pays all your contributions at once, without waiting for each year to open. Retirees, invalidity pensioners, foreign nationals leaving Jamaica for good, and agents of contributors who have died. Jamaicans who migrate do not qualify.Source: NHT: special refunds It leaves out anything you already claimed as a regular refund and anything already credited to a loan.
If you are a Jamaican moving abroad, that means you can’t take a special refund. You can still claim the regular refund for each year as it opens.
Does claiming a refund affect an NHT loan?
No. A contributor who has already had a refund stays eligible for an NHT loan, as long as contributions payments are current. Our NHT mortgage calculator shows what you could borrow, and the NHT loan guide covers who qualifies.
How the estimate works
The estimator multiplies your pay for each year by 2%Source: TAJ payroll taxes and statutory contributions, employee and employer (updated April 2025) if you were an employee, or 3%Source: NHT: self-employed contributions if you were self-employed. It adds up the years NHT has opened and leaves out the years you say you have already claimed. NHT’s refund page states no interest rate Not publishedSource: NHT: refunds, so the estimate counts contributions only.
NHT pays from its own record of your contributions, so the amount you receive can differ from ours. What you type into the estimator stays in your browser. It isn’t saved or put in the address.