What do you need when moving back to the UK?

If you’re looking to move back to the UK, there are a few things you’ll need to have in place to ensure your personal, business and financial situations are in order.

Financial

Ensure you have a UK bank account set up if you don’t already have one. This is vital as you can easily move over any savings, benefits or wages you’ve received and won’t be left short.

You should also look into what tax you may be liable to pay, as well as how best to build your UK credit score. Plus, if you’re transferring a significant amount of money, it’s important to research the current exchange rates so you can properly budget.

Understanding your pension is worthwhile too, as this can be easily overlooked. You may have built a pension overseas while still having one in place in the UK. Take the time to understand the details about each of your pensions so you can work out what’s best to do with them in the future. If in doubt, speak to a financial advisor.

Housing

It’s important to give appropriate notice of your move to your current accommodation provider or allow enough time to complete the selling process of your home before you move back. You should also make the relevant arrangements to ship your belongings to the UK, having somewhere to store them if you’re still looking for housing.

If you’re considering applying for council housing, take a look at the requirements beforehand to see if you meet the criteria. Alternatively, consider a short-term let or ask any family and friends to help you out.

Register with the NHS

To receive free healthcare in the UK, you must inform the NHS that you have moved back as a permanent resident.

You will need to complete a GMS1 form to register with a GP near your home and prove that you are eligible for free healthcare.

You can do this by providing various documents – for example, showing you are a UK resident with proof of a tenancy agreement, a bank account showing recent domestic activity, or a payslip from your new employer.

Schools

If you’re looking to move back to the UK with children, it’s important to ensure you can enrol them in a school close to your new home.

Take your time to research the schools around your future area to determine which would be the best fit to educate your children.

It’s best if your home is within the catchment area of the school to ensure your children can get there easily, without you having to travel miles to help them.