A decision to relocate to another country permanently is not taken overnight; people take time pondering about changing their life so drastically. And you would need that time to get ready for the move. Say you have chosen Great Britain as your new home – if you come unprepared, you will struggle with understanding and getting used to a new way of life, laws, mentality, etc.
Do you want to save yourself this stress, time and money? Read this article where we explain how to move to the United Kingdom, what problems and hardships you might encounter and how to prepare yourself for them to minimise losses.
Bringing a family to the UK
Almost all long-term visas allow to bring family members with you. However, only on one condition – you must have enough money to support yourself and dependants without applying for social benefits.Applying for a UK long-term visa is a tedious and lengthy process with many requirements, documents, pitfalls and peculiarities. One mistake can cause your application to be refused. To prevent this, talk to a qualified immigration lawyer at the very beginning when you start preparing documents for a UK visa.
How to prepare finances before moving to the UK
In the United Kingdom, any income received in the country is taxed. But please remember that the fact of moving to the British Isles does not automatically make you tax resident. To become one, you must spend here some time and/or have ties with the UK. You can check your tax status in the UK very quickly with our user-friendly UK Tax Residence Test that will take only 5 minutes of you time.
What is clean capital?
UK laws say that any money earned by you before you become UK tax resident, is considered clean capital and is not taxed. However, it only includes monetary funds on your bank account(s). What does it mean for?
- First, before you become UK tax resident, convert all your foreign tangible assets into money. In other words, sell them or you will have to pay capital gains tax.
- Second, open a separate bank account for new income and do not mix it with the clean capital.
We recommend doing it in advance, preferably before you move to Great Britain, because UK tax residents must declare all their income and pay taxes on each penny received. To avoid mistakes, talk to a tax adviser from a reputable firm with experience in dealing with such matters.
Notifying about your second citizenship
If laws of your country of origin allow dual nationality, it does not mean that you do not have to do anything after you receive your second or third passport. It is advisable to check the rules and regulations regarding notifying authorities of that country about change of circumstances. Some governments would penalise you for not telling them about your second citizenship.
Another thing to remember is that, dual nationals are usually not allowed to take or be elected for government posts.
Relocation to the UK
Once your visa is stamped, your finances are in order, it is time to sort out logistics and admin issues.
Where will you live with a family?
Depends on your budget and needs, but there would be two options,
- Buy a house or a flat.
- Rent an accommodation.
Real estate in the UK is not cheap, but it does not mean it is not affordable. Banks offer low mortgage rates that would work for people with average income.
Taxes and charges when buying property in UK
There is no property tax, but upon purchase you will pay a stamp duty, valuation and legal fees. On top of that, there come maintenance fees including utilities, council tax and leasehold charges (if the ground does not belong to you). There are certain allowances applicable to a stamp duty for properties whose value does not exceed a fixed threshold.
Renting a property in the UK
It is normally a prerogative of younger generation that does not want to settle in one place or people that want to test the ground before buying in a chosen area.
Purchase and long-let deals cannot and should not be signed without a qualified legal support. It will protect you from any issues in the future.
Where will my children study?
The United Kingdom is world renowned for its educational institutions for any budget and needs. There are a lot of state and public schools. Graduates of UK higher educational establishments are in high demand anywhere in the world.
High level of education in Great Britain in general does not mean that it is same in every institution. If you want the bet for your kids, and you can afford it, enrol them in a more expensive public school.
British are proud of their higher education and accept no compromise. Even though you will be paying tuition fees, your children will have to study hard or else they will be expelled.
How to bring pets to the UK
If you do not want to leave your pet behind with relatives, take care of all paperwork and vaccination well in advance, at least six months before relocating to the UK. For a long time, there was a strict quarantine for dogs and cats brought from the continent. Rules have been softened since then, but it still takes a lot preparation and planning. Here is a checklist of things you must do to bring your beloved pet with you to Great Britain.
- Make sure your dog is not a banned breed.
- Get a pet passport.
- Have it microchipped.
- Have it vaccinated against rabies not later than three weeks before travelling. Three months prior to travel date, a pet must be tested for rabies antibodies.
- Take it for a tapeworm treatment.
- Obtain a health certificate right before travel date.
Cats are easier to bring. If you have a parrot, have it vaccinated against bird flu. If you do not follow the rules, your pet may be quarantined for up to 4 months or put down.
How to settle in a new place?
It is more of an issue related to behaviourism psychology rather than jurisprudence. We have top tips for you from those who have been living in the UK for a while.
- Do your research and reconnaissance. If you can, visit the place you plan to move to as a tourist, but avoid touristic places. See how local live.
- Surround yourself with people of different nationalities; do not limit your circle of friends to your compatriots only.
- Learn the language even though you didn’t have to take a test when applying for an investor visa.
- Remember your customs, traditions and habits. Have something that would remind you of your home country and create a home.
Qualified specialists from Imperial & Legal offer full-scale support for your relocation needs. We work with each client individually offering customised solutions, starting from visa application to property search and education options for your children, setting up a company and tax optimisation.