FAQs

Only in certain countries. The pension uprates each April in the UK, EEA, Switzerland, Gibraltar, and countries the UK has a reciprocal agreement with (the USA, Philippines, Israel, Mauritius, Barbados and a few others). In other countries — including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand and Panama — your pension is fixed at the rate first received as a permanent resident.

Realistically, around £900–£1,200/month for a single person in rural Portugal, Greek islands, Turkey, Thailand, Panama or Mexico (cheaper inland). £1,400–£1,800 will give you a comfortable coastal life in Spain, Cyprus or Malta; £1,700–£2,200 in France or Italy. Visa income thresholds vary independently — Portugal D7 just €870/month (£740), Spain NLV €28,800/year (£24,400), Greece FIP €42,000/year, Italy Elective Residence €32,000/year, France VLS-TS €1,843/month (1× SMIC), Panama Pensionado just $1,000/month.

Tell HMRC by completing form P85 (Leaving the UK — getting your tax right) once your departure is confirmed. Notify the International Pension Centre at the DWP separately so your State Pension can be paid into your new account. If you receive a UK workplace or personal pension, also submit form DT-Individual to apply for an NT (No Tax) PAYE code — without it, your provider keeps deducting UK tax even after the treaty has moved taxing rights to your new country.

Almost never. The UK has 130+ double-tax treaties in force, covering every country featured on this site (Costa Rica and Panama use territorial tax systems and don't tax foreign pension income at all). Under a treaty, your pension is taxed in one country only — usually the country you're tax resident in (over 183 days/year). UK government service pensions (civil service, armed forces, teachers, police) are an exception under most treaties — they remain taxable in the UK only.

Three EU countries offer dedicated retiree regimes: Cyprus charges a flat 5% on foreign pension income above a €3,420 allowance (Article 20 of the Income Tax Law), Greece offers 7% on ALL foreign income for 15 years (Article 5B of Law 4714/2020), and Italy offers 7% for up to 10 years in qualifying southern towns under 30,000 residents (Article 24-ter TUIR, expanded from 20,000 by Law 34/2026). Malta's MRP charges 15% on pension remitted to Malta. Portugal's NHR 10% pension regime closed in December 2023.

An NT code instructs your UK workplace or personal pension provider to pay your pension gross — no UK income tax withheld. You apply via HMRC form DT-Individual after becoming tax-resident in your new country. The UK State Pension is always paid gross; the NT code is for occupational, SIPP and drawdown providers who otherwise default to UK PAYE.

Potentially yes. UK Inheritance Tax follows your domicile, not your residence — and it can take 3+ tax years of clear evidence to shed UK domicile of origin. The 2025 Finance Bill replaced the domicile test with a 'long-term resident' rule based on 10/20 tax-year tests. If your estate is significant, take professional cross-border tax advice before moving — and review your will, which usually needs replacing in your new country.

Yes — the NHS is for UK residents only. Once you become permanently resident abroad you must deregister with your GP and register with your new country's healthcare system instead. In EU/EEA countries plus Switzerland and Gibraltar you can apply for an S1 form from the NHS Business Services Authority before you leave, which entitles you to local public healthcare paid for by the UK. Outside Europe you'll rely on the local public system, private cover, or both.

The S1 (formerly E121) is a UK-issued certificate proving the UK will fund your healthcare in another EEA country. Apply via the NHS Business Services Authority up to 90 days before moving (28-day minimum), then register the S1 with your host country's authority — INSS in Spain, CPAM in France, ASL in Italy, EFKA in Greece, GeSY in Cyprus, SNS in Portugal. You then access public healthcare on the same terms as nationals. S1 is available to UK State Pension recipients and dependants moving permanently to the EEA, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Gibraltar.

GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) covers necessary care during short visits of up to 90 days — it is for tourists. The S1 transfers your right to state-funded healthcare permanently when you become a resident of another EEA country. Once you're an S1-registered resident abroad, the GHIC actually applies to short visits BACK to the UK (you no longer have automatic NHS access as a non-resident).

France's healthcare system is consistently ranked #1 by the WHO and is freely accessible to S1 holders. Spain, Italy and Portugal have strong public systems with full S1 access. Malta uses English as a working language in hospitals. For private healthcare quality and affordability, Thailand and Malaysia have JCI-accredited hospitals at a fraction of UK private prices. Mexico's private system is excellent in Guadalajara, Mexico City and Mérida.

Portugal (D7), Spain (Non-Lucrative Visa), Cyprus (Pink Slip / Category F), Greece (FIP), Malta (Retirement Programme), Italy (Elective Residency), Thailand (O-A from age 50), Panama (Pensionado from $1,000/month) and Costa Rica (Pensionado from $1,000/month). France has a Long-Stay Visitor Visa that works for retirees. Most require proof of around £20-25k/year of passive income; Panama and Costa Rica's threshold is closer to £10k.

Yes. Brexit ended automatic freedom of movement, but every EU country has retirement-friendly visa routes open to non-EU citizens. The processes are paperwork-heavy (visa application, residence card on arrival, proof of income, private health cover for year one) but well-established. Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and France all process British retirees as 'third-country nationals' on standard non-EU routes. Ireland is the only EU country without any visa requirement, via the Common Travel Area.

No. The 90 days in any 180-day rule only applies to visitors. Once you hold a national long-stay residence visa (Spain NLV, Portugal D7, France VLS-TS, Italy Elective Residence, etc.) you are a resident, not a Schengen tourist, and the 90/180 limit no longer applies to time spent in your visa-issuing country. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) rolling out from October 2025 automates the tourist calculation.

Yes — Ireland is the only EU country where this works. The Common Travel Area gives UK citizens an automatic right to live, work and retire in Ireland with no visa, no residence permit and no income test. Healthcare access is via the Irish Medical Card or Drugs Payment Scheme on the same terms as Irish citizens once you are ordinarily resident.

Often yes, but you should ask your bank before you move. Some UK banks (notably some smaller ones and online-only banks) close accounts once you have a non-UK address. The big high-street banks (Barclays, HSBC, NatWest, Lloyds) generally let you keep a basic UK current account as a non-resident, often by switching you to an 'international' product. Keep a UK account open for receiving your State Pension or rental income.

You can return at any time and re-establish UK residency. Re-register with the NHS once back (no waiting period for UK citizens). Many of our case studies kept their UK home rented out for the first 2-3 years to keep the option open — and went back for some or all of the winter once they'd settled. Becoming UK tax-resident again resets the tax-treaty clock.

It helps everywhere, but in Cyprus and Malta you can run daily life entirely in English (both have English as an official or working language). The British-heavy parts of Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol and the Algarve also function in English. Thailand's expat hubs (Chiang Mai, Hua Hin) and Mexico's Lake Chapala / San Miguel de Allende are similar. In rural France, Italy, Greece, Portugal or Spain you'll need conversational basics within 6-12 months.

Start with our 2-minute wizard at /wizard — answer 7 questions and we'll rank the 12 countries against your situation. Then read the country pages for your top 3 matches, paying particular attention to the visa income threshold and tax overview. Book a 1-2 week exploratory trip outside the peak tourist season before committing to a one-way move.