# Retiring to the UK **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2016, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648 "2016-12-14T01:04:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/1 "2016-12-14T01:04:28Z")
Let’s say I live in the US as a US citizen and that I’m retired. I’ve decided I want to live out the rest of my life in the UK, assuming they will put up with me. 🙂 My grandfather emigrated to the US from England 100 years ago, but that’s the only connection to the UK I have. 1. Can I apply for a long term visa and move to the UK with the intent to become a citizen? I have no intention of working there and I have enough money to live comfortably the rest of my life. I wouldn’t draw a old person’s pension, and I don’t expect to have free health care from just moving there. 2. Would I have to pay taxes on the money I brought into the UK to live on? What about interest earned on the savings while living in the UK? 3. How likely is it that I would be granted permission to move to the UK and live there permanently? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/2 "2016-12-14T03:15:35Z")
Here’s the official UK website with the answers to your questions: [Apply to settle in the UK](https://www.gov.uk/settle-in-the-uk) ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/3 "2016-12-14T03:55:48Z")
I think you’d have difficulty getting in. The UK used to offer a retired person’s visa, but they stopped offering them about 10 years ago. If you go there for work or study there are various routes by which you may be able to parlay that up, in time, to long-term residence, but if you’re already retired I don’t think that’s a viable option. Family links can help, but having one grandfather born in the UK is not a sufficient link. If you do get in as a long-term resident, then you’ll be a resident for tax purposes, and liable to UK income tax on your world-wide income and gains, whether or not you remit them to the UK. Relief may be available under double-taxation agreeements between the UK and the countries where the income and gains arise. But there would be no tax or levy on assets, accrued savings etc transferred to the UK. As a legal permanent resident you would qualify for NHS hospital treatment. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/4 "2016-12-14T04:13:13Z")
**UDS** summed things up pretty well. A couple of things to add: You won’t get any kind of “break” on being allowed to reside in the UK by saying that you won’t use the NHS. If you are allowed to stay, you will get NHS healthcare. Taxes will be complicated. The US (unlike other countries) requires its citizens to continue to file returns and pay US federal taxes on all income, wherever sourced, wherever in the world you live. The UK (like most other countries) requires residents to pay UK tax on all income, wherever sourced, when you are living in the UK. So you will be filling out two different tax returns, with completely different rules, and even different tax years (the UK runs to 4th April), on each of which you have to declare all of your income & gains. There is a UK-US tax treaty to prevent double taxation, but you still have to fill out both tax returns and then claim back the double tax under arcane rules. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/5 "2016-12-14T04:17:10Z")
The are several expat forums available for most countries. I suggest you join some and ask there. Do a Google search. For example: > **[Britain Expat Forum for Expats Living in the UK](https://www.expatforum.com/forums/britain-expat-forum-for-expats-living-in-the-uk.8/)** > > The Britain Expats forum is a community of people that have moved to the UK from overseas. This is the place for Expats to meet and discuss anything about the British way of life. > **[UK Yankee](https://www.uk-yankee.com/)** > > Expat Americans in the UK > **[UK Expat Forum: Forum for Expats Living in UK | Expat Exchange](https://www.expatexchange.com/uk/liveinuk.html)** > > UK Expat Forum: Talk with digital nomads & expats living in UK and people moving to UK on our UK Expat Forum. Plus, read past discussions about cost of living, best places to live in UK, visas and residency, finding a home and more. [http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-forums-uk](http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-forums-uk) While the official government websites are useful, they lack the kind of information you get from expatriates. For example in some countries what you do is continually renew 6 month tourist visas–and just have to go in and out of a neighboring country every 6 months. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/6 "2016-12-14T20:30:08Z")
There is an ancestry visa for the U.K. If one of your grandparents was a British citizen but it only applies to commonwealth citizens. Sorry us citizens that’s what you get for that whole tea party thing ( the original one I mean ). Also it’s for people that intend to work there, not for retirees so not useful for you anyway. But I’d have to add you would be absolutly bonkers to move from somewhere else to retire in the U.K. unless you had some family reason to do so. It’s cold, wet and grey for two thirds of the year and stupidly expensive. ( dual citizen who has lived in the U.K. So I’m allowed to diss it ) ---
**Author:** ![bb49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b38774/32.png) [@bb49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bb49)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/7 "2016-12-14T22:40:08Z")
Get yourself a niqab and you can walk right in. No questions asked. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/8 "2016-12-14T23:27:50Z")
Since this is GQ, surely you can offer a cite for that assertion. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/9 "2016-12-14T23:28:22Z")
> [@bb49](#): > > Get yourself a niqab and you can walk right in. No questions asked. Yeah? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/10 "2016-12-14T23:30:20Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > …It’s cold, wet and grey for two thirds of the year and stupidly expensive… I won’t dispute the weather, but it’s not stupidly expensive any longer. Remember that £1 was worth over $2 a decade ago, and is now $1.25, that’s a _huge_ move for a major currency pair. Living outside London and the SE can halve the cost of living; and for a retired person, the free health service may represent a substantial saving. There’s a wide variation in estimates of purchasing power parity for the exchange rate, but I’d say the subjective PPP for a retired person living in an mid-range part of the country (outside of the expensive cities, outside of badly impoverished regions) is probably about even between UK and US at 1.25. It’s not cheaper to live there, but sterling has gone from wildly overvalued to about fair now. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/11 "2016-12-14T23:32:22Z")
I wonder if there is a British Overseas Territory with the advantages of living in the UK (the NHS for one) but offers better weather and at the same time isn’t deadly dull. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/12 "2016-12-14T23:33:20Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Since this is GQ, surely you can offer a cite for that assertion. Are you suggested that it was a _veiled_ political jab? Ok, I’ll get me coat. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/13 "2016-12-14T23:44:21Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I won’t dispute the weather, but it’s not stupidly expensive any longer. Remember that £1 was worth over $2 a decade ago, and is now $1.25, that’s a _huge_ move for a major currency pair. Living outside London and the SE can halve the cost of living; and for a retired person, the free health service may represent a substantial saving. > > There’s a wide variation in estimates of purchasing power parity for the exchange rate, but I’d say the subjective PPP for a retired person living in an mid-range part of the country (outside of the expensive cities, outside of badly impoverished regions) is probably about even between UK and US at 1.25. It’s not cheaper to live there, but sterling has gone from wildly overvalued to about fair now. What does the Big Mac index say? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/14 "2016-12-14T23:46:32Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > It’s cold, wet and grey for two thirds of the year Not too hot, not too cold, enough rain so that things remain green. The lack of earthquakes, hurricanes and bush fires is just a bonus really. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/15 "2016-12-15T00:08:52Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Not too hot, not too cold, enough rain so that things remain green. The lack of earthquakes, hurricanes and bush fires is just a bonus really. And serious biting insects, and poisonous things like snakes and ivy (yes we do have addres but they are quite rare), and no guns, and the NHS, and no guns, and, if you are homesick you can see all your favourite TV programmes and eat a big mac any time you like. Hell - we even speak, more or less, the same language. But, as said above, we don’t really want retired Americans coming over here for the free health care. Try Canada… ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/16 "2016-12-15T00:17:32Z")
Thanks for the info. Ignorance fought. As far as why anyone would want to leave the US to move to the UK, some of us are closet anglophiles. I have visited the UK many times, for both business and pleasure. I can imagine myself living there. My wife is not so sure. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/17 "2016-12-15T00:46:54Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I wonder if there is a British Overseas Territory with the advantages of living in the UK (the NHS for one) but offers better weather and at the same time isn’t deadly dull. The NHS only operates in the UK. British Overseas Territories have their own health services with their own eligibility rules. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/18 "2016-12-15T01:28:50Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > What does the Big Mac index say? I never go to McDonalds in either place, so I don’t know if this is correct, but 2016 prices appear to be: US $3.99 > **[Burger King® Menu & Prices | SecretMenus](https://secretmenus.com/burger-king/full-menu/)** > > The new Burger King menu is one of the most diverse in the market. Burger King is one of the largest fast food companies in the country. On the way to getting there, Burger King has expanded their menu to have a … Continued UK £2.69 [http://menuprices.co.uk/mcdonalds-menu-prices/](http://menuprices.co.uk/mcdonalds-menu-prices/) So Big Mac PPP is 1.48, meaning that sterling at 1.25 is 18% undervalued. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/19 "2016-12-15T02:07:43Z")
[http://www.1stcontact.com/blog/featured-news/uk-ancestry-visa-eligibility](http://www.1stcontact.com/blog/featured-news/uk-ancestry-visa-eligibility) This guy says if a grandparent was born in the UK, you can get a 5-year visa to work there, then get citizenship… but only from Commonwealth countries. Also find this: > [@](#): > > You could be eligible for British passport if you were: > •Born to a parent (father or mother) who was born in the UK before 1983. > •Born after 1948, and your parents were married before 1949 and your paternal grandfather (your dad’s dad) was born in the UK. I assume if granddad came over 100 years ago you may or may not meet this criteria. If it’s your mother’s dad, well, sh\*t happens. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648/20 "2016-12-15T02:51:02Z")
Some of us prefer the grey weather. I’d like to live in a castle by the sea, lashed by rain and wave. If I was forced to live in America, I’d choose the coast of New England to the sunny parts. > [@bob\_2](#): > > But, as said above, we don’t really want retired Americans coming over here for the free health care. Try Canada… I don’t mind. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retiring-to-the-uk/774648.md?page=2)