Expat Compass · Pre-Departure Guide

50-Point Pre-Departure Checklist

Everything you need to complete before leaving the UK — organised by timeline.

📄 4 pages · print-ready 🗓️ Updated January 2025 🇬🇧 UK departures ⚠️ Educational only — not financial or legal advice

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⏰ 6+ Months Before Departure

Tax & HMRC

Review your UK tax residency status. Read HMRC's RDR3 guidance and understand the Statutory Residency Test (SRT). Confirm whether you'll be resident or non-resident in the year of departure.Critical

Research split-year treatment. Identify which HMRC case applies to you (Cases 1–8). Use our Split-Year Planner to determine your UK and overseas parts of the tax year.HMRC

Understand UK Capital Gains Tax exposure. If you own UK property, investments or business assets, model your CGT liability before you leave — the UK CGT position can change significantly once you become non-resident.Critical

Check your National Insurance record. Log into your Government Gateway account. Identify any gaps in your NI record and decide whether to pay voluntary Class 2/3 contributions abroad (form CF83).HMRC

Research destination country's tax rules. Understand worldwide vs territorial taxation, any Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) with the UK, and local income tax rates.Critical

Pension

Get a State Pension forecast. Request your State Pension statement at gov.uk/check-state-pension. Understand your qualifying years and expected weekly amount.Pension

Review all workplace/private pensions. Trace any lost pensions at gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details. Confirm whether moving abroad affects your existing pension arrangements.Pension

Take independent advice before moving a pension. Never transfer a defined-benefit (final salary) pension overseas without regulated FCA-authorised UK advice. Check the adviser on the FCA register.Critical

Property

Decide: sell, let, or retain UK property. If letting, set up a Non-Resident Landlord scheme (NRLS) to receive rent without tax deducted — apply via form NRL1.HMRC

Understand UK property CGT non-resident rules. Non-residents still owe UK CGT on UK residential property sales. Report within 60 days of completion using the UK Property Return.Critical

📅 3 Months Before Departure

HMRC & Tax Admin

Notify HMRC of your departure date. Use form P85 "Leaving the UK and tax" to tell HMRC you're going abroad. This often triggers a repayment if you've overpaid tax that year.HMRC

Set up a Self Assessment account if needed. You'll need SA if you have untaxed UK income (rental, investment) after departure. Register at least 5 months before your first tax return deadline.HMRC

Review ISA and investment accounts. You can keep existing ISAs but cannot open new ones or add new money as a non-UK resident. Review CGT positions in taxable accounts.Finance

Check student loan rules. Student loan repayments continue for income above the overseas threshold. Inform the Student Loans Company of your move and provide overseas income evidence annually.Admin

Banking & Finance

Open a multi-currency account. Open a Wise or Revolut account before you leave while you still have a UK address. Some banks close accounts when they discover you've moved abroad.Banking

Research keeping your UK bank account. Notify your UK bank of your overseas address. Most high-street banks allow non-resident accounts but some do close them — have a backup plan.Banking

Open a local bank account in destination country. Research the account-opening process (documents required, in-person vs online). Some expat banks (HSBC Expat, Barclays International) offer pre-arrival setup.Banking

Review credit card strategy. Obtain a no-foreign-transaction-fee credit card. Consider Barclaycard Rewards or Halifax Clarity for zero FX costs abroad.Banking

Healthcare

Research destination healthcare entitlement. Check if an S1 certificate entitles you to state healthcare in the destination country (EU/EEA countries only, for UK State Pension recipients).Health

Arrange international private health insurance. Compare Cigna Global, Aetna International, April International, and Allianz Care. Get at least two quotes. Check maternity, dental and evacuation cover.Health

Collect all medical records. Request a full GP summary, vaccination history, repeat prescription records and any specialist letters. Get originals or certified copies where possible.Health

🗓️ 1 Month Before Departure

Documents & Identity

Check passport validity. Many countries require 6 months' validity beyond your planned stay. Renew early — HM Passport Office currently has 3–5 week processing times.Critical

Obtain certified copies of key documents. Birth certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable), university degrees, DBS check (for some visa applications), driver's licence.Admin

Get documents apostilled if required. Some countries require an Apostille stamp from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) for official documents.Admin

Apply for destination visa / residence permit. Start well in advance — income thresholds, medical checks and translation requirements take time. Check current processing times on the destination country's embassy website.Critical

Utilities & Admin

Notify DVLA. If you're keeping a UK vehicle, register your change of address. If selling, complete the V5C logbook transfer. If taking a car abroad, check whether it requires re-registration.Admin

Set up Royal Mail redirection. Redirect UK post to a trusted family member or a UK mail forwarding service (e.g. UK Postbox, Virtual Mailbox). Runs from £36/6 months.Admin

Cancel/redirect UK subscriptions and direct debits. Gym memberships, TV licence (refund available), streaming services with geo-restrictions, magazine subscriptions.Admin

Notify Electoral Roll / local council. Deregister from the electoral roll if you're leaving for more than a year. Notify your council tax authority of your departure date.Admin

Manage utilities for vacated property. Give final meter readings. Confirm close-out dates. Keep a record of final bills for any landlord deposit return.Admin

Insurance

Review UK home and contents insurance. Notify your insurer if your UK property will be unoccupied — most standard policies void cover after 30 days vacancy.Admin

Arrange removals/shipping insurance. Standard removals company liability is extremely limited. Take out dedicated removals insurance from a specialist (e.g. Letton Percival, Dovetail).Admin

Review life insurance and critical illness policies. Check whether your existing policies remain valid after you've moved abroad. Some require the insurer's written consent to remain valid as a non-UK resident.Admin

✈️ Departure Week & First 90 Days

Day of departure

Keep a record of your departure date. Note the exact date, flight details and destination. Your SRT residency count starts the day after you leave the UK.HMRC

Take originals + copies of all key documents. Passport, visa, birth certificate, insurance certificates, medical records, property documents. Store copies in cloud storage (encrypted).Admin

First 30 days in destination

Register with local authorities. Most countries require registration within 30 days (empadronamiento in Spain, Comune in Italy, commune in France etc). Carry your passport and accommodation proof.Critical

Register with the British Embassy / Consulate. Sign up to FCDO's LOCATE service for emergency alerts. Register at the nearest British Consulate for emergency passport assistance.Admin

Obtain a local tax/identity number. NIE (Spain), NIF (Portugal), NIF (France — if employed), TFN (Australia), SSN (USA), CPF (Brazil) etc. Required to open bank accounts, sign leases and file taxes.Critical

Activate your local bank account and health insurance. Complete local bank KYC. Register with a local GP or international clinic.Banking

Obtain an international driving permit (IDP) if required. Required in some non-EU/EEA countries. Apply at a Post Office for £5.50 before you leave — cannot be obtained abroad.Admin

First 90 days

Set up voluntary NI contributions. Submit form CF83 to HMRC if you want to pay Class 2 (if self-employed) or Class 3 NICs abroad to protect your State Pension entitlement.Pension

Update UK pension trustees of your new address. Inform all pension providers of your overseas address. Some QROPS transfers require updated address records.Pension

Set up local internet, phone and utilities. Register SIM in your name (required in many countries). Set up utility accounts — these are often needed for residency registration.Admin

Research local income tax registration requirements. Understand whether you need to register as a taxpayer with the destination country's revenue authority (e.g. Hacienda/Spain, Agência AT/Portugal).Tax

Ongoing annual tasks

File UK Self Assessment return by 31 January. Required if you have UK-source income (rental, dividends, pension). Online returns: 31 Jan deadline. Paper returns: 31 Oct.HMRC

Complete SA109 (Residence supplement). Always include SA109 in your first post-departure tax return to claim split-year relief and confirm your residency position.HMRC

Review FX exposure annually. Review pension, rental income and investment holdings in different currencies. Consider forward contracts if you have large known transfers.Finance

Check State Pension uprating. UK State Pension is only uprated (triple lock) if you live in a country with a UK social security agreement. Confirm your destination's status — "frozen pension" countries include Australia and Canada.Pension

Review UK Inheritance Tax exposure. UK IHT applies to UK-domiciled individuals regardless of residence. After 15 of 20 years non-residence you may lose "deemed domicile" status — take advice.Critical

Keep a detailed travel diary. Record every night in the UK and abroad. The SRT requires exact UK day counts. A simple spreadsheet is sufficient but must be contemporaneous.HMRC

Disclaimer: This checklist is educational guidance only. It does not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Rules change — always verify current HMRC guidance at gov.uk and seek advice from a regulated adviser before making major financial decisions.

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