The best financial advisers for UK residents planning to move abroad are UK-regulated, fee-based, and experienced in cross-border wealth management. They can help you navigate tax residency, Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs), the Statutory Residence Test (SRT), and structure your assets efficiently before you leave. Relocating abroad is an exciting opportunity, but it also introduces financial complexity. Timing, tax exposure, and structure matter. The earlier you plan, the better prepared you’ll be.
Why Pre-Departure Financial Planning Is Crucial
Relocation changes everything about your financial life. From how your income is taxed to where your investments are held. A proactive plan ensures your transition is smooth and compliant. The year before your move is often the most tax-sensitive period of all.
Failing to plan early can result in:
- Losing UK tax relief opportunities before leaving.
- Becoming unexpectedly liable under the Temporary Non-Residence rule.
- Triggering capital gains tax on sales made too late.
- Missing the chance to reposition assets or currencies efficiently.
Example: Sarah, a UK professional relocating to Dubai, sought advice six months before departure. Her adviser helped her establish the exact date she’d become non-resident under the SRT, how to reinvest in a suitable offshore vehicle, and restructure her pensions for international flexibility. By planning early, Sarah reduced her UK tax exposure and avoided issues when she became UAE-resident.
See my page on Relocating or retiring abroad (Financial Freedom Beyond Borders)
Understanding the Statutory Residence Test (SRT)
The Statutory Residence Test determines whether you are UK-resident for tax purposes. It considers the number of days you spend in the UK, your work ties, family connections, and accommodation. Leaving the UK partway through a tax year can still leave you ‘split-year’ resident, meaning part of your income may remain taxable in the UK.
Understanding your SRT position before departure is essential. A financial adviser who understands the SRT can help you:
- Identify your likely residence status.
- Align your tax year planning around your move date.
- Avoid becoming ‘accidentally’ UK-resident in your first year abroad.
How Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) Protect You
DTAs are agreements between two countries that prevent you from paying tax twice on the same income. For example, the UK has DTAs with most major expat destinations, including the UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Cyprus.
A qualified adviser can help you structure your income and investments to make the best use of these treaties. For instance, UK residents moving to the UAE will likely find that UK pension withdrawals are taxable only in the UAE under the DTA, which can affect when and how benefits are taken.
Good cross-border advice ensures your income is taxed once, in the most efficient jurisdiction, and that you stay compliant with HMRC and your new country’s rules.
The Temporary Non-Residence Rule (TNR)
If you’ve been UK resident for 4 out of the 7 years before departure and return to the UK within five tax years, you could be treated as ‘temporarily non-resident’. This means certain overseas gains and pension withdrawals made while abroad could become taxable on your return.
Example: James left the UK in 2025 and returned in 2029 after four years abroad. Although he sold UK investments while overseas, HMRC treated those gains as taxable under the TNR rules because he was away for fewer than five full tax years.
Proper planning with a qualified adviser can help you avoid this situation by structuring withdrawals and disposals appropriately, and ensuring your time abroad meets the necessary duration.
Setting Up Offshore Banking and Currency Accounts
Establishing offshore or multi-currency bank accounts before you leave can make life abroad much easier. It allows you to hold income, savings, and investments in relevant currencies and avoid unnecessary conversion costs.
Reputable offshore centres such as the Isle of Man or Jersey offer stable, regulated banking options for expats. A good adviser can guide you on which accounts best support your relocation.
Restructuring Assets for Tax Efficiency
Before leaving the UK, review every major asset. You pensions, property, ISAs, and investments. A pre-departure audit can highlight ways to enhance efficiency and reduce future tax exposure.
Common considerations include:
- Reviewing ownership of UK rental property and potential Non-Resident Landlord implications.
- Reassessing ISAs, which become frozen to new contributions once you’re abroad.
- Planning pension contributions and potential transfers to international schemes such as SIPPs or QROPS.
- A transparent, fee-based adviser coordinates with accountants and legal professionals to ensure every structure aligns with your long-term goals.
Why Choose a Fee-Based, UK-Regulated Adviser
Many relocating Britons are approached by offshore ‘advisers’ who operate outside UK regulation. These advisers often earn commissions from investment bonds or insurance-based products, which can lock investors into opaque, high-cost contracts.
By contrast, a fee-based, UK-regulated adviser operates under FCA standards, providing clarity, accountability, and protection. Their remuneration comes only from you, ensuring advice is impartial, not sales-driven.
Before You Move Abroad:
10 Questions to Ask Your Financial Adviser
- 1How will my UK tax residency change under the SRT?
- 2How can I avoid the Temporary Non-Residence rules?
- 3What happens to my ISAs, pensions, and UK property?
- 4Should I transfer my pension before or after I move?
- 5How does a Double Taxation Agreement apply to my new country?
- 6Should I open an offshore account now or later?
- 7What are the inheritance tax implications of leaving the UK?
- 8How can I structure my income tax-efficiently abroad?
- 9What happens to my investments if I return to the UK?
- 10Can my adviser continue working with me once I relocate?
The AES Approach
At AES International, we specialise in helping UK residents prepare for relocation and manage their wealth abroad. Our cross-border planning service integrates tax, pensions, and investment advice, delivered transparently and fee-based. We act as your bridge between UK and international jurisdictions, ensuring a smooth, compliant, and confident transition.
Jessica Cook, LLB, Chartered MCSI, is a UK-qualified financial planner dedicated to helping globally mobile professionals and families plan their move abroad with clarity and peace of mind.
FAQs
Ideally at least 6–12 months before departure, so you can align your tax year planning and residency status.
You can keep existing ISAs but cannot add new contributions once non-resident. Income and gains remain tax-free in the UK.
Usually yes, for a period. Although contribution limits and eligibility for tax relief will change.
You’ll generally pay UK tax only on UK-sourced income, but planning ensures you don’t pay twice under DTAs.
It taxes certain overseas gains if you return to the UK within five tax years, having been UK resident in four of the seven prior years.
By structuring income in line with DTAs and confirming where it should be taxed.
You may retain UK domicile unless you establish a permanent intention to reside elsewhere.
Yes, when used transparently for legitimate banking and investment purposes.
Yes, but you’ll be subject to UK tax on rental income and possibly capital gains when you sell.
Leaving too late to plan
Next steps
If you’re planning to move abroad, now is the ideal time to plan. Jessica Cook and AES International can help you prepare your finances, understand your tax position, and transition smoothly to life abroad, while staying fully compliant and confident.
Benefit from comprehensive, integrated, and objective advice.
Let’s discuss your specific needs and how I can help you meet your objectives
Let’s start the conversation
Online enquiry form
Related posts
Published On: November 27, 2025|3.9 min read|The Rise of the Global Family Office — And How HNW Families Can Borrow Its Best Ideas
Discover how high net worth families can adopt the structure and discipline of a modern family office. Learn the key principles for cross border tax planning, investment governance, succession and long term wealth management.
Read more
Published On: November 14, 2025|5 min read|The Hidden Risks of Going It Alone with Your Investments
Many people start trading their life savings after reading a few investment books or watching online tutorials. Here’s why that can be dangerous — and when it’s perfectly fine to trade with spare money instead.
Read more
Published On: November 7, 2025|6 min read|Should You Sell or Keep Your UK Property When Moving Abroad?
For many people leaving the UK, one of the biggest decisions isn’t what to pack, it’s what to do with the family home or investment property. Should you sell before you leave, or keep it and rent it out while you live abroad?
Read more
