The UK side of an international family move
Moving abroad from the UK? Plan both sides of the move
Choosing a life in Southeast Asia is only half the job. You also need to deal with UK tax, healthcare, pensions, investments, property and family records. This hub puts those tasks in a clear, manageable order.
Research last verified 1 September 2026
What to decide first
Make the big decisions before the smaller admin tasks
Address changes can wait. Start with the choices that affect tax, money, school access, healthcare and your departure date.
- 1Can every family member legally live there?
Confirm the actual residence route, dependant rights and school access—not a tourist entry assumption.
- 2Does the full family budget work?
Include international school, suitable health cover, visas, tax and regular UK commitments.
- 3What happens to tax residence and the home?
Departure date, UK workdays, accommodation and property timing can interact.
- 4What must continue without interruption?
Medication, insurance, school records, money access and provider authentication need a bridge.
One move, two sets of research
Use the UK guides alongside your destination research
These pages explain what changes at home. The worldwide departure hub and destination guides cover the questions that follow you across borders: immigration, schools, healthcare, banking, records and arrival planning.
UK departure guides
Six guides for the UK side of your move
Start with the checklist, then use the detailed guides for the subjects that affect your family.
- 01
Tax, HMRC and residence
P85, Self Assessment, the Statutory Residence Test, split years and National Insurance.
Read the guide - 02
UK pensions when living abroad
State Pension uprating, NI gaps, private pensions, QROPS and payment choices.
Read the guide - 03
ISAs and investments abroad
What can stay open, what must stop and what your destination may tax.
Read the guide - 04
NHS and healthcare before you leave
GP records, medicines, insurance and what NHS access really means after moving.
Read the guide - 05
Rent or sell your UK home
A practical comparison covering tax, mortgage, management, risk and flexibility.
Read the guide - 06
Leaving the UK checklist
A practical timeline for HMRC, healthcare, schools, driving, benefits and accounts.
Read the guide
Common misunderstandings
Five things that do not happen automatically when you leave
The full Statutory Residence Test also looks at homes, work and ties.
It can retain UK tax advantages, although new subscriptions normally stop and local tax may apply.
The Philippines is currently uprated; Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia are not.
Hospital entitlement is generally based on ordinary residence, not citizenship or historic contributions.
NRL approval changes withholding, not the duty to calculate and report rental profit.
Records to take with you
Keep important family documents together
Save secure copies of identity and family records, travel and workday logs, health summaries, prescriptions, school reports, property costs, account cost bases and confirmation of UK notifications. Good records make tax returns, insurance claims and a possible return to the UK much easier.
UK to Southeast Asia routes
Join the UK departure plan to the country you are moving to
Each route explains the handover British families actually need: passport entry, long-stay permission, flights and time zones, school records, sterling-to-local banking, documents and first-week tasks.
Plan where you are going
Continue with the full destination guide
Keep the UK departure work moving while you compare the legal, financial and family reality in each destination.
Common questions
Questions about leaving the UK
What should I do first when planning to leave the UK?
First confirm that every family member has a workable immigration route and that the destination budget includes school and healthcare. In parallel, map the likely departure date against UK tax residence and decide what happens to the home. Those choices affect most later admin.
How far in advance should a family start?
Six months gives useful breathing room; longer is sensible for school admissions, a property sale, pets, medical underwriting or complex tax. Some notifications must wait until dates and addresses are confirmed, so early does not mean submitting everything early.
Do we lose UK citizenship or passports by moving abroad?
No. Moving abroad does not itself remove British citizenship or invalidate a British passport. Passport validity and destination entry rules still need checking for every traveller.
Do I need an accountant to leave the UK?
Not everyone does. Straightforward PAYE cases may be manageable with HMRC guidance and P85. Advice becomes more valuable with a company, shares, trusts, multiple homes, significant gains, remote UK work, dual residence, large pension action or uncertainty over the Statutory Residence Test.
Can I keep UK accounts, pensions and property?
Often yes, but keeping an asset is different from being allowed to add to it, trade it, insure it or receive the same service abroad. Tell each provider about the new residence and check UK and destination tax separately.
Which official country guidance should we use?
Use GOV.UK foreign travel advice and the UK government's living-in-country guidance where available, plus the destination's own immigration, tax, health and education authorities. Entry rules for visitors are not the same as residence rules for a family.
What if I am not moving from the UK?
Use the worldwide departure hub instead. It covers the decisions every family needs to make and routes UK readers back to these pages for HMRC, NHS, pensions, ISAs and property rules.
Is this guide financial, tax or immigration advice?
No. It provides researched planning information and links to primary sources. Your circumstances and the destination's laws determine the answer, so regulated or locally qualified advice may be appropriate for important tax, pension, investment, legal and immigration decisions.