… To be considering leaving the UK?

We're moving to Spain, wages are terrible here and our quality of life especially dc future isn't looking great.
I love Spanish supermarkets too, so much more healthier food compared to the UK shops.
Luckily my job is fully remote and dh is self employed so we can get digital nomad visas.
If the UK wasn't in such a terrible state we would stay but there you are.

DD works for EU as a conference translator and DS works for an engineering company looking at land reclamation. They are both enjoying their first graduate jobs. Luckily they have dual citizenship.

For someone quick to insult your reading comprehension isn’t great…

I’m not sure where we’d go: UAE, Portugal, Jersey, Ireland, Canada, Australia? We don’t currently want to move to the US, even though that would probably make the most sense from a business/client point of view.

You want to leave the UK but you're considering America??!!

WTF.

Bali?
Only suggesting because one day a post from the richardsons04 popped up on my instagram.
They took the decision to leave the UK and have now settled in Bali with their 3 children who are being educated in a world school for at least the next 12 months.
I know they only post what they want you to see but I find their lifestyle fascinating and I’m seeing a country that I’m sure I’ll never visit.

Tbf at least it will just leave the people who want to fight for what's best for the country behind.

I'm not sure those are the people being left behind, they're the people being chased out. 😢

How wonderful. What fields are your children working in? Amsterdam must be a very exciting place to live for a young person. It was my first solo trip as a youngster many years ago.

Hey OP, I left the UK and retuned after a year. We were not the only ones, everyone I know who left has all come back or is planning to from places in Europe and one went to Kuwait.

I would strongly warn others off going now unless they truly understand what they’re going into. Or say one parent go out and try it first if you can before moving over. We went to somewhere in EU and post-Brexit it was chaos. People think they’re walking off into the sunset and it’s not like that at all. It’s not one long holiday. Culture differences, language differences, tax and residency barriers etc.

I see loads of people saying they’re off due to tax, but we lost money overall. Think very very carefully, find out as much as you can and see if you can get a range of opinions on the particular place from expats.

Oh and we’re in the 40% tax bracket. And I still wouldn’t recommend it. This is only my experience though of course.

Except higher earners have been doing just that. The UK has I believe the third* highest rate of wealthy emigrants in the world.

Plenty of countries are looking to attract them too, so the options are not limited.

*it appears that of as of Jun ‘25 it now has the highest rate.

The butthurt ex attitude of ‘yeah well, off you fuck then, didn’t want you anyway’ isn’t hurting the ones leaving, because they’ll be fine. It’s the ones left behind trying, and ultimately failing, to shoulder the ever increasing tax burden that will struggle.

Like the 70s again where anyone with money has had enough.. loads of unskilled migrants ready to add to the benefits bill though.

We moved to Canada - Montreal, a couple of years ago and don’t regret a single day of it. It’s helped that DH is French Canadian and lived in Canada until he was 21. We’re in our mid 50’s and spent all our adult lives in London until this move. DT’s have graduated Uni and working in Amsterdam and Brussels so we didn’t have schooling to think about.

Greedy twats. 😆 Although feel free to point out if anything I said was incorrect? 😉

Yeah good for the rich who can afford to leave. Leaving behind those who always have their stretched out to beg for freebies. Now they will find out that freebies aren’t really freebies and the gravy train will stop.

And by the way what you plan to fight for the country with? Your garden rake?

Agree with what you’ve said - there are pros and cons to everywhere. I’ve been here a while though and getting itchy feet. I also underestimated the cost of flights to the US! I really feel for those earning minimum wage here.

I have moved yes. A couple of times.
I suppose my decision was based on an actual desirable destination, not the desire to leave without knowing where to if you know what I mean.

Who pissed in your chips?

My parents are in Germany and we're definitely moving there once daughter finishes school. University is free there and we're citizens

You can still have a sense of belonging and being part of community even living somewhere for a shorter time. The idea of living in one area for my whole life fills me with a sense of dread. But like you say, each to their own.

I lived in Grand Cayman for a year- some people love it but it’s not a place for me long term. It’s a very expat bubble type of with Filipino or Jamaican nannies and helpers, and clear racial and class division between the white professionals and locals. While the beaches are beautiful, you can drive around the whole island in about an hour so it is very very small. Expats tend to send secondary school aged children back to the UK for schooling. There is limited shopping or access to the arts or that type of thing on the island so regular trips to the US are part of the lifestyle. I paid USD $900 per month for health cover and that was heavily subsidised by my employer, but then I didn’t pay tax otherwise. Being gay is not really accepted so that may be a factor. This is not to be down on Cayman specifically, the point is that all countries have their issues.

Have you considered Switzerland @globalnomad25 i left the UK 5 years ago and love it here. High salary, low tax, excellent schools, brilliant health care system, everything works and because home ownership is low, they invest alot in parks, public spaces, lots of free events/access to sports. It's amazing.

If you are considering the Channel Islands, you will need to have something to offer the community. You need a five year residency before you can even think of applying for a professional job. They have plenty of openings for bar staff, waitressing, chambermaiding, sous chef, and cleaners. There may be openings in medical occupations like if you are a surgeon or director in finance. Decent houses are a million upwards and you have to be there ten years to buy one. You can't rent a house till you are resident at least five years and that will be about £3000 a month. There are bedsits and lodging houses available at about £1,000 a month but these are like gold dust because you have so many people chasing them. It's a fab place if you're minted and can afford the luxury life style. Beautiful beaches, villas, yachts, and very safe. Connections to and from the mainland can be iffy especially in winter when the storms come in from the Atlantic. Days go by when there is heavy fog and food supplies get short and supermarket shelves get empty. Summers are lovely though.

I would leave if I could, so good for you. I don’t think the UK is heading in a positive direction. I worry for my children’s future here.

Personally I would go to the EU country that I’m originally from (marginally higher taxes but incredible public services), or the Middle East, or somewhere like the Cayman Islands.

There are many welcoming countries if you have enough cash, and standards of living are high.

I’m here too!

Yes, the other 2 islands are very small and sparsely populated. Everyone and all the businesses are in Grand Cayman. Healthcare has been exceptional (i had my son here last year). Working hours are very good but depends on the firm/team. Choose carefully as work permit restrictions make it difficult to change jobs. Quality of life is excellent. Schools are good and follow the British curriculum (although they cost 40k per year, you cannot send your kid to the free schools as an expat).

A friend moved to Bermuda and loved it! She now lives in Singapore but talks very fondly of her time in Bermuda. Quite a popular choice for 20somethings in finance, with some staying and making a life there.