Seriously thinking about leaving the UK

France has a higher productivity rate than the UK (but because we work more hours it balances out). But there are definitely things they do better. They have better infrastructure (trains) but then they have for a long time invested more in it. Which means higher taxes.

Unfortunately OP these are all global issues at the moment. Canada will be extremely tough to get set up in, free public healthcare means extremely long wait lists for anything non urgent, cost of living is very high.

Australia is great for those who moved many years ago, got housing at a reasonable price and are now paying lower mortgages but on good wages, trying to move there now with the cost of living, cost of housing, youth crime rate/car/house break ins on the rise (we have lots of friends and family living there, albeit they never mentioned all of the negatives until we visited for an extended period last year and it was all infront of us they then started to admit all of the negatives) a lot of locals were complaining about cost of living. If you're not a permanent resident everything is even more expensive and uncertain as the visa situation and rules change regularly and seem to make the whole process of moving incredibly difficult.

The rest of Europe it depends on where you're thinking because most countries have a lot of, if not all of the problems you're facing in the UK and in certain situations it will be worse.

We live in Ireland now, extremely lucky that my employer pays the highest level of private healthcare for my family (it would cost us thousands upon thousands each year if we had to pay for same) but the public health system is overcrowded and not efficient. Cost of living is high, the housing crisis is a dire situation. However the education system is fantastic in comparison to a lot of other countries, i dont think the Irish people quite realise how good it is (with the exception of lack of spaces for kids with asd which is terrible) the people are truly amazing, the culture and genuinely proud Irish people would bring a tear to your eye, the scenery is outstanding every county we visit I am blown away by yet another picturesque beach/mountain/national park/charming town or village, there is lots to do if you make the effort, always something on. We are lucky to be earning a good household income and have a nice standard of living, but its not without its faults. Lots of people on lower wages struggling, but also lots of people doing very well so its all dependent. Dublin city center however in my opinion is the worst representation of Ireland that there is and I hate to hear people saying they've been to Ireland but have only visited Dublin

Where in Europe would you be considering?

Well she must have at least one child under 3 years of age or one or more of them must be disabled to not work at all.

You have British law not Sharia law, some schools may choose to honour religious holidays if a lot of children may be off anyway. What is the etc, public whippings?. People may choose to live by Muslim principles, but that is their decision and has nothing to do with the law here. Do you mean you don't have M&S or Tesco, etc? If it is a local high street with only small shops it will reflect the people living locally.

Here’s the top countries in the 2025 World Happiness Report

Yes of ten years and it's while some individual things and can be better or worse overall it's pretty much same shit different wrapping paper.

Having said that emigrating can be a great experience though usually when younger and childfree

Indeed.

I'm always amused by people who complain about migrants (directly or indirectly) yet are apparently desperate to become a migrant themselves.
Except of course they'll use the weasel word 'expat' rather than 'economic migrant" to describe themselves.
I live in the UK - I recognise that there are quite a few issues at present; and things do seem to have been on a downward spiral for the last 20 years or so (massively amplified by Brexit of course) but I'm staying put. Better the evil you know and all that...

We all I've under English Law - but Sharia law is definitely a thing in the UK .

When you typed it all into chat GPT to create that post, what did it suggest you do?

@Tanyasfootspa

Can't imagine why you - and the other many people who keep starting threads like this - think it will be any better/any different anywhere else. 🙄 OR that your country of choice will even want you. You may think that you and your partner/family members have plenty to offer and 'certain special skills' but I can guarantee that they will already have enough people there who can do all the jobs - that you imagine you will be better at than them!

Seriously, these threads are just ridiculous now! Stop romanticising leaving and setting up home in another country. It's incredibly hard to do, it upends the lives of everyone involved, it costs 1000s and 1000s of £££ to do, and there is no guarantee your country of choice will want you/allow you there, or even let you stay if you DO move there. You're also deluded if you think life will be much better anywhere else. Every country has its issues and downsides!

I will be staying here thank very much - in my country, (the UK!) I have NO intention of moving! Seriously, count your blessings and check your privilege! The UK is one of the best countries to live in.

I moved to Portugal about 5 years ago, no children to consider but I was very unhappy in the uk for many of the reasons you've listed. Portugal isn't perfect by a long shot and there are many unhappy people here too, including me at times. But the happy times far outweigh the times in unhappy and I now despise having to go back to the uk for work.

I'd say give it a go but maybe in a way that you can return if you need to such as rent your uk home out and rent in the country you want to go to. If in a year or two you are still happy then make it permanent.

As a note, from speaking to many others who have made the move here, 2 years seems to be the deciding amount of time to see if you can make it work abroad. Lots go back around then, lots stay. Its totally personal to you and your happiness.

Although I do know of one couple, sold everything back home and made the move, rented a place and drove over. Decided on the mountain drive up to the rental that it wasn't for them and turned round, straight back to the uk! Sometimes you just know its not going to be right for you. I was lucky and knew that it was right for me

😟😟😟

@Tanyasfootspa YABU OP. It's easy to think everything in the UK is awful when this is all you know, but there are very few options that are better. And just remember, wherever you decide to move to, ensure you choose a country that has a reciprocal social security agreement with the UK that includes state pensions (not all reciprocal agreements do) or yours will be frozen at the rate it is when you leave the UK (i.e. you won't be entitled to any future increases unless you return to live permanently again in the UK). These are the countries that do have a reciprocal arrangement, that includes state pension, with the UK:

• European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
• EU countries (various agreements), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Gibraltar
• Barbados
• Bermuda
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Canada
• Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey)
• Ireland
• Isle of Man
• Israel
• Jamaica
• Kosovo
• Mauritius
• Montenegro
• New Zealand
• North Macedonia
• Philippines
• Serbia
• Turkey
• USA

I really struggle with this too. I come from a working class background, I have worked incredibly hard with university and professional qualifications to create a “better life”. My partner and I have a high household income but the cost of living means we have a lower standard of living than our parents.

We are very fortunate to own our own home but the initial price and the interest of the mortgage is high, we simply aren’t able to have children yet because we can’t afford the childcare costs. Have to pay for a private dentist because there’s no NHS dentists left taking new patients in our new area after we moved to somewhere more affordable. Can’t get a doctors appointment as there aren’t enough GPs. Currently not having our recycling collected as we live in Birmingham so have to trek to the tip after logging on a midnight to get a slot. Feeling exceptionally fed up with it all too.

Yes, I agree. You'll find problems no matter where you go. One thing's for sure, don't move somewhere hot. If climate change gets as bad as some predict, I would't want to be in Australia or Spain.

The UK does piss me off at times. It's suffocatingly crowded, and the houses are too small and too jammed together. Also, don't get me started on the traffic. But you can be sure you'll find new problems wherever you go. It's surprising, actually, how many people return from their 'new life abroad' disappointed. Many countries suffer from terrible corruption, for example. My plumber is from Malta and he often says that when he returns the level of corruption shocks him. Personally, if I was going to leave, I'd go to Canada. The Canadians have an affection for the Brits, and many of them are anglophiles. They certainly like us more than the Australians.

@humptydumptyfelloff That kind of community, with everyone chipping in, taking responsibility, and doing their part to improve everyone's lives, sounds amazing. Are you able to say which country it was?

Don't underestimate the pull of grandchildren. My mum retired to the Caribbean but being on the other side of the world from GC was the decider in her moving back.

And unless you have £££ to invest, which developed country will accept you as a permanent resident at your age?

I used to live in France 30 years ago and French people said this then. It’s always been much easier to work and settle in the UK. We also have lots of helpful charities to support people and government organisations are less bureaucratic so it’s just all round easier. You wouldn’t routinely be provided with an interpreter in France like you would here. I volunteer for a charity and like many organisations translation costs are going up all the time.

What's the go with all these 'thinking of leaving the UK posts' on mumsnet. Its constant and this one appears to be written by AI.

OP, with the right skills and experience, you'll have no shortage of employers offering you extremely generous packages to relocate to any number of countries. If you're planning to return to the UK in the future, you need to make sure your wealth grows sufficiently quickly to enable you to have a great quality of life when you return. For this reason alone, I'd rule out NZ unless you're entering on a very generous expat salary.

I moved to Australia 16 years ago, the visa process took years and tens of thousands of dollars it wasn’t fun or easy
Also if you’re over aged 45 you’ve no hope of getting a permanent residency visa not sure about Canada but I’d assume it would be similar
Although that said my immigration lawyer said they’ll make exceptions if you’re an anaesthetist who’s willing to live in the outback?
But generally, you’ll need to be qualified in a job on the required skills list for several years and be under 45 when you apply
I love the UK still, my parents say it’s ruined but I thought it was lovely when I went back last year, Aus has lots of social issues, housing crisis and cost of living issues too, see an immigration lawyer to get a proper scope on what you can achieve is all I would say

We plan to keep property in UK especially as kids might stay here for uni
Hopefully we will soon change the law such that citizens of other countries are not allowed to own property in the UK.
This is part of why housing is unaffordable here!

It's an interesting question, and I certainly wouldn't rule out leaving the UK. A recent article about a UK couple who moved to France for 15 years and then decided to come back and found they couldn't afford to live in the same area gave me pause for thought. They worked out they were 500K worse off than they would be had they not moved. A lot of people move and then come back which also makes me question it. As a PP said, it's worth keeping a small property in the UK so that the option to return in the future is there if you want it.

Didn’t Macron say that the problem is the uk is too attractive for migrants and that in France we are seen as the El Darodo as migrants get accommodated, benefits and can work.