… To be considering leaving the UK?

[globalnomad25]

We have been considering leaving, even if only for a few years. Many of our clients have already gone or are planning it, and some of our friends too.

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.

For those out there who have already left, how has it gone? Was it a horrible mistake or are you glad you did it?

For those also thinking about it, where would you go?

Kids are school-aged and smart and used to international travel as our work already takes us all over, although they’d miss their friends (as would we). We aren’t English so our family is already based all over the place, although we visit them frequently.

You sound really pleasant.

MN is full of posts declaring they want out of the UK usually following some sort of political decision they deem makes the UK the worse place in the world. I suspect most don’t go. It’s another form of flouncing.
You can’t realistically choose a country to move to like you are picking a holiday cottage.

100% this. ^

Does your business benefit from UK standards like Accountancy or Law? Cyprus might work out.

Well, assuming you can get a visa to the said country, yes you can just pick a country to go to.

I would not move anywhere currently without factoring in climate change.
I have a relative living in Portugal for about ten years now. They love it, BUT are considering coming back to the UK at least partly because the summer heat is becoming unbearable and ramping up year on year. Some places in the world will soon be almost uninhabitable. Don't ignore that fact.
The weekend we had about 30 degrees, they had over 40 in some places. It's only going to get worse.

How nasty, bitchy, unhelpful and unnecessary. Off you hop…

Following as I ask myself this regularly. I am French so for me it's between moving there or staying in the UK.

Personally I'd prefer to stay here but I would like to know what the smartest decision would be. What would be best for my kid's futures? I just have no idea.

I agree, climate change means there's a strong chance that some currently inhabited parts of the world will become incompatible with life.

I've lived all over the world. I've been an expat for 11 years. The grass definitely isn't greener and despite it's faults, the UK is the best country I have ever lived in (and I've lived in NZ, Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Greece, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia).

It does depend on where in the UK you are, so if it was me I would focus on moving somewhere nicer in the UK rather than overseas.

I know loads of expats, I've met a ton over the years. I would say 90%+ of the men love it but only a few women I've met have genuinely been happy.

The phone contracts are ruinous! Toronto is brutally cold in winter. Do your research and find a job.

Something we’ve considered too as taxation has exploded for business owners and the wealthy. I’ve always been pro tax when spent wisely but my personal view is that we can’t sustain the current spending bill with as few net contributors.

Of your list, Portugal or Jersey would be my top choices. The latter requires a job that is in shortage or sufficient funds to demonstrate you can fund yourself. I personally don’t like countries like UAE or Australia where the heat means even a run is out of the question for months. Gibraltar is another option.

Thank you. This is one of my concerns: - we end up stuck away from friends and no happier than before.

I’ve got dual nationality - British plus a European one.

UAE mainly - Dubai and Abu Dhabi - but one has gone to Portugal, another to Singapore, and a family to Ireland (but the latter come from there originally).

Where is the need for this and what is your true motivation for posting in such a bitchy way?
Perhaps you’re unhappy in your life here.

I'm just doing some soul searching on whether to move or not. I'm starting to get twitchy. I can't bear the way the UK mainland is going and I'm getting on a bit and thinking about a smaller home. I'm just doing some number crunching to see if I can make it work. I loathe the heat, so I'm not going anywhere warmer and will probably go to a UK island.

Moved to Ireland in 2020 (100% Brexit related). We absolutely love it.

Thanks for this. How have you found the move? Was it worth it? We are in a similar position I think, although we aren’t French nor fluent French-speakers (yet - I’d happily learn!)

We moved to canada 5 years ago , absolutely love it ! But you have to earn good money you can’t live a decent quality of life on a mediocre salary. We just bought our first house for a $1m it’s nice but a normal house nothing mansion like. Eldest works as server while a uni makes great tips around $150-$300 per shift on top of hourly rate.
youngest going to summer camp for 2 weeks will spend her time on the lake , canoes , swimming , fire pits , climbing etc. we’re around 45 mins from downtown Toronto on the train - going today in the glorious sunshine , will have lunch on the harbour front and get a water taxi across to island with great city scape views on the way back.
we go to cottages up north in muskoka areas and spend long weekends on the lake it’s beautiful. We take trips and drive to the USA 🇺🇸.
we get proper summers here the weather is amazing , getting a pool in the back yard - but we can do all this we we well over $240k without decent income you will struggle

Are you thinking of somewhere like Jersey? I looked into that as one of the options and thought it sounds wonderful. It’s tricky for work though, especially as I don’t think we’d be eligible for a HNW visa.

I left last year. Mainly postBrexit blues and I’m also in a pretty international career.

am in a Southern European country.

it took a while to sort out, get job etc. but has worked out pretty well.

i don’t miss the UK but I do miss close friends and family. I’d say that’s the number one consideration. If you have a close network in the UK I would opt for somewhere accessible to get back (I come back frequently for weekends).

quality of life better here in some ways, worse in others. You just have to decide what’s important to you and whether you can find it in the countries you can live in.

I love the blue skies here, the amazing food, the lovely lifestyle….But summer is brutal (36 today) and only going to get worse. Navigating ordinary life in a second language is hard going atm. And settling in has been rough - I’m only starting to really find my feet a year in.

so if you know what you’re looking for, and go into it with eyes open & plenty of resilience it can work well. If not…..rethink.

i also kept my house in the uk which feels like a safety net if I do decide to return - If that is an option, it does help.

overall though I am really happy. I don’t think I would come back.

I left the UK and moved to Finland 18 years ago (unintentionally - I was only supposed to go for my Erasmus year) and I've never regretted it, especially now that I have a secondary school age child (she gets to go to a school with reasonable rules rather than something more prison-like)

My husband favours UAE for the tax advantages but I probably like the idea of Europe, Ireland or Canada better as I think it would be an easier cultural transition for the kids and also because we are outdoorsy/love greenery.

People with high educational levels and assets are pretty much welcome anywhere. We no longer live in the UK and our standard of living is much better. To the OP if it makes sense for your life and business do it- depending on your assets and income maybe Greece or Italy with their new non dom rules as Portugal are phasing theirs out?