Why do so many people talk about moving abroad like it’s just a matter of getting up and leaving?

[Ballondor]

Don’t get me wrong, I understand for some people, it is easy - those who’re mega-rich, those with a different or dual nationality. But I see it regularly on here and other social media - if this happens, I’m leaving; it’s crap here, I’m leaving; if they do that, I’m leaving.

As I understand it, post-Brexit, just upping sticks, uprooting your entire life, and rocking up somewhere is a slightly more convoluted and lengthy process. It’s not something you can get sorted overnight.

People say it to express their dissatisfaction and of course if they want to do it the process can be long and expensive, even if they were skilled and were being actively recruited somewhere.
We are going to spend a year in Spain in 2027. We will get Irish passports in order to do this, but if that wasn’t possible the visa open to me is a non lucrative one, and same for my adult children or a digital nomad visa. We’d have to have proof of funds to support us and get private health insurance. So there are prerequisites but it’s possible. The process will take about a year, so needs planning. I’m sure many countries have similar requirements.

Elderly pets are the main reason we didn’t just go straight back to Germany last year when we got the opportunity. That remote working made this choice possible (to live in one country and take a job in another) still seems mad to me.

I’ve lived in both the US and South Korea through work. Currently in the process of moving to another country on a digital nomad visa.

Many of my friends are doctors, bankers, teachers and social workers and their skills are wanted in many countries and some have left to Australia, Canada and other countries.

Probably some do underestimate how difficult it may be in some situations but then many more probably over estimate and never make the move because they think it’s too much.

Ironic isn't it given we take practically anybody.

I wish someone with balls was running this country and our Civil Service and Home Office weren't infected with "Woke Ideology" and called to heel.

It’s not a “tiny minority” at all who are able to emigrate. Millions of people have dual citizenship for a start, then there’s all the people in skilled jobs and/work for international companies.

It is by no means straightforward, but it’s absolutely not the case that it’s only open to a ‘tiny minority’. It just seems that way because most people stay (as on balance the UK is actually a great place to live (although I emigrated in 2024…!))

There is a process, same as there is a process to anything but it really isn't that hard to move to a lot of countries outside of the UK. Brexit only changed things for people moving from the UK to other EU states. Moving to the rest of the world has always been possible and still is.

People who say that are usually those who already moved countries at least once (so have a career which allows that and know how it works). No one is taking about an overnight move, of course it’s something planned

Who would you prefer to be running the country ?

We are hoping to move to France, I have a French passport as well as English. It’s still a process to do it, not straightforward at all but we feel it’ll be worth it…

I don’t think people are underestimating it, it’s just they feel forced to leave now it’s obvious the direction the Government is going. If someone on £100k moved to Dubai until Labour have gone, for example, they’d save £130k in taxes.

It is much easier if you have a job that makes you internationally mobile. I have moved countries several times in connection with my work and my DP moved around a lot more than me before I met him. I only ever moved as far as Europe, whereas he lived in Scandinavia, South America and Asia as well as Europe at different times. Both of us did this on purely British passports. My DS has also spent quite a few years abroad, in Europe and Canada, as have many friends in my circle.

It is never easy, but then nor is moving from Scotland to London or vice versa. You still need to sort jobs, accommodation, children's schools etc. Language etc can make it harder, but it is achievable if you really want to.

I am now retired and appreciate that moving somewhere else would be more difficult without my job. I moved back to the UK to retire and am unlikely to want to go away again as it was hard work, particularly living somewhere where the language was challenging! I would however move again without hesitation if I felt it was the best thing for my family.

Pre kids i have lived in three countries (including EU and USA). It’s not that hard if you don’t have to think about kids family or pets. In my experience visas aren’t that difficult (personally I also have EU citizenship) and I am multilingual (80% of the world’s population are or something like that but I accept it’s probably lower in the UK).
My husband has more recently been offered a promotion to the US and we turned it down. My company would transfer me there if I wanted but I’d hate to raise kids there and we have pets that couldn’t go so that’s a deal breaker.
My brother similarly looked at Australia as they are recruiting people in his and his wife’s field but in the end they preferred to stay where they had local family. Perhaps if they’d thought about it in their early twenties they’d have gone for a few years but not now they have kids and want grandparents around.
Rob Moore off threads should definitely go to Dubai and stop just talking about it though, the poor bloke is so miserable here.

I dunno, we don’t feel forced to move to Dubai and earn a fair bit more than that. The obvious disadvantage of moving to Dubai is then you have to live in Dubai and it’s all air con and desert and no popping round to see your mum - sign us up for paying the UK taxes please, we like it here, with public services!

Dubai was just an example. Obviously everyone’s tipping point is different, but 3 years abroad and coming back with a nice nest egg when a new Government is coming in obviously is appealing for a lot of people right now. Will they all cone back though?

What Government do you think will entice these folk back ?

And, do you think people on 100k a year moving to Dubai is damaging to the UK ?

I guess I'd have thought that people on that kind of salary might not have as much down time during the day.
I'm not in London but the people I know on that kind of salary are mainly men, and some women with high pressure busy jobs (doctors, etc). I don't think they spend any time posting on Mumsnet.

I suppose what I don't know is just how London-centric Mumsnet is - if it does have half or more of the posters, then the salary thing is more believable.

@RedTagAlan

What Government do you think will entice these folk back ?
Good question, I think one without tall poppy syndrome might start to help. I suspect the ship might have sailed though.

And, do you think people on 100k a year moving to Dubai is damaging to the UK ?
Of course, especially young entrepreneurs. The ever decreasing pool of net taxpayers is damaging.

We both earn over £100k, it’s not a high salary in London. It was a decent salary maybe 10 years ago.

Absolutely! Most people need to have the ability to earn, not to mention the ability to move, or the ability to be let in to the place they go!

Click bait bullshit by the media

I have no idea what tall poppy syndrome is. So what government might entice them back ?

I don't follow the logic of a decreasing pool of net tax payers. We are not talking about millions of people here. And in any case, the vast majority of the jobs will still exist. The people who leave will likely be replaced. And it's not as if there is a shortage of people.

Labour has not raised taxes on people earning 130k. It was all the same with Tories (I think it was them who cane up with 100K cliff too, and definitely them who came up with cutoff threshold for childcare free hours).
I say it as a high earner
stop pinning it on Labour, it’s a lie

Actually no, the jobs may not be replaced.
for example I’m leaving my highly paid job in my current multinational company and they are not backfilling it here, they are backfilling it in the US instead (as it’s global in nature). If I moved to Dubai they would do the same.
And it does happen very often.

We in these jobs work at all hours of the day and night (sometimes)
i do go on social media sometimes to decompress.
if i was working till midnight I bloody well feel it’s ok to decompress for a bit during the day sometimes

So you are not leaving the UK ?

The company is moving your job to the US, but not you with it ?

This sounds like the usual company stuff that has been going on for always. Close one facility, expand another.

And if you move to Dubai, it won't make any difference to the tax revenue anyway, because your job has already went to the US, for corporate reasons. So you would not be taking the job with you.

Am I understanding this right ?

Tall poppy syndrome is a social phenomenon where people criticize, resent, or try to cut down those who stand out or succeed, instead of celebrating their achievements.

I don't follow the logic of a decreasing pool of net tax payers. We are not talking about millions of people here. And in any case, the vast majority of the jobs will still exist. The people who leave will likely be replaced

It just means less people actually paying into the system rather than taking. No we’re not talking about millions, but if you accept that millions will have a negative impact then it follows that a thousand will or even 10. I’m going to guess you work in the public sector, in the private sector often jobs are not replaced. There’s a reason why most countries try to attract high earners rather than drive them out.