Guides
Guides
Plain-English answers to the questions British expats actually ask about retirement, pensions, property and UK tax. No jargon, no selling, and updated when the rules change.
State pension
Voluntary National Insurance from abroad: what changed in April 2026
Class 2 has gone for periods abroad. Class 3 costs five times as much and fewer people qualify.
State pension
Which countries freeze your UK State Pension?
Retire to Spain and it rises each year. Retire to Australia and it never rises again.
Pensions
UK pensions when you live abroad
Contributing, tracing old schemes, drawing from overseas, and the QROPS question.
Tax
Am I still UK tax resident?
The Statutory Residence Test, the five ties, day counting and split year treatment.
Investing
ISAs and British expats
You can keep one. You usually cannot pay into it. And the shelter may not travel with you.
UK property
Buying UK property while living abroad
Almost anyone can buy. The surprise is stamp duty, and when it falls due.
Rather see your own numbers?
The planner takes about a minute and shows what your situation could build.
Open the planner