Retiring to Europe: Advice & Guides

Securing Your Dream Retirement

Blevins Franks has been providing international tax and wealth management advice to British nationals living in Europe for over 40 years. With local offices throughout France, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, Monaco and the UK, we offer cross-border expertise on tax, estate planning, pensions and investment management.

Whether you’re planning on moving to Mediterranean Europe or returning to the UK after living abroad, speak to us before you move. We can help you put in place the most suitable tax planning arrangements for your new home, tailor-made for you.

Already decided where you want to move to? Take a look at the relevant country page:

Returning From the Middle or Far East?

If you’re a British expatriate living and working in the Middle or Far East, it’s particularly important to consider your next steps, even if you’re years away from retirement.

Retiring where you are may not be an option, particularly in places like Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where work visas expire at 60 or 65. With no pensioner visas available and a limited time in which to leave the country, you’ll need to act quickly once you approach this age. For other expatriates in the region, retiring closer to home is something they’ve always planned to do.

By taking specialist cross-border advice, you can take steps to make your move as tax-efficient as possible, wherever you go.

Tax considerations

Living in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, elsewhere in the UAE, or in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, you’re subject to minimal taxation. The same is true in Hong Kong, Singapore and other parts of the Far East.

You’ll need to be prepared for higher tax rates when you return to Europe. However, there are opportunities to limit your exposure and take advantage of tax-efficient arrangements in your new country. What you do before you move can make a real difference to your tax position, so it’s crucial to seek advice early.

Moving in a Post-Brexit World: Our Visa and residency guides

Now that UK nationals no longer have automatic freedom of movement in the EU, relocating to Europe is not as straightforward as it used to be.

Our new European Emigration Advisory Service has been launched to support Britons looking to move to Europe in this new landscape. This includes a series of free guides outlining the post-Brexit visa and residency permits for non-working or retired UK citizens moving to Spain, France, Portugal, Cyprus or Malta.

We want people to be able to easily access and understand the information we provide, so if you need further help to access information on this website or key documents in a different format or setting, please contact us via your Blevins Franks adviser, by email via [email protected] or by phone on +44 (0)20 7389 8133.

Blevins Franks Financial Management Limited (BFFM) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, reference number 179731, to provide advice in the UK. Blevins Franks Wealth Management Limited (BFWML) is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority, registered number C 92917 to provide advice in Malta and other EU countries in line with its [IDD and MiFID] passporting permissions. It is authorised to conduct investment services under the Investment Services Act and authorised to carry out insurance intermediary activities under the Insurance Distribution Act. Where advice is provided outside of Malta via the Insurance Distribution Directive or the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, the applicable regulatory system differs in some respects from that of Malta. BFWML also provides taxation advice; its tax advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. Blevins Franks Trustees Limited (BFTL) is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority for the administration of trusts, retirement schemes and companies. Blevins Franks France SASU (BFF), is registered with ORIAS, registered number 07 027 475 to provide advice in France and other EU countries in line with its [IDD] passporting permissions, and authorised as ‘Conseil en Investissements Financiers’ and ‘Courtiers d’Assurance’ (register can be consulted on www.orias.fr). Member of ANACOFI-CIF. BFF’s registered office: 1 rue Pablo Neruda, 33140 Villenave d’Ornon – RCS BX 498 800 465 APE 6622Z. Garantie Financière et Assurance de Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle conformes aux articles L 541-3 du Code Monétaire et Financier and L512-6 and 512-7 du Code des Assurances (assureur MMA). BFFM, BFWML, BFF and BFTL are all part of the Blevins Franks Group Limited (BFGL) whose registered office is Gasan Centre, Triq il-Merghat, Zone 1, Central Business District, Mriehel CBD1020, Malta. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFWML, BFF and BFFM for respective use in the EU and UK.

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