TL;DR
Leaving the UK: ISAs lose their tax-free status if you become non-resident; SIPPs continue but withdrawals may be taxed in the new country; state pension transfers but may not inflate-adjust depending on destination.
In short
The most-affected wrapper is the ISA — non-residents can't subscribe and the tax-free status depends on UK residence. SIPPs are generally portable. Some destinations (NHR Portugal, Cyprus, Malta) offer favourable retiree tax regimes that work well with UK pensions. Get specialist advice before moving.
We're working on a full deep-dive for this article — including historical data, charts, and worked examples. In the meantime, you can run a free simulation to explore the underlying numbers yourself.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I still hold my ISA after leaving the UK?
- Yes, but you can't contribute. The tax-free wrapper status depends on the destination country — many tax ISA growth as foreign investment income.
- Does the state pension uprate abroad?
- EU + a few others get full uprating; most other countries don't, so the pension freezes at the level you start drawing it. This is a £10-20k+ lifetime difference for typical retirees.
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