Leaving SA for UK questions
 

Hi all..

We are hoping to leave SA sooner than later.

I am a British Citizen with permanent residence in SA, both my children have british passports and south african passports, my Hubby needs a Spouse Visa.

My questions are:

Is it just my hubby that needs to get a SARS Clearance Certificate, or would I need one too?
Can we leave bank accounts open in SA - I've read somewhere about 'blocking' them, but not sure if this is done automatically if you officially immigrate?
Is it just my hubby that needs to notify SA Reserve Bank that he is leaving the country, or would I need to aswell?
I've heard that Retirement Annuities can be 'paid out' now if you do an official immigration....what does an official immigration mean as opposed to an unofficial immigration?
I believe Nedbank has a branch in London, does anyone know if a current Nedbank account could be transferred to the London one?

Thanks
Audrey

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

Auds, here below are my answers to the bits I know about...

Your citizenship or permanent resident status is irrelevant from a SA tax point of view. So in theory both citizens and Permanent Residents need a SARS Clearance.

I believe many just leave without bothering, but if you want to, or need to, do things by the book, then you should both get this.

Yes, you can leave SA accounts open and you can use them if, for example, you go back for any reason (e.g., holiday) or if you have any other SA needs that require a bank account.

Blocked rands are monies that you cannot export from SA if you have emigrated. That's what the 'blocked' means. You can't send them overseas.

Not sure about this. Others might have the answer for you. I didn't bother telling the Reserve Bank anything (though my accountant may have done later on)

I believe this is the SARS thing above, but check.

Probably not, and anyway it's probably not worth it. Many foreign banks have an office in London, but they don't really provide normal banking facilities in the UK.

Good luck. Things are looking increasingly dodgy there, eh?

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

Thanks for your reply Pablo...

Very dodgy, very scary, I hate what living in this country is doing to us emotionally.

Unfortunately we are not in a position to just pack-up and leave - we need to sell our properties first. I just hope and pray that they sell soon so that I can get my family out of here.

I'm seriously trying to get my ducks-in-a-row now - I worry that we are going to land up in a 'forced-to-flee' situation with just the clothes on our backs! I"m trying to do what I can now, and hoping and praying our house sells soon, to avoid a lot of pressure and work when it finally does sell.

I so wish we were in a situation where we could just pack up and leave, and let the house out, afterall it's just the property that is holding us back, the SPOUSE VISA should be a piece of cake.

If, by some miracle, my hubby had a guaranteed job in the UK to go to, we could attempt that, but moving over to the UK jobless, (and that is not from lack of trying - but Employers just don't want to know you when you are in a different country), and being unsure how long it will take to actually find work, is just too irresponsible, so we can't take the chance.

Thanks again for your help.
Audrey

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

Hi Auds

Both OH and I got SARS Clearance Certificates but we had to fill in a contact name and address of someone still in SA just incase we owed them tax at the end of the tax year. OH got money back:) but I had to pay them:(

We didn't notify SA Reserve Bank that we were leaving (didn't know we had to...)

OH has two policies still sitting over there. Not sure exactly why but FNB (the bank I was with) said I had to leave them in their safe keeping and we have written confirmation from them that they have them. Will just have to make a plan to go over when each of them pay out (I'm sure OH will have no problem with that of course). Can't answer the official/unofficial question.

Donna

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

Audrey,

Don't emmigrate officially. Just move from S.A. to Scotland and keep your main bank accounts open. You can do SARS tax returns online now. :thumbup:

This leaves your options open to move money, sell up later-on etc...

Job hunting will be difficult and you (or hubby) would need to be here to go to interviews etc...

I came ahead of the rest of the family to get work and rent house etc... before they all came over.

Get the spouse visa as a priority.

Good luck!

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

It's one of those situations, damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

Yeah, if you have loads of bucks in them and need the dosh, then you may have to emmigrate.

We just sold (accepted and offer) our house there and need a S.A. address to move the money out. Fortunately the Std Bank address for my account is still the S.A. address of the house, otherwise we would be stuffed and couldn't get the money out. :thumbdown:

Hopefully it (the sale) will go through soon and we can get the money out. :fingerscrossed:

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

The thing is, why leave money here?, I honestly (gut feeling) don't think it's a wise move to leave even just a cent here, considering the state of the country, and things are only going to get worse, who knows, if in the future, we would even have money to take out, or worse still, if the rules were to change because someone woke up and realised there was a mass exodus going on, and then you weren't able to get any of your money out.

You are so lucky to be able to leave before actually selling your house, we're stuck here until ours sold, we also have a piece of land at Hartees too, which we're less concerned about, but it's a long waiting game, very frustrating.

Where did you move to? I wish you all the best with your sale of your house.

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

Thanks. We moved to Surrey in 2001. We have just got our Australian PR visas so are moving there in September. That's why we are interested in selling our house in S.A. Also trying to sell our UK house.

We've also just got back from a 3 week family visit in S.A. The place sure has got expensive!!!

It used to cost 1/2 to 2/3 the cost of UK, but not anymore. R40 for a chicken. :eek:

Beer costs the same now. Only petrol and a decent steak eating out is cheaper there.

We wouldn't live there again.

I'll only go back for funerals now.

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

That's a long time in the UK then, did you find the 'settling in' easy enough? What are your reasons for heading to Australia now, or was it always the 'big plan'?

My Mum says the same thing each time she visits from England, re: how expensive things have become in SA.

Once I"m out of SA I will say the same "I wouldn't live here again and probably wouldn't even come back for funerals".

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

Not sure about Scotland. We came to London as that's where the work/money was. I did the London slog for many years, but now work about 10 minutes away from home. My wife also works close by. But settling in is easy enough.

We always wanted to go to Australia or NZ before we got married about 20 years ago, but couldn't get in. Now with vast numbers of years work experience,:D we finally got visas. Also the cold weather is getting us down now, especially this last winter which was really cold.

The job market here is very slow, and probably the same or worse in Scotland. Depends what you do for a living though.

When was the last time you lived/worked in the UK?

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

We are now probably going to go to England initially, and live with my Mum, until 'we're on our feet'. I know of loads of South Africans leaving for Australia or waiting for their visas etc.,

I"m sure the cold weather can get you down, but I'm determined to put up with it and not complain coz it beats living here and worrying about your safety 24/7. However, there's no guarantee that I'll feel the same in a couple of years!

The job market in the UK worries me. My husband has his own business here in the motor industry, however, he will be unable to start his own business straight away in the UK, so he's prepared to 'work for a boss' and is thinking of a change in career at the same time, seeing as he'll be starting rock bottom again, he thinks he may as well, and although he's looking at staying in SALES, he wants to get into property, - there is an old saying "beggars can't be choosers".

To answer your question: I left Scotland in 1981, I visited the UK in Dec. 2008 with my family to show them around, and after all these years I was surprised to feel so at home, although at the same time 'a complete foreigner' in respect of the SA accent........at the end of the 3week visit, it was difficult to get on the plane and return to SA, I left my heart there.

I have just been looking at a facebook page "10,000,000 Voices cry to end Genocide in South Africa" and the photos - they are horrifying and have sickened me to my stomache, I have tears in my eyes and have this desparate anxious feeling to get out of here, I wish it wasn't so complicated and I could just take my family and get on a plane now to get out of here.

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

All the best of luck to you and your family. I share your sentiments. Don't worry about your accents, after a while you don't even think about it anymore and people accept you for who you are.

Try and sort out at least one job beforehand if possible as you don't want to be eating into any cash you have. Moving is expensive and set up costs will erode a lot of cash. We've done it twice to the UK and back. Now doing it to Oz. :eek:

PM me if you guys need any other help or advice and I'll try and answer the best I can.

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

They only have 9,998,095 members to go before they hit their target...

Agreed - my SIL is in Scotland. Cost of living is cheaper than in England, just colder though. Jobs are not easy to come by.

Sorry Al, don't agree with you there. I was in the UK in Feb, was astounded at the cost of everything. A burger and chips for 7 quid from BK? A pint of lager at the pub is a fiver? Smokes are the same...SA is considerably cheaper - and houses are a quarter of the price.

Although there is an obvious reason for that....:(

Good luck heading off to the UK - horses for courses I suppose. I go back for ABCs, nothing else. Bloody depressing, cold, dark, tiny houses and expensive.... but I understand your rationale and wish you all the best. Hope you find the peace and happiness you need - that all of us need. :)

Re: Leaving SA for UK questions
 

Do they have a Burger King at the Ritz? your prices are way off for a normal pub or BK in the UK.

A pint in the average pub is £1.80-£2.00, a quick google to look at a BK menu shows a BK Burger Meal (burger, fries, drink) is £2.94 or £3.24 if you would prefer a milkshake to a Coke.

Unless you looked at the prices at Heathrow and thought airport prices were the norm for the country?