lhubbard

I have been living in New Zealand for over 20 years but am planning to return to England towards the end of the year. I will be able to stay with my sister and her family in Hertfordshire. I would greatly appreciate any advice/information in relation to the following areas:

1. NHS - will i be eligible for NHS care upon my return. I have checked the Gov.uk website but unable to find any helpful information

2. Is the money i gain from selling my NZ home plus any savings taxable by HMRC upon my return. Also should i complete a self assessment whilst in NZ or when i arrive in England

3. What is the best way to transfer money from NZ to England - i do not have a bank account in England and am not sure if i can open one whilst living in NZ

4. In terms of shipping can anyone recommend shipping company - i guess they can advise on custom tax but probably will only be shipping basics such as clothes, books, records, kitchen utensils. Would these items be taxed?

4. UK pension- i would have paid into UK pension for about 10 years before leaving England - can anyone provide any advice in relation to this area

Thanks for any help
Liam

Editha

Yes you will be entitled to NHS care from the first day you become resident in the UK.

No, it is not taxable. You won't need to fill in a self-assessment until the 31ar January after the end of the tax year in which you arrive in the UK, if you are filing online, or 30th October if you are making a paper return.

There is more than one way of dealing with this problem One would be to open a bank account as soon as you can after arriving in the UK and in the meantime continue using your NZ bank cards.

Those items will not be taxed in the UK.

You can check your national insurance record online.

HKG3

Liam

It would be best for you to apply for New Zealand Citizenship before returning to the UK if not already done so.

lhubbard

thanks yes i have done so

lhubbard

Hey thanks heaps - good to know that i will be eligible for NHS care upon return as when i phoned the British Embassy in NZ they thought i might have to get some health care insurance for the first few months. In terms of transferring money to England i wondered if you could expand more on options - my situation is that i am selling my home in NZ and want to transfer this asap to English bank account. Just not sure as to the best way to do this Cheers Liam

MidAtlantic

The best way is an fx specialist like Transferwise or Worldfirst (there are many others), but if you will be transferring a substantial sum from the sale of your house it might be worth comparing rates with your NZ bank also.

However, you will either need a UK bank account or be prepared to have it paid into your sister's account.

I agree that you are likely to have problems opening a UK bank account from NZ, but it would be worth checking if your NZ bank has any reciprocal arrangements with a UK bank.

lhubbard

Hey thanks for that - I just got another communication from NZ Kiwi bank that i can open a Foreign currency account where i can deposit my savings as British pounds - when i return to England i can open bank account and then do a electronic transfer. It seems to be a much cheaper way than using Transferwise who charge 0.7% per transaction.

benhila

If it is a substantial sum, you'll be much better off with a specialist company like HiFX; The bank rates are always much lower. I would leave the cash (in NZ$) in my Kiwi bank account; register with HiFX (or a similar company). Open a bank account in the UK once there, then exchange and transfer the money via HiFX. It is important to set things in motion in your Kiwi bank before you leave (i.e. make the arrangements for a transfer of the money from the bank to HiFX in advance, sign whatever needs to be signed, get a Netcode so you can operate the account from the UK etc).

lhubbard

Thanks for that - i just wanted to clarify that with HiFX the exchange rates are better (than banks) and it seems they charge no fees for the transfer of money over a certain amount. My only concern is that at present the exchange rate from NZ dollars to British pounds is the best it has been for as long as i can remember (since Brexit) - I am probably not leaving until November and concerned that the exchange rate may change if the pound strengthens meaning I could lose significantly. That was my rationale to opening a Foreign currency account so i could make the most of the current exchange rate. What do you think? Also does it matter where i open HiFX account - in UK or NZ

benhila

I moved from the UK to NZ, then to Australia, now back in the UK. I opened HiFX accounts in all three and used them interchangeably. I guess that opening one in NZ (where you are now) makes the most sense. As to the exchange rate, given Brexit it's anyone guess; I would gamble on the pound sinking even lower but I'm pessimistic as to the UK's chances of negotiating a good deal during the next 2 years.

lhubbard

Thank you - what you say makes real sense and i appreciate your advice and experience in this area

kirstyp

Hi Liam,

<snip>

A great place to start for shipping is to check out FIDI website for a list of FAIM certified international removal companies that serve your area to make sure whoever you're using is fully qualified, licensed and independently vetted for overseas moving.

There are lots more tips about choosing reputable removals companies and your different options over on our vendor forum for International Removals advice. Hope it helps!

Hope that helps!

Spacecake799

We opened an account with HSBC, it was a premier account which you can open if you have a certain amount of cash.
We opened it in Auckland really easily and then just accessed it from the UK

lhubbard

Thanks that has been helpful

lhubbard

Thanks for that