Spenser

I am moving back from the US and have dual nationality. Is there a link to formally become a resident when I move in April - once I have done that how do I get on the National health. As I was born in the UK I still have a national insurance number.
lastly I have a USA hsbc account which I am linking to my UK hsbc account and was planning to use that to transfer $ - does anyone know a better way ? Also with a large transfer of over $1m how do I get the best rate ?
I appreciate any help

Pollyana

There is nowhere to register as a resident or anything like that. You just start signing up for stuff like rentals, council tax, GP surgery, and each bit goes towards showing you are now a UK resident again.

mikelincs

No formal way to become resident, that happens the moment you land, first job is to get yourself onto the electoral roll, that's one place everyone can check whatever you are applying for and gives you a legal 'presence'. For the first few weeks until you have the basics sorted make sure you have your rental agreement, or other proof of where you are living, with you, your council tax bill will also be proof. If you have ever lived in the UK before then it's likely you will have some sort of NHS number and your GP should help you found it, it may have been the older format so you will be given a new one. Credit rating will take a while, but getting a CREDIT card, using it and paying it off every month will help to get on and improve it.

robin1234

Did you have a British driving license? If you did, then it is easy to get a current one issued. You need proof of identity (passport,) proof of residence, and a passport-type photo.

Pulaski

As a British citizen you automatically become resident when you arrive in the UK with the intention of staying and living there.

So far as moving money, while HSBC -> HSBC may be the easiest method transfer, people consistently report here on BE that the exchange rate is not competitive - it is promoted by HSBC as "without fees" but in reality the "spread" (difference between the buy and sell rates) is much larger than other methods of exchanging dollars for sterling, so there are alternatives that will get you more GBP in your account in the UK. "Wise" is commonly mentioned as one of the lowest cost of ways to transfer money internationally, but for a sum as large as you're talking about, assuming you're banking with a relatively large bank, you can ask for "a dealing desk rate" (use those words, and if the teller/ assistant doesn't understand ask to speak to a supervisor), which will get you access to the commercial rates that businesses are offered. For $1million a bank should be offering you very close to the mid-rate (half way between the market buy and sell rates). The rate you are offered changes literally every minute or two throughout the day, so you will be given a very short window to accept the offered rate, but if you don't accept the rate it can be refreshed as often as required ad nauseum. You will likely be charged a wire fee (some account types have a few "free" wires each year) and you will have to give the account where the funds will be credited - bank, address of bank, a/c number, name of account holder, and you will also be asked for a short description of the purpose of the wire, so in your case it might be "transfer proceeds of sale of home to the UK for purchase of a home there".

It is also important that you contact your bank in the UK and alert them that you will be transferring approximately £x,000's from [whatever the source is, to align with the description on the wire], as banks tend to get concerned when large unexpected transfers arrive from overseas, and it can have consequences that you should avoid if possible, as the transfer could be reported as "suspicious". You will never know if this happens, and there is literally nothing you can do to find out if such a report was made as banks are prohibited from disclosing any such reports, even if responding under oath in court; the reports are legally "undiscoverable", and cannot be obtained even by subpoena. So all you can do is try to ensure that the bank is expecting the credit and knows where you got the money from and what you are planning to do with it. So try to impress upon whoever you speak to, that they need to make a note of this expected transfer in your customer notes "I would like you to note in my customer records that I expect to transfer ....", or say something like that in a letter if you use snail-mail for communication.

Please also note that you should not, under any circumstances, attempt to discuss, or even mention, with either the sending or receiving bank, the possibility of your transfer being reported as "suspicious", as that is the surest way that your transfer/ account will be flagged as suspicious and reported.

Spenser

Thank you all so much - very helpful