UK-Born, planning a move to Scotland from US (with spouse, cats, and business)
 

Hello!

Some background, I was born in London and moved to the states at 10yo. I'm a dual citizen. Now, for a variety of reasons, my US citizen wife and I (30's) are planning to move to Edinburgh in ~1yr, and I have a mountain of questions on logistics, taxes, etc. I know this is a lot - if you have advice on one or all it is much appreciated in demystifying this adventure :)

1. Pets: We have two cats, but under no circumstances do we want to force them to fly cargo... I understand there are services that coordinate us flying into somewhere like Paris, and coming into the UK via train/ferry (e.g. petmoves[.]com). Has anyone had positive/negative experiences with this? I understand this may be a hassle (hrs on flight to Paris, then to London, then to Edinburgh...) but it's worth it for us to minimise harm to our pets.

2. Shipping: we're going to try phase our shipments, starting with the essentials we can bring ourselves and ship in one pallet, then ship more furniture and items once we find a longer term rental. Is this a sensible strategy to those who have made the move? Are there shipping companies to avoid or prefer?

3. Taxes and business: Not expecting precise financial advice here, but generally speaking, what should we be aware of? I'm generally familiar with the tax treaties for basic income tax, and I have a salaried job with a global corp I intend to continue in the UK, so I assume anything that isn't straightforward here I can resolve with most tax pros or my employer.

However, my wife is self employed with a business registered in the US, and earns income on a rental property. Has anyone run into this before, and are there any good resources we can use to help accommodate this that minimises tax/bureaucratic burden legally? Should she keep US bank accounts open to receive those incomes, and what would be the best way to convert that to GBP?

4. Bank accounts and housing: I'm noticing we'll need a UK bank account to secure housing in the UK, but those need a proof of address. What's the simplest way to resolve those dependencies? Is that via Wise? Are there other international banks that may count for this? Does an airbnb count for proof of address? In the worst case, I have a UK contact that may let me use their address temporarily, would this be acceptable for opening a UK bank account?

5. Move-in to do: Is there a comprehensive list somewhere of the paperwork and accounts we need to register once we've moved in? NHS, insurance, voting, etc? I'd like to collect a list of "musts" for once we've landed in our new home.

6. Logistics: Best time of year to move? I figure spring/summer is our best shot for decent weather, and letting us settle in before (Scottish) winter. Naturally, we'd like to avoid moving into Edinburgh during Fringe, if only to avoid ludicrous rental prices :)

Our current plan is:
1. I renew my passport from abroad
2. My wife applies for a visa
3. We coordinate with:
- pet moving co.
- shipping co.
4. Arrange lodging:
- 1 night in Paris (or whatever intermediary)
- 1 night in London (to break up long travel)
- Airbnb in Edinburgh (before securing a leased rental)
4. Fly to Paris, stay a night
5. Train to London, stay a night
6. Train to Edinburgh, stay in Airbnb for temp. address
7. Start looking for a rental lease, handle paperworks and registrations, etc.

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Again, I know this is a lot, thank you for your time and assistance!

Re: UK-Born, planning a move to Scotland from US (with spouse, cats, and busines
 

Too many questions for me to read, but I think you won't be able to open a UK bank account unless you're onshore.

Re: UK-Born, planning a move to Scotland from US (with spouse, cats, and busines
 

On point 1, why would you force your pets to fly in the cabin? More noise, people, smells, etc. They would need to be in their own carrier under the seat in front most likely.

And what it they urinate / defecate? You are not going to be able to take them out.

In the hold, it will be temperature controlled for them, they will be secure - I think you can even have them in the same carrier so they can keep each other company.

Re: UK-Born, planning a move to Scotland from US (with spouse, cats, and busines
 

We've heard too many horror stories of pets in cargo to risk hurting, traumatizing, or losing them. Having them with us in the cabin lets us comfort them and be in control of their treatment. We've also flown with our cats before - it's always gone smoothly.

How should we secure a rental without a bank account?

Re: UK-Born, planning a move to Scotland from US (with spouse, cats, and busines
 

As you are applying for a spouse visa for your wife you will need to have accommodation sorted before you get the visa and therefore before you move over.
You can secure a rental by paying deposits etc from your current account in the US/credit cards/bankers draft.

Re: UK-Born, planning a move to Scotland from US (with spouse, cats, and busines
 

A Wise "borderless account" is going to be the easiest way to open a sterling bank account in the UK with a British bank account number and sort code (routing and transit), Wise has a good reputation, though I have reservations about using a Wise "borderless account" either long term or for large sums other than very briefly.

The optimum time to arrive in the UK for tax reasons is far enough before the tax year end (April 5) to earn (just) your personal allowance, which is £12,570 for 2023-24 (y/e April 5, 2024), For example if you expect to earn £50k per year then arriving right around the end of the calendar year would be optimal. The reason for this is that you get a personal allowance for the entire tax year irrespective of how much of the tax year you are earning/ in the UK, so you can effectively earn entirely tax free income if you manage your arrival in the UK so that you earn the amount of your personal tax allowance. As you don't combine income with your spouse for UK tax purposes, there might be a different optimal point for each of you.

Re carrying your cats in the cabin - you won't be able to take them out of their carrier during the flight, so I don't know what you think you'll be able to do for them during the flight, and your "horror stories" are skewed heavily towards the bad stories as not many people are going to report their pets "wonderful experience". Obviously there is no "great" way for a pet to fly accross the Atlantic, but I would support Old Sparkles advice, to seriously consider using the usual method of shipping in the hold, which transports thousands of animal every year, especially as you have cats, which are notorious for seeking out a dark hidy hole when in an unfamiliar environment. In other words, your cats would probably prefer traveling in the hold over what you are trying to choose for them on their behalf.

I have not seen a list of "to do's" on arrival, but you already have most of the items. I would add "take a driving test" to the list and while it isn't a day 1 item, you should prioritise some familiarization lessons and get some tips from the instructor, as (if you're not aware) the UK test is a LOT harder than what passes for a test in the US. So if you fail your test, which has about a 50% probability, you have to wait 30 days before you can take another test, and the pass rate for a second test is also about 50%, also for the third test, and the fourth, and fifth, so there is about a 1 in 8 chance that you will take three tests and still fail. ..... Which is why I recommend starting the process as soon as the dust has settled after you arrive, so that you have time to take potentially several tests before the end of the 12 month validity of your US license.

Re: UK-Born, planning a move to Scotland from US (with spouse, cats, and busines
 

We returned from the US to UK in January 2021. If I remember correctly, there was no possibility of bringing our cat over in the cabin, no airline was offering this option, she had to fly cargo. Our precious Princess arrived ok and has settled down and is living her best spoilt life in the UK.

Re: UK-Born, planning a move to Scotland from US (with spouse, cats, and busines
 

Will your job be transferred to Edinburgh or do you propose to work remotely?