We’ve touched on the subject of repatriation before – because it’s important – and because we don’t all move abroad for the rest of our lives; and even those of us who perhaps do, have to accept that fate can have a hand in our future and change the direction of our lives sometimes, so that we find ourselves on the way back to Blighty having once vowed we’d never set foot in the place for love nor money for example!
For thousands of Britons currently living in the eurozone, the devaluation of the pound in terms of its strength against the euro has been so dramatic and so severe that the cost of living is impossibly high. The ongoing recession in parts of Europe makes earning an income hard too…what’s more, the eurozone’s instability at the moment is causing even more economic uncertainty for some Brits – many of whom are now seriously revaluating their position abroad.
Whilst the UK still has a seriously high exodus rate – fuelled currently because of the impending higher rate tax hike – every year thousands of expats return. And 2010 will be no exception to that rule: in fact, according to a new survey by Moneycorp, up to 70% of Brits in Europe are contemplating a permanent flight home. Personally I think that figure is excessively and artificially inflated – but just in case you want or need to know how to come back to Britain, here’s Shelter Offshore’s repatriation advice in the form of 20 top tips.
1) Be prepared for things to have changed in the UK – even if you’ve been abroad for less than a year!
2) Even if things haven’t changed, your perception and outlook will have - making the UK seem a different place to the one you emigrated from.
3) Accept that the transition home will not be perfectly smooth…and you won’t be shocked or disappointed if you encounter a bumpy patch in the road towards your move back home.
4) Have what’s called ‘a transition fund’ to aid your relocation – this will be money to tide you over as you seek a new job, a new home etc.
5) If you’re a relocating family it may make sense for the main breadwinner to go ahead and start working and banking some money.
6) The other partner can perhaps tie up loose ends abroad and move back at the optimal time for the children’s education for example.
7) Alternatively, if you all move back together, you can face the challenge as a family and support each other – discuss which options work best for you.
8) Be prepared for jealousy, suspicion, hostility and smugness – there are those who’ll be pleased you’ve ‘failed’ to make a new life abroad – even if that is far from the reality of the situation. There are others who will be jealous of the experiences you’ve had and will resent you. It’s vile human nature and it cannot be avoided.
9) Ideally you’ll have kept a bank account open in the UK so re-establishing a credit record won’t be difficult, allowing you to find rental accommodation or a mortgage more easily.
10) If not, you may need a large lump sum as a deposit for a rental property.
11) Alternatively, ask family to ‘sponsor’ you by acting as a guarantor as you get back on your feet in the UK.
12) Don’t think you have to replace your old life quickly – or that you have to replicate what you had before you left, or what you had abroad. Accept that this is a new chapter, see it for what it is.
13) Be prepared to help your children re-adapt to life in the UK. They may have different values and experiences that make it harder for them to ‘fit back in.’
14) Work with their school to iron out any difficulties very early on to avoid a pattern of bullying behaviour harming their development – what’s more, ensure your student child gets any support they need to catch up to the curriculum they move into at their new school.
15) The UK is in the economic doldrums with an election pending – this means the truth about the real dire straits we’re in will not become apparent just yet. Brace yourself for a rough ride!
16) You will need to re-register with a GP and a dentist – find out about your entitlement to NHS care beyond emergency services. Depending on how long you’ve been overseas, you may have to wait up to 6 months to be granted all levels of care. Few GPs turn you away – but know that they could be within their rights to do so. If you’re worried, get informed. And if needs be, get private healthcare in place for the interim period.
17) Sort your investments and money matters out BEFORE you return. What could be a great investment path for you whilst you have a certain tax status abroad, could be wholly inappropriate for you when you return. To that end, if you’re thinking of returning and you need advice, get in touch and we will endeavour to find an adviser to assist you.
18) Try and find and focus on any positive aspects of your relocation. Perhaps there are things about the UK that you have missed? Then make sure you have time to enjoy or embrace them again. For each member of the family it will be important to find a reason why it’s good to be back…
19) Don’t lose your new friends abroad – stay in touch with webcams, email, social networking sites and even plan visits back and forth.
20) Finally, just as you discovered you didn’t hate everything about your old nation or love everything about your new nation when you expatriated, so when you return there will be things about your old life you miss and things you’re very glad to have back now that you’re home. Try and keep your perspective accurate so that you don’t remember your old life overseas through rose tinted glasses, and tie in to all that’s reportedly bad about the UK.
