The TL;DR
You can live and work abroad with a UK passport, but not on visa-free days alone. To do your job from another country, or to live there for most of the year, you need the right permission: usually a visa or residence permit, or a second citizenship if your family tree allows it.
This guide is your starting point: whether it's possible, the five ways to do it, how applying works, and which of our guides to read next.
Covered in this article
1. Is it possible? 🤔
Yes. Thousands of Brits move abroad every year, and many keep their UK job or clients when they do. But a UK passport on its own only makes you a visitor.
Visiting covers holidays, family and business meetings, for a limited time. In the Schengen area that is 90 days in any 180, now tracked automatically at the border, and other countries set their own limits. In most countries, being a visitor does not give you the right to work, and that includes working remotely for a UK employer. That is the whole reason digital nomad visas exist.
So to work from abroad, or to live somewhere for most of the year, you need a visa or residence permit for that country, or a second citizenship. The good news: there are more routes open to UK citizens than most people realise, and we walk you through each one below. We checked this guide against official government sources in October 2026. Rules change, so always check the official source before you act.
2. Your options: the five routes 🧭
Almost every visa falls into one of five types of route. Which ones are open to you depends mostly on where your money comes from.
Route | Who it's for | Example (as of Oct 2026) | Read next |
|---|---|---|---|
💻 Digital nomad / remote work | You keep a UK job, or your own clients outside the country | Spain: €2,442/month (about £2,080). Portugal D8: €3,680/month (about £3,130) | |
🏖️ Passive income / retirement | You live on a pension, savings, investments or rent | Spain non-lucrative: €28,800/year (about £24,500). Portugal D7: €920/month (about £780) | |
💼 Work and working holiday | You'll work for an employer in that country, or you're 18 to 35 and want a working holiday visa | Australia working holiday visa: open to UK citizens aged 18 to 35 | |
💰 Investment (golden visas) | You have significant capital to invest | Greece: €250,000 for a building conversion, otherwise €400,000 or €800,000 depending on the area (about £212,000 to £680,000) | |
🌳 Citizenship by descent | A parent or grandparent was born in, or was a citizen of, an EU country | Ireland: €278 (about £235), around 12 months |
Figures as of October 2026, converted at €1 = £0.85. Most bars rise every year, so always check the current figure with the consulate.
One thing to know straight away: the passive-income routes have lower bars than the nomad visas, but most of them ban work, including remote work, and consulates check. Portugal's D7 is the main exception.
Check your family tree first
An EU passport through a parent or grandparent beats every visa above: no income bar, no 90-day clock, and the right to live and work anywhere in the EU. It's the one check worth doing before anything else.
Ireland is the strongest route for UK readers. If a parent or grandparent was born anywhere on the island of Ireland, including Northern Ireland, you can usually claim. Our guide to Irish citizenship by descent walks you through the Foreign Births Register.
Italy, Poland, Germany, Portugal and others have their own routes, though several tightened in 2025. Our guide to whether your family tree could unlock EU citizenship covers who qualifies and the 30-minute check to do first.
3. Which route fits you 🎯
Three questions narrow it down fast.
Where will your income come from? A UK salary or your own clients points to a nomad visa. A pension, savings or rent points to a passive-income route. A new local job points to a work visa, and a family connection may skip visas altogether.
How much of the year will you be there? Living somewhere for most of the year means a residence permit, and usually tax residence too.
Who is coming with you? Partners and children raise the income bar, usually by a set amount per dependant, and some routes handle families far better than others.
Our guide to which visa is actually right for you matches you to realistic options by the income you can prove today.
What's stopping you from living your dream remote life?
Take the two-minute quiz and we'll show you which route out of the UK fits your situation, what's standing in your way, and the guides to read first.
4. How applying works 📋
The details differ by country, but most applications follow the same shape.
Choose your route and country, then check the current requirements with that country's consulate.
Gather your documents. This is the most time-consuming part (see the table below).
Apply, usually at the consulate or visa centre in the UK before you go. A few countries let you apply after you arrive.
Register locally once approved, and collect your residence card.
Renew before it expires, with the same evidence again.
Document | What to know |
|---|---|
Police certificate (ACRO) | The UK criminal record check consulates ask for. ACRO takes up to 20 working days, plus delivery, and many consulates want it issued within the last three to six months. |
Apostille | The UK Legalisation Office stamp that makes a UK document valid abroad. Get it before any translation, and allow extra time for the paper service. |
Sworn translation | An official translation into the local language, done by an approved translator. You cannot do this one yourself. |
Proof of income | Payslips, P60s, SA302s, invoices or pension statements, usually covering three to twelve months, in a form the consulate recognises. |
Health insurance | Usually full private cover with no excess or waiting periods. GHIC and travel insurance are not accepted. See our healthcare guide. |
The order matters as much as the list. Documents expire, so start the slowest ones (the police certificate, any HMRC paperwork) first, so nothing runs out while you wait for something else.
5. The UK-specific catches ⚠️
Most visa guides online are written for Americans. These are the things they miss for a UK applicant.
The HMRC certificate to sort early. If you keep working for a UK employer, Spain and some other countries ask for a certificate from HMRC (an A1) showing you stay in UK National Insurance. Your employer applies, and HMRC's own reply-date checker currently shows about three weeks if they apply online, or about three months by post, so get it started as soon as your plans are firm. Our guide to working abroad for your UK boss covers the employer side, and what to do if they say no.
Tax residency arrives with the visa. Living somewhere for most of the year usually makes you tax resident there, and leaving the UK properly has its own rules. Read how UK tax residency really works before you go.
The first renewal. Many permits are granted for one or two years, and the renewal asks for the evidence again at that year's threshold, which usually rises while your pounds move with the exchange rate. Leave yourself a margin and keep your paperwork in order from day one.
6. Where to go next ➡️
Start here: Which Visa Is Actually Right for You? matches you to realistic options by the income you can prove today.
Working remotely: Nomad Visas Decoded: A UK Guide to 21 Countries
Living on a pension, savings or rent: The Best European Visas for Living on Passive Income
Through your family tree: Could Your Family Tree Unlock EU Citizenship?, then Irish Citizenship by Descent
By country: our Country Guides starter guide covers every destination we've written about.
Alongside your visa: Under 183 Days for tax, and Healthcare as a UK Nomad for insurance.
Frequently asked questions ❓
These are the questions UK movers ask again and again, on British Expats, Expat.com and Mumsnet.
Can I keep working for my UK employer if I move abroad?
Often, yes, if your employer agrees in writing and you have a visa that lets you work there. Visa-free entry is for visiting and doesn't give you the right to work, even remotely for a UK employer, so look at a digital nomad visa.
Is my income enough for a visa?
It depends on the route and the country, and the bar rises for each family member. Nomad visas often ask for roughly £2,100 to £3,100 a month, while passive-income routes can start lower. Check the current figure with the consulate and leave a margin for exchange rates.
Am I too old to move abroad?
Rarely. Working holiday visas stop at 35, but most nomad, passive-income and retirement routes have no upper age limit.
Can I get an EU passport through my grandparents?
Sometimes. If a parent or grandparent was born on the island of Ireland, including Northern Ireland, you can usually claim Irish citizenship. Other countries have tightened their rules, Italy most recently in 2025, so check before you order documents.
If I get a digital nomad visa, which country do I pay tax in?
Usually the country you live in for most of the year, often once you pass 183 days there. HMRC decides your UK position separately, under the Statutory Residence Test, so check both sides before you go. Our Tax and HMRC starter guide explains how HMRC decides.
Do I need a lawyer, or can I apply myself?
Not always. Many people apply themselves, but a lawyer or specialist is worth it for complex cases such as company directors, families with mixed nationalities or a previous refusal. Get prices in writing first, as fees vary hugely.
Official Resources 📎
Always check current requirements with the official source, as rules and thresholds change.
Our other starter guides 🧳
Disclaimer
This guide provides general information only and does not constitute legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa requirements and thresholds change frequently. Always verify current requirements with official government sources and consult qualified professionals for advice specific to your situation.
