Last checked: October 2026
The TL;DR
Your UK pension stays put when you leave. It doesn't need to move, doesn't need to be transferred, and in most cases should not be. The mistake most people make is either assuming it has to follow them, or ignoring it entirely until a decision that should have happened before they left has to happen in a hurry. Both cost money.
The charge most people miss is the Overseas Transfer Charge: 25% of your entire pot, applied if you transfer to a QROPS (Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme) without meeting the right exemptions. The EEA blanket exemption was removed in October 2024, so guidance written before that date no longer applies. Alongside the transfer question, there is a 2028 access-age change, a 2027 inheritance-tax change, and a pension tax position that HMRC does not sort for you automatically.
This guide covers all of it clearly, calls out the edge cases that catch people out, and ends with the six questions to take to a specialist so the hour you spend with one actually counts.
Covered in this article
1. 🗂️ Leave it or move it? The decision most people overthink
Your UK pension stays where it is when you leave. A SIPP or workplace pension doesn't move when you do, doesn't need to be transferred, and in most cases should not be. That is the correct starting position for most people, and simpler than most expect.
These are the key figures for 2026/27:
Figure | Amount (2026/27) |
|---|---|
Annual allowance (with UK earnings) | £60,000 |
Money Purchase Annual Allowance (after flexible access) | £10,000 |
Tax-free lump sum cap (PCLS) | £268,275 |
Overseas Transfer Allowance | £1,073,100 |
Overseas Transfer Charge | 25% |
Minimum pension access age | 55 (rising to 57 from April 2028) |
Depending on your situation, one of these applies:
Still paying in? Once you're non-resident with no UK earnings, tax relief on personal contributions is much more limited. You can usually still get relief on up to £3,600 a year (including the government top-up) for the five tax years after you leave, but only if you were UK resident when you joined the scheme and it adds the top-up for you ("relief at source", as most personal pensions and SIPPs do). After that, relief stops. Check with your provider before you go.
Thinking about transferring to an overseas scheme? That decision is in Section 3. The charge for getting it wrong starts at 25% of your pot.
Already drawing pension income? Skip to Section 4. If you are also still contributing to another pension while drawing from one, read Section 2 first.
Next step: Request a pension statement from every scheme you hold before leaving the UK. Know your total pot value, your projected access date, and whether any scheme is defined benefit.
2. ⏱️ The date to put in your diary: 6 April 2028
The minimum age at which most people can access their pension without a tax charge goes from 55 to 57 on 6 April 2028. That is confirmed in law (Finance Act 2022) and not going to change. If you are 53 or 54 right now, or planning a move that puts you abroad around that window, this date has a direct effect on your options.
Roughly how it lands by birth date: if you were born before 6 April 1971 you'll already be 57 and are unaffected; if you were born on or after 6 April 1973 you'll generally have to wait until 57 unless you hold a protected pension age; those in between sit in a transitional band. (Public-service schemes for the police, firefighters and armed forces keep their own earlier ages.)
Two things worth knowing before you plan around access age:
Protected pension age: Some schemes allow earlier access, but that protection had to be in place before 4 November 2021 and is scheme-specific. Check your documentation before assuming it applies to you.
Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA): The moment you flexibly access any part of your pension, your annual allowance drops from £60,000 to £10,000. If you are still contributing to another pension while drawing from one, this is a binding limit that applies immediately and cannot be undone.
Worth knowing: The MPAA kicks in even on a small or partial flexible access. If you intend to keep contributing after you start drawing, take advice before you trigger it. The order of operations matters.
Next step: Check your pension documentation for any protected pension age. If none exists, assume the 57 minimum applies to you from 6 April 2028.
