Seeking feedback from people who moved back to UK.

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, InnerVoice said:

Thanks for letting me know - I wasn't aware that it was that simple. I will definitely look into that. I know that if we ever moved to the UK then it would be a right rigmarole!

Each EU country has its own process.  In Italy, for instance, you don't do anything in advance -- your partner just needs to register with the Questura within 3 months of arriving, and then at some point, you apply for a residency permit. No idea about Portugal, but they all (except the UK, when it was a member!) recognise the partner's right to reside so it's not usually an onerous process.  

Also note that in many European countries, unlike the UK, you can get your Australian pension, even if you leave Australia before you're eligible.

For the UK, if you are retired with a good savings balance, then it's not that much of a rigmarole to get a partner visa. Certainly loads easier than Australia.   You just need to show proof of having held the required savings for at least 12 months (or show proof of the value of your house, and proof that you've found a buyer).  Then you need to demonstrate you have somewhere to live in the UK, which can be a little harder.  After that it's plain sailing. In fact we got caught on the hop, as our approval came through in about six weeks.

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by Marisawright

[InnerVoice]

5 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Each EU country has its own process.  In Italy, for instance, you don't do anything in advance -- your partner just needs to register with the Questura within 3 months of arriving, and then at some point, you apply for a residency permit. No idea about Portugal, but they all (except the UK, when it was a member!) recognise the partner's right to reside so it's not usually an onerous process.  

Also note that in many European countries, unlike the UK, you can get your Australian pension, even if you leave Australia before you're eligible.

For the UK, if you are retired with a good savings balance, then it's not that much of a rigmarole to get a partner visa. Certainly loads easier than Australia.   You just need to show proof of having held the required savings for at least 12 months (or show proof of the value of your house, and proof that you've found a buyer).  Then you need to demonstrate you have somewhere to live in the UK, which can be a little harder.  After that it's plain sailing. In fact we got caught on the hop, as our approval came through in about six weeks.

I've read somewhere that to get the Australian Aged Pension at full rate whilst living overseas, you'd need to have been resident in Australia for at least 35 years. Even if we stayed here until I was 67, I still wouldn't reach that. We're thinking about the European diversion for a few years Between 60 and 67, so we'd just be living off my super and our savings until then. Having given the UK a second chance (2008-2011) I know I wouldn't be happy moving back there, but it would be lovely to live close enough to make trips back to visit friends over there, whilst enjoying the sunnier climes of southern Europe.

[Marisawright]

12 minutes ago, InnerVoice said:

I've read somewhere that to get the Australian Aged Pension at full rate whilst living overseas, you'd need to have been resident in Australia for at least 35 years. 

I believe you'd still get pro rata though?

[InnerVoice]

4 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

I believe you'd still get pro rata though?

Do you know how they work it out?

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

Do you know how they work it out?

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/payment-schedule-and-rates-for-people-outside-australia?context=22526

[Blue Flu]

22 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

Portugal also has some great tax incentives for expats. I'm fortunate enough to have an EU passport but my wife doesn't, so I guess we'd have to do a bit of juggling there.

I'm in the same situation. My partner is a EU national, hence I can use her citizenship to gain PR, but prefer to have own rights to remain, due  to preferring to  remain in a third country .(not the country of her citizenship)

[Blue Flu]

14 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

I've read somewhere that to get the Australian Aged Pension at full rate whilst living overseas, you'd need to have been resident in Australia for at least 35 years. Even if we stayed here until I was 67, I still wouldn't reach that. We're thinking about the European diversion for a few years Between 60 and 67, so we'd just be living off my super and our savings until then. Having given the UK a second chance (2008-2011) I know I wouldn't be happy moving back there, but it would be lovely to live close enough to make trips back to visit friends over there, whilst enjoying the sunnier climes of southern Europe.

Portugal remains considerably cheaper than most other EU countries, and considerably less than UK. I suppose East Euro nations are cheaper like Rumania, but never been there. We've been looking at Cyprus but that is around 15% more expensive than Portugal. 

But obviously it is more than just money. Depends on where you find 'a fit'. As for Australian pension, my understanding is one needs to be two years in Australia before application of pension. 

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Blue Flu said:

As for Australian pension, my understanding is one needs to be two years in Australia before application of pension. 

Not true. If you establish residency, you can start receiving the pension immediately.   However you then need to remain in Australia for at least two years, otherwise the pension will be stopped again.

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Blue Flu said:

I'm in the same situation. My partner is a EU national, hence I can use her citizenship to gain PR, but prefer to have own rights to remain, due  to preferring to  remain in a third country .(not the country of her citizenship)

Are you suggesting that it's not enough that it's an EU country, it can only be the country of which she's a citizen?  That's not how I read it. 

[Blue Flu]

5 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Are you suggesting that it's not enough that it's an EU country, it can only be the country of which she's a citizen?  That's not how I read it. 

I'm not suggesting any such thing. I'm considering a host of things from medical insurance to longer term outcomes, for example in the case of a rapture in the relationship. I need to know I have the right to move to another EU country outside of the primary country of residence. 

[Blue Flu]

5 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Not true. If you establish residency, you can start receiving the pension immediately.   However you then need to remain in Australia for at least two years, otherwise the pension will be stopped again.

So you are saying the pension seeker is required to remain two years in Australia on receiving the pension?  I thought it was two years prior to , but main thing is there is a two year period. One would think they would be glad to rid themselves of older citizens, and health care responsibilities and so on. 

But anyway amount is less if going to a cheaper Asian country. Still probably work out considerably better than staying in Australia being such a high cost country. 

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, Blue Flu said:

So you are saying the pension seeker is required to remain two years in Australia on receiving the pension?  I thought it was two years prior to , but main thing is there is a two year period. One would think they would be glad to rid themselves of older citizens, and health care responsibilities and so on. 

But anyway amount is less if going to a cheaper Asian country. Still probably work out considerably better than staying in Australia being such a high cost country. 

Yes it’s two years but not necessarily prior. AFAIK there is no reduction based on country of residence

[Nemesis]

11 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Yes it’s two years but not necessarily prior. AFAIK there is no reduction based on country of residence

A friend of mine is looking at living part time in Thailand when he retires, so we were actually discussing this the other week. He said he would benefit nicely with the cost of living being so low, and didn't mention anything about a reduced rate due to the country being cheaper to live in, definitely talked about getting the full pension when his super is running low. 

[Marisawright]

@Blue Flu, to confirm:

"in order to be eligible for the age pension you need to be resident in Australia at the date on which you first apply for the pension, or in a country with which Australia has an International Social Security Agreement (ISS) . If you reside outside of Australia or the countries with which Australia has an ISS then you will need to return to Australia to claim the pension and be prepared to remain here for at least two years thereafter before being able to proceed overseas and retain the pension."

If you read the legislation, there is only one table of Australian pension rates, regardless of which country you reside in. What often confuses people is that if you go to live overseas, your pension will be recalculated on a pro rata basis, based on your working life in Australia.   

Edited February 19, 2023 by Marisawright

[InnerVoice]

On 19/02/2023 at 07:07, Nemesis said:

A friend of mine is looking at living part time in Thailand when he retires, so we were actually discussing this the other week. He said he would benefit nicely with the cost of living being so low, and didn't mention anything about a reduced rate due to the country being cheaper to live in, definitely talked about getting the full pension when his super is running low. 

I have a retired friend in the UK who has been going to Thailand every year for two months for about a decade now, with the exception of 2021 and 2022, but he's back there again this year. You can almost set your watch buy him - flies out a few days after New Year and always returns by the 9 March, which his birthday. He loves it, and I've asked him why he doesn't move over there permanently, or go for more of the winter months? He said that two months was ideal because you can get a 60-day tourist visa at the UK Thai embassy, so you don't need to do a 'visa run' in Thailand, like the backpackers do when their 30-day visa-on-arrival runs out. He mentioned that comprehensive travel insurance is pretty reasonable too for that period of time, whereas it starts getting expensive for much longer than that. There's also the fact that there are insurance issues leaving your home unoccupied for extended periods of time, as usually only 30 days vacancy is allowed by home insurers as standard (I guess he just wings the second month). He loves Christmas/NY and his birthday in the UK too, so I guess it works out perfectly for him.

Retiring to a cheap Asian country seems like a great idea in principal but in practice places like Thailand have a lot of bureaucracy to deal with so you can reside there semi-permanently, you are going to require comprehensive local health insurance in case you get sick or injured, and it would be a lot harder integrating into the local culture than it would be in Europe, or one of the English-speaking countries. If you are only going to live there part of the year, then you have the dilemma of what to do with your overseas property, unless you're going to try and rent it out for 6 months every time you go away.

[Chortlepuss]

We are back in our UK house with a view to selling it and returning to Australia. Been here just over a week - furnished it from charity shops & Facebook! My dream was always to have a UK bolt hole and my house here is perfect - we have fitted in like we’ve never been away. But the realities of keeping two houses going are not practical unless you are very rich. My daughter is having a baby in July in Oz and our grownup son in Brisbane has MH issues and needs us. So we will return after selling and use the money to travel. You have had a lot of great advice here & I won’t repeat it, but head down & crack on if it’s what you want. If I was staying here, I’d do what friends do and have a couple of months in Jan/Feb in India or somewhere warm. I’m amazed at the energy I feel and how well I feel, despite the cold! We’re sleeping well under the cosy duvet - and walking is a joy when you’re not slayed by the heat! I love the fact that it’s dark at night, quiet and that Spring is about to unleash beautiful flowers and long days… It’s expensive here for people on low- average incomes, and I wouldn’t want to be renting - grim in the South. Power bills ridiculous. And I’m hoping I don’t get sick when I’m here - friends have largely given up with access to Drs. But for all that, if I was free to move I’d probably return and embrace the beautiful countryside, benign climate and cultural and travel opportunities here. 

[proud preston]

@Chortlepuss- all that you’ve said about Britain (the good stuff) -yes! Cold climate for waking in. Spring etc. The heat in Brisbane is intolerable and I tend to hide away. Only go for walks if it’s early or late in the day. Too entrenched to move to a cooler part of Aus. 

[s713]

On 13/02/2023 at 08:19, Marisawright said:

 The hot weather keeps you indoors more than the cold weather in the UK.

I'm glad you said that, I totally agree. Most people think I'm mad.

[s713]

On 13/02/2023 at 08:19, Marisawright said:

 The hot weather keeps you indoors more than the cold weather in the UK.

I'm glad you said that, I totally agree. Most people think I'm mad.

[Quoll]

25 minutes ago, s713 said:

I'm glad you said that, I totally agree. Most people think I'm mad.

I agree with you too - days on end spent inside with the windows and curtains closed to keep the heat out, no wonder my weight ballooned here!

[Toots]

10 minutes ago, Quoll said:

I agree with you too - days on end spent inside with the windows and curtains closed to keep the heat out, no wonder my weight ballooned here!

I really dislike hot weather too.  Apparently Sydney is forecast 35C today.  Here it will reach 20C.  I think our hottest day this summer was 27C and that is plenty hot enough for me.  No air-con necessary here.  Just open the back and front doors and the breeze keeps everything cool.  

UK summers are getting hotter.  Last summer some places reached 38C.  

[Quoll]

28 minutes ago, Toots said:

I really dislike hot weather too.  Apparently Sydney is forecast 35C today.  Here it will reach 20C.  I think our hottest day this summer was 27C and that is plenty hot enough for me.  No air-con necessary here.  Just open the back and front doors and the breeze keeps everything cool.  

UK summers are getting hotter.  Last summer some places reached 38C.  

They've always been warmer than we give them credit for - the year I was born, there was a period over a month where the mercury was hovering in the low 30s.  I think we are just brainwashed into thinking that Britain has never had hot summers.  Admittedly, 3 years later the annual max was only 26.7.  It only takes one Saharan blast to rake the temperatures up and one Beast from the East to knock them right down low!

[Toots]

30 minutes ago, Quoll said:

They've always been warmer than we give them credit for - the year I was born, there was a period over a month where the mercury was hovering in the low 30s.  I think we are just brainwashed into thinking that Britain has never had hot summers.  Admittedly, 3 years later the annual max was only 26.7.  It only takes one Saharan blast to rake the temperatures up and one Beast from the East to knock them right down low!

I remember lovely summer days in the UK as a child and beyond.  We used to cycle to the beach and swim in rivers.  Most of the school summer holidays were spent outside.

I also remember my younger sister being put outside in her pram no matter what the weather was like even in winter.  Not in the rain though.  In Nordic countries it's quite normal to let babies take a nap outside in their prams even during winter and it must have been much the same in the UK in those days.  I also remember hearing a rumble and my Mum dashing outside as the rumble was snow sliding off the roof onto the pram!!  My sister was none the worse.  

[Quoll]

44 minutes ago, Toots said:

I remember lovely summer days in the UK as a child and beyond.  We used to cycle to the beach and swim in rivers.  Most of the school summer holidays were spent outside.

I also remember my younger sister being put outside in her pram no matter what the weather was like even in winter.  Not in the rain though.  In Nordic countries it's quite normal to let babies take a nap outside in their prams even during winter and it must have been much the same in the UK in those days.  I also remember hearing a rumble and my Mum dashing outside as the rumble was snow sliding off the roof onto the pram!!  My sister was none the worse.  

LOL yes, one of my earliest memories is being stuck outside in my pram, I wouldnt have been very old but I can certainly picture it.

[Parley]

Most people will avoid walking around in40 degree weather or sweltering sun.

But then most people will accomodate it by walking in earlier morning before it gets too hot or go out at dusk.

Most people would not become hermits and say they can never venture outside to get any exercise.

Edited March 6, 2023 by Parley