Every year, thousands of Brits make the decision to relocate to a different country, either for work, to retire or to improve their lives in some other way.
The decision to emigrate is a big one and often takes many months of careful consideration and planning.
As Brexit negotiations continue, there has been no significant reduction in the number of UK citizens moving to other EU states. In fact, some news outlets have reported an increase in the number of enquiries from UK citizens looking to move to France, Ireland and Spain.
During the Brexit negotiations, there have been suggestions that UK expats could have “associate citizenship” in their country of residence and our own PM has suggested a revised EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) scheme to give free healthcare to UK expats living in the EU.
These suggestions have not been written into any formal agreement yet, but are clear indicators that both the UK and EU negotiators want to keep the process fair and simple for UK citizens already living in the EU when we leave.
Even if the “associate citizenship” isn’t implemented, a simple visa system is the most likely outcome. Of course, there is also the option to apply for citizenship in the country of residence. In France, for example, a person can apply for citizenship if they are over 18, have lived in France for 5 consecutive years and meet some other minor criteria.
At Central Moves, we continue to provide relocation services to Europe, with no significant change to the number of enquiries. If anything, enquiries have increased, but that can be attributed to the annual increase resulting from recommendations from happy customers.
While the UK is still part of the EU, moving to another EU state may be simpler than in the future, so now could be the best time to move to Europe. If you have made the decision to move to France, Spain or anywhere else in Europe, give us a call for a free, no obligation quote. Whether you want to move the full contents of house, a few pieces of furniture or just a number of boxes, we are happy to help.