Moving to England: is it still possible after Brexit, and how?

Moving to England is still possible, but no longer the way you would move to Germany or Spain. Free movement with the United Kingdom is over: if you were not living there on 31 December 2020, you have needed a visa to live or work there since 1 January 2021. As a visitor you can come without a visa, usually for up to six months, but with an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) and without working. For anything beyond that, your move starts with a visa, and nearly always with a job.

Can I still move to England without a visa?

Only if you fall under the old rules. The EU Settlement Scheme is for EU citizens who were living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and for their family members. The deadline for most people was 30 June 2021. Applying later is only possible with reasonable grounds, such as a serious illness or parents who did not apply for you when you were a child. Applying is free.

One opening is often missed. If you have a family member from the EU who was living in the UK by the end of 2020 and has settled or pre-settled status, you can join them under certain conditions; GOV.UK lists which family members qualify. You then apply yourself within 90 days of your arrival. Otherwise you are a newcomer like anyone else; NederlandWereldwijd too refers to the British government for the rules.

Which visa routes are there for a Dutch citizen?

Skilled Worker is the main route: first a job offer from a sponsor approved by the Home Office, then the visa. The salary must be at least £41,700 a year, or the going rate for your occupation if that is higher. After five years you can apply for permanent residence. The whole route is in the article on the Skilled Worker visa. If you work as a doctor, nurse or in care, there is the Health and Care Worker variant, under which you and your family pay no Immigration Health Surcharge.

Global Talent is for those who excel in research, arts and culture or digital technology. The test lies in an endorsement from an approved body, or in a prize on the official list.

Innovator Founder is for those who want to start a new, innovative and scalable business. An approved endorsing body must sign off the plan; after three years you can apply for settlement.

The partner visa applies if your partner is British or Irish or already settled there. You are married or in a civil partnership, or have lived together for at least two years, and together earn at least £29,000 a year. From abroad the Home Office usually decides within twelve weeks; the first period lasts two years and nine months.

High Potential Individual needs no job offer, but does need a degree from a university on the British list, awarded in the last five years; GOV.UK names no nationality requirement. The visa lasts two years (three with a doctorate), cannot be extended and does not count towards settlement.

The working-holiday route does not exist for Dutch citizens. The Youth Mobility Scheme is open to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Iceland among others, but to no EU country at all.

What does moving to England cost in visa and healthcare?

On top of the fees you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), per person, upfront for the whole visa period: £1,035 a year, and £776 for anyone under 18 at the time of application. For Skilled Worker, Innovator Founder and High Potential Individual you usually also need £1,270 of your own money in your account.

Route	Fee per person, applying from outside the UK	First visa
Skilled Worker	£819 up to 3 years, £1,618 longer	up to 5 years
Global Talent	£766 (£561 endorsement + £205 visa)	up to 5 years
Innovator Founder	£1,357, plus £1,000 for the endorsement	3 years
Partner visa	£2,064	2 years and 9 months
High Potential Individual	£880, plus £252 for the qualification check	2 years, 3 with a doctorate
Immigration Health Surcharge	£1,035 a year, £776 under 18	upfront for the whole period

How does England differ from a move within the EU?

Your right to stay is not a card but an eVisa: a digital record in your UKVI account, free of charge. Employers and landlords check it with a share code you generate yourself. And there is no municipal registration as in the Netherlands; what you do arrange after arrival is in the first weeks in England.

Healthcare runs through the IHS you pay with your visa application. From the start date of your visa you use the NHS free of charge, but you pay for prescriptions, the dentist and eye tests yourself. How that works out is in healthcare in England.

And the move itself?

Your household goods can enter tax-free with Transfer of Residence relief, if you lived outside the UK for at least twelve months and have owned your belongings for at least six months. You apply with the ToR1 form; the pitfalls are in the article on ToR1 and your household goods. On top of that, most routes carry a language requirement.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 1 of 5 of the journey, step 1.1: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to England or go straight to step 1.1 in the open plan.