Moving back to Northern Ireland from abroad

From enrolling your children into schools to sorting out your tax situation, here are some of the things you should think about when preparing to move back to Northern Ireland from abroad.

Tax, benefits, pensions and National Insurance

• tell HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) when you will be coming back and find out about your tax liability on returning to the UK
• check with the country you are living in about any tax you may owe before you leave
• for National Insurance contributions, contact the HMRC National Insurance Contributions Office (International Services)
• get in touch with the Social Security Agency regarding your pension and benefits, giving them details of your return move and your contact details abroad and in the UK
• Taxes (money, benefits and taxes section)

Health

• register with a GP and a dentist in Northern Ireland
• notify any private medical insurance and travel insurance companies with which you have policies
• inform your GP, dentist and other health practitioners in the country you are leaving, and see if your records can be sent to your new health professionals in Northern Ireland
• Your local doctor (GP) (health and well-being section)
• Registering with a GP and getting dental treatment (young people section)

Your home

• arrange to sell your property or end its lease as appropriate and sort out removals
• contact Land and Property Services and the Electoral Commission as they will need to know when you will be returning to Northern Ireland and your Northern Ireland address
• Land & Property Services (contacts section)
• Electoral Commission (contacts section)
• notify your utility companies abroad that you are moving and give them a forwarding address, so they can send you final bills and information on any outstanding payments or refunds - you will also need to set up accounts for utility services once you have found a property in Northern Ireland
• tell your bank, building society or any financial institution with whom you have a policy or agreement that you are moving
• have your mail forwarded
• Tell HM Revenue and Customs about a change of income or circumstance (money, tax and benefits section)

Your children

• notify the school authorities that you are leaving the country
• before returning to Northern Ireland, contact the relevant education and library board regarding school places
• Belfast Education and Library Board (contacts section)
• North Eastern Education and Library Board (contacts section)
• Southern Education and Library Board (contacts section)
• South Eastern Education and Library Board (contacts section)
• Western Education and Library Board (contacts section)

More useful links

• Planning for buying a home (money, tax and benefits section)
• Exchanging your foreign driving licence (motoring section)