| Visiting | Usually up to 6 months, without making the UK your main home |
| Family visa | For partners, parents, children; fee from outside the UK £2,064 |
| Healthcare | With an S1 the country paying your pension pays; otherwise the health surcharge with the visa |
| UK State Pension age | Rising from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028 |
| Full new State Pension | £241.30 a week |
| As of | November 2026 |
Can I retire to the UK as an EU citizen?
Yes, but you need a reason that UK immigration law recognises. Until the end of 2020 an EU passport was enough. If you already lived in the UK then, you probably hold status under the EU Settlement Scheme and can stay. Since 9 April 2026 pre-settled status is more often converted to settled status without an application, where tax and benefit records show 30 of the last 60 months in the UK; retirees without UK tax or benefit records do better to apply themselves, otherwise their pre-settled status is extended by five years. Children under 18 and joining family members are also left out of automatic conversion. Separately, since April 2026 the Home Office has been removing pre-settled status from people who have clearly stopped living in the UK. For anyone coming now, three ways in matter in practice: family, a job and the long visit.
For many retirees the family route is the most realistic. If you have a partner, a child or a parent in the UK with a British passport or permanent status, you can apply for a family visa. There is also a route for adults who need long-term care from a relative in the UK; it is narrow and more expensive. The details of each route are in our section on visas and residence.
And if you want to keep working at 66? That works too. For a work visa, the job counts, not your age.
The routes into retirement in Britain
Which route fits almost always depends on family. Fees are for applications made from outside the UK.
| Route | For whom | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|
| EU Settlement Scheme | People who lived in the UK by the end of 2020 | Deadline passed for most on 30 June 2021; later only with reasonable grounds |
| Family visa, partner | Spouse or partner of someone with British or settled status | Fee £2,064; joint income usually at least £29,000 a year |
| Family visa, parent or child | Parents and children of people in the UK | Fee £2,064; conditions depend on the situation |
| Adult dependent relative | Adults who need care from a relative in the UK | Fee £3,635; very narrow conditions |
| Visitor | Anyone with an ETA or visa | Usually up to 6 months; repeated visits cannot make the UK your home |
GOV.UK, Family visas, Standard Visitor, EU Settlement Scheme, retrieved 2 November 2026
Wintering, not emigrating: what you can do as a visitor
If you only want to spend the winter in Cornwall or the summer in Scotland, you do not need a visa. As a European you need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) for £20. As a visitor you can usually stay up to six months.
gov.uk draws the line clearly: as a visitor you may not live in the UK for long periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home. Half a year here and half a year there is therefore not a safe permanent plan. It is a question the border officer may ask.
Healthcare in retirement: S1 or the health surcharge
If you live in the UK and receive a state pension from an EU country, you may be covered through the S1 form. The country paying your pension then pays for your NHS treatment. The S1 is issued by the health authority back home, and you must have it registered in the UK with the Overseas Healthcare Team. Whether you qualify is decided in the country that pays your pension.
If you come on a visa, you pay the Immigration Health Surcharge with the application, usually £1,035 a year. From the first day of the visa you then use the NHS free of charge, apart from charges such as prescriptions in England. How the NHS works and how to register with a GP is on our page on the NHS and your GP.
Your pension from home, paid in Britain
Most pensions can follow you abroad, but each scheme sets its own rules for paying out to another country. Ask your pension provider, before you move, how payments to a UK bank account work and whether it needs a regular proof-of-life certificate from you. Put any such deadline in your calendar before the first letter lands in your new letterbox.
Where your pension is taxed is a separate question. The tax treaty between your home country and the UK allocates the taxing right differently depending on the type of pension, and each country applies its own rules on top. If you have not lived in the UK for many years, the FIG regime for new arrivals may also come into play for foreign income. All of this belongs in a consult before the move, not after; our overview of the UK tax system gives the big picture.
Retirement age in the UK and the British State Pension
The UK State Pension age is currently 66 and rises to 67 between 2026 and 2028, for men and women alike. The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week. How much you receive depends on your years of UK National Insurance contributions.
If you worked in the UK in the past and are now moving back, have your UK pension entitlement checked. And the other way round: if you live in the EU or Switzerland on a UK pension, you keep getting the annual increase. According to gov.uk the uprating applies in the European Economic Area, Gibraltar and Switzerland.
Retiring to Scotland
Scotland has some very practical attractions for retirees. Prescriptions are free there, while England charges £9.90 per item. Houses are cheaper: in August 2026 the average price in Scotland was £198,000, against £294,000 in England.
In return, Scotland has its own income tax, and it covers pensions too. Interest and dividends, on the other hand, are taxed as in the rest of the UK. Everything else is in moving to Scotland.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a retirement visa for the UK?
For retirees, three routes are realistic in practice: family in the UK, a job, or long visits of up to six months.
When do people retire in the UK?
The State Pension age is 66 and rises to 67 between 2026 and 2028.
How much is the UK State Pension?
The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week. Many people receive less, depending on their contribution years.
Am I covered for healthcare in the UK with a pension from an EU country?
Possibly through the S1 form, in which case the country paying your pension pays. Your health authority at home tells you whether you qualify.
Sources: GOV.UK: Family visas; GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor; GOV.UK: Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA); GOV.UK: Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme; GOV.UK: Healthcare for EU and EFTA nationals living in the UK; GOV.UK: Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application; GOV.UK: State Pension age timetable; GOV.UK: The new State Pension; GOV.UK: State Pension if you retire abroad; GOV.UK: Income Tax in Scotland; NHS inform: Prescription charges and exemptions; GOV.UK: EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status automation update (9 April 2026)
