For Americans moving to the UK · Based in Scotland, covering the UK.
Your move to the UK, planned around you.
Answer five quick questions. Get a step-by-step plan for taxes, money, housing, schools and settling in, in the order you'll need it.
Build my free move plan- About 2 minutes
- No sign-up to see it
- Covers both countries
Hi, I'm Leah.
I'm American, and Landfall is everything I wish someone had told me before I came.
Not another 40-tab research spiral.
Only what applies to you
No Roth? No Roth steps. Not moving to Scotland? No Scottish property rules.
In the order you need it
What to do now, before you leave, when you land, and at your first tax season.
Honest about when you need help
We flag the few steps where specialist advice usually saves money. The rest, you can do yourself.
Start here: your next 3 steps
Example plan · Scotland · moving in 6–12 months · family
+ more steps, grouped by when they're due
Quick answers
The questions Americans ask first.
Do I still have to file US taxes?
Yes. US citizens and green card holders file every year, wherever they live. Most people in the UK owe little or no US tax, but the filing doesn't stop.
Read the full guideWhat happens to my 401(k) or IRA?
In most cases it can stay put and keep growing tax-deferred under the US–UK treaty. Cashing out or rolling it over around the move is where expensive mistakes happen.
Retirement accounts in the UKWhen do I start paying UK tax?
When you become UK tax resident. In the year you arrive, split-year treatment can mean UK tax only applies from the day you get here.
When UK tax startsCan I open a checking account before I arrive?
It's hard without a UK address. Many people use a multi-currency account to bridge the gap, then open a UK account once they've landed.
Banking for new arrivalsHow does healthcare work?
Most visa holders pay the Immigration Health Surcharge with their application, which gives NHS care on broadly the same terms as people who live here. You register with a local doctor, called a GP, once you arrive.
Healthcare for new arrivals
Based in Scotland, covering the UK.
A real person, not a call center.
Landfall is run by Leah Guevara from Edinburgh. It helps Americans moving anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The guides and move plans are free. When a step needs a qualified specialist, such as tax on both sides, investments, or immigration, we'll tell you plainly and can introduce you to people we trust.
Membership
Help before you land. Friends once you're here.
The plan and guides are free. Guided puts Leah alongside you while you plan, and After you land is the community waiting when you arrive.
Landfall London
Moving to London for work?
Where to live, from Kensington to Surrey, how renting and buying work in England, and what to ask about your relocation package.
Landfall Scotland
Heading to Scotland? Some rules are different here.
Buying a home, property tax, income tax, schools and wills all work differently. We live here, so we've written it for here.
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