Is it legal?

[peteandthira]

Hi boatpeople

I am having a bit of trouble finding out just what you can, and cannot, do in terms of living on a boat.

I have no property in the UK, but have enough income to support our plan of cruising down to the Med next year with no plans to return except for family visits etc. My brother is providing his address as a "residence" for me and dealing with pension and bank mail etc.

Can I simply be "on holiday" for ages and still be regarded as a UK citizen, or even resident, whilst bumming around the Med? I will be paying tax on my pension at source and hoping to avail myself of medical assistance whilst abroad, with the new version of the E111.

Is there anyone out there who can be more helpful than the various Govt websites, who all seem to assume that you are "working abroad"?

I basically wish to remain legal whilst benefitting from emergency medical help if necessary, or even just a trip to a dentist.

I plan to register with a local doctor near my bro's place before we go, although we will not really ever visit said doc.

Help needed! No-one seems to know!

Regards

Pops

 

[Trevethan]

Sounds fine to me -- I spent a couiple of years travelling in North America with no official fixed abode after 8 years in Norway and I didn't have a problem when I came back looking for woark/doctors/health care, benefits and so on.

 

[Steve Clayton]

From one ex "boy in blue" to another. (It won't mean much to others here but I was 2nd and 3rd line support on PAR, ILS, TACAN, Nodding Horrors, etc).

Seems OK to me. - but don't advise any official agency that you don't intend to go back. You are being "flexible" in you approach and once the time comes you intend to return to the UK. Whether you do or not remains to be seen. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

When you go back to the UK do make a point of visiting the doctor (even if on some pre-text or a prescription refill). It helps to maintain and confirm your residential status.

Get the replacement E111 form filled out whilst you are still a resident (It doesn't seem to apply to anybody decalred "Non-resident").

If I think of anything else I'll PM you.

Steve
www.seraph-sailing.com
www.seraph-apartments.com

 

[jerryat]

Well, we were away cruising full time for over seven years (excluding a couple of visits home each year) and experienced no problems at all. As Steve says, tell no one 'official', touch base with your Doctor and dentist (useful for updating your boats medical chest) and deal with the usual licences (vhf, Cert of Comp, SSR, E111 etc as required on your visits.

Depending on your personal circumstances, you may also find it worthwhile to have dividends, interest and the like paid gross while you're away.

 

[Abigail]

Technically I believe that if non-resident then not eligible for NHS - BUT if you then return to live in UK you are immediately eligible again. So - stay flexible.

 

[peteandthira]

Thank you for your helpful and encouraging stuff. Steve, I use ILS, PAR, SRE and TACAN every day, so thanks for keeping them going. It's all a bit different now, with RPAR, which is unuseable in anything other than the worst weather. I t certainly can't be used in VFR conditions because of the new separation criteria. And this is progress!

It seems that my problem isn't really a problem at all. I will just plan to get on with enjoying a very long holiday and come back occasionally to establish a contact with the odd doctor and bank manager!

Regards to all

Pops

 

[MapisM]

No

I'm afraid that this is the short answer to your question.
I agree with the other posts though; practically, you're very unlikely to get into any trouble.

 

[poter]

pops,

just to put it in perspective I was away...out of the uk.. for some 20 odd years & had no problems on returning, except for a lack of credit status as I had no credit history in UK, but apart from that all ok.


poter

 

[syfuga]

Hi,

We left the UK in May 2004, but had to come back in June this year for surgery to fix the plumbing around my heart which resembled a sea-toilet's.

Our accountant, who is unfortunately too honest, has power of attorney and deals with banks and property management agents, had reported us as non-resident. However, I keep coming across situations where this appears to be a positive disadvantage, as suggested by the posts above.

We are proposing to use this opportunity to revert to resident status, as having no offshore income, this appears to be the best course of action.

e.g. Pension credits appear to be available to residents. E111 is only available to residents.

We had no difficulty getting excellent medical care in Spain on the strength of our E111, and no problems on our return.

We have found doctors a bit tricky in the past: we had to re-register in Gosport when we sold up and moved onto the boat.

 

[pmyatt]

A friend of mine uses his brother's address as his UK base, has registered with the same doctor and dentist as his brother and also has his name entered on the electoral roll as living at his brother's address - from that point on he has had no hassles with authority - he has a proper mailing address, is on the electoral roll and properly registered for med/dental treatment. I plan to do the same in a year or so with my daughter's address.