Who lives or works outside the UK?

PaulJS

PaulJS

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 May 2007
Messages
1,838
Location
Kirkcudbrightshire or off Saudi
Visit site
Just a casual inquiry of forumites. Do you live or work overseas by choice or because you have to?
I work offshore Saudi and live in the UK.
There is nothing better than landing at Newcastle and seeing greenery again as we drive across the top of England! Mind you leaving home to fly out here can feel a bit of a bummer when I'm kissing the family goodbye for six weeks...
 
I've worked in Italy, Denmark, Canada, Egypt, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia. Holidays in Spain, Germany, Greece, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, US, Philippines. Now I just wind away my time with 6 months in Vietnam, 3 months UK and 3 months boating in Holland. Tough aint it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
PaulJS said:
Just a casual inquiry of forumites. Do you live or work overseas by choice or because you have to?.
Click to expand...

I used to - 18 years working outside the UK, 49 Countries and over 300 cities at the last count ! Fed up of flying and living in hotels, deserts, swamps etc. etc. moved back home, now only travel if I have to !
 
Left UK in 1982 to do a job in South Africa and stayed, started my own business and not regretted it. Yes there are problems but I think I have a better standard of living the I would have in the UK.

Now planning retirement to go sailing in the Indian Ocean and the east.
 
I work a 28 day on / off rotation onshore in Romania. Being away is a bummer, being home for 4 weeks with no thought of work is brilliant. I have being working 28/28 for years now in various parts of the world, I could never do a Mon to Fri 9-5.
 
It was my job, great at first.

Worst : Lost 18 years of seeing a lot of the family growing up, no tax incentive (working for a UK company with uk sal), one time my daughter sat behind the front door and cried for me for an hour (I had been way 4 weeks home 1 week and was just leaving for 3 weeks).

Strangest : Landing at first EU airport after a ME trip and noticing women again for the first time in three/four weeks.

Best : Experiencing parts of the world most tourists don't get to. Oh! and taking off for home.

My holidays very rarely involve a plane :(
 
Thanks

Glad to hear from you all.
I'm on a 6/3 on/off schedule at present and for the foreseeable future, in the past I've been mostly on equal time contracts but they were becoming increasingly "flexible"! My schedule is now virtually written in stone so we can plan holidays etc.
The time away from the family is still tough, but we now have the capability to make cheap phone calls home as often as we want, so it's not as bad as it was.
Also the taxman has clamped down - unfairly I think (Obviously!!) - on the Merchant Navy so this contract will make it easier to get expat status.... I hope...
 
I finished school and worked in Uk.
Worked in Glasgow and London.
Could not take the damp
Could not take the cold.
Could not take going to work in the dark
Could not take coming home in the dark
Could not take the ''tinsy wincy'' tiny measures in the pub with respective prices
Now I am 7 minutes (2 miles) incl parking from work,
Boat is 19 minutes (8 miles) away,
Golf course is 4 minutes (1 mile) away.
Beach is 4 minutes (1 mile) away.
Rum (and spirits) is cheaper that UK
Personal Income Tax is 0 rated.
No Inheritance Tax
High import Tax. :(
No heating bills, no A/C bills either.
Fuel is (currently) 55p per litre.
House is much nicer than I could afford in the UK.
Spectacular view.

IMGP1534.jpg
 
Careful

"on the Merchant Navy so this contract will make it easier to get expat status.... I hope... "

I may be out of date but normally if you retain a residence in a tax jurisdiction and where the rest of the family resides, you do not lose your residency for tax purposes. However you may be able to get tax breaks on "inconvenience indemnity" grounds. You could in France anyway.

John
 
I can't believe it but after 6 years in SW France I move to Ireland! Much better sailing - more beautiful coastline and less crowded.
Unfortunately everything is much more expensive, the pubs are miserable (only one beer) the restaurants are very dull and the quality of work and services for yachting is extremely poor.
I think I make a mistake. Maybe I go to England.
 
Sybarite said:
"on the Merchant Navy so this contract will make it easier to get expat status.... I hope... "

I may be out of date but normally if you retain a residence in a tax jurisdiction and where the rest of the family resides, you do not lose your residency for tax purposes. However you may be able to get tax breaks on "inconvenience indemnity" grounds. You could in France anyway.

John
Click to expand...

Thanks for the warning, but I believe I'll be ok so long as I spend enough days out of the UK. Either that or I'm opening a local bank account!
 
Live and work overseas, have been doing so for last 12 years.
Work 6 weeks on 2 off. When working travel between Azerbaijan and Georgia three weeks total in each (but not longer than two weeks at any one time in either) then two weeks RnR in Turkey with the boat.
SWMBO is from Goergia so get to see her 5 weeks out of 8 never more than two weeks.
Not prepared to do month or so away any more, this routine is OK however the constant living out of a suitcase and numerous flights can be very tiring, not the Jetset life that most people think it is.

Went back to UK earlier this year for one week, just to check that it was still there. It was, it rained, beer was expensive, fuel was even more expensive, it rained again, only thing on TV was Big Brother, Pop Idiots etc, oh then it rained again, then it snowed and the roads were blocked just with half an inch of snow.

However one thing I do miss now it is summer, I would have loved to have been able to take a few days off and go and see a test match again. Still have a flat in Notts, 5 minutes walk from Trent Bridge, pitty they are not playing there this series, might have popped over for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top