hTTi

I worked in Germany for many years, now I am retired and quite settled and content, financially comfortable enough.

I sometimes wonder about going back to the UK, I have a UK passport and would have an average pension. But one reads in the Guardian about people who have lived in the UK for many years having to leave.

Would I even be allowed back in?

If you are still a UK citizen, they can't keep you out.

Absolutely you could live there as a UK citizen, and if you currently pay your own KK Beiträge, it might even be cheaper, depending on rental costs there etc.

Last summer the english fancy-man of one of my oldies came in to ask me about going back to live in the UK and renting my house in Durham where he grew up.

Thing is, he pays less than 350 euros a month for his flat here and he has daughters, friends and obviously his lady friend here too. Going back there he'd be lucky to be paying so little in rent and he'd be swopping his actual life for the hope of getting his old life back which is not necessarily as clear cut as perhaps he expects.

The girlfriend and I were not keen on his plan, and I have a completely unreliable grumpy tenant with a dog anyway, and I can't kick him out because no-one else will have him, and even grumpy old gits need a home...

Big decision, needs lots of research. My brother returned to the UK from SA after 20 years or so and it worked out brilliantly for his family, although they all suffer with the cold and the rain. They are proper miffed about Brexit because they were hoping to retire to a Greek island.

Indeed, I read about people who went back to the Old Country (Ireland) after a few decades away, the place had changed a lot, some people went back back to London, a lot of trouble, having to find a new home again.

Likewise some people went to Australia, back to the UK, back again to Australia, what a performance.

In the UK I might pay 2-3x in rent, and the landlord can chuck you out for no reason (no-fault eviction). But doubtless Sir Keir will end that as soon as he gets in to Number Ten
..
Come to think of it, could I as a retired person move to anywhere in Schengenland?

If you've got dual citizenship I think you can.

So the Greek island dream could perhaps be yours....

I’m going back next year after 11 years here - and my German husband is coming.

The main reason for me, apart from being a bit fed up with German bureaucracy, is the health insurance costs for me here once I retire. I can retire immediately but my UK rental income and savings mean big €€€€€ for health insurance which makes retiring and volunteering really expensive.

My chap is interested in the challenge of working in the UK (he’s a big cheese Diplomingenieur so should find something suitable) and also the retirement healthcare costs for him too as he is privately insured.

We are leaving our options open to come back if he can’t settle in the UK.

Fietsrad wrote: ↑Fri Apr 19, 2024 10:06 pm Indeed, I read about people who went back to the Old Country (Ireland) after a few decades away, the place had changed a lot, some people went back back to London, a lot of trouble, having to find a new home again.

Likewise some people went to Australia, back to the UK, back again to Australia, what a performance.

In the UK I might pay 2-3x in rent, and the landlord can chuck you out for no reason (no-fault eviction). But doubtless Sie Keir will end that as soon as he gets in to Number Ten
..
Come to think of it, could I as a retired person move to anywhere in Schengenland?

As long as you have an EU passport, as well as your UK passport, then its no problem for you to move to Greece, even if not u can still do it, its just harder.

I was talking to an Italien, about what its like to live in Sardinia, he said its wonderful, but if you need any bigger medical procedure as you get older, then you may have to fly to Rome etc, as the Islands cannot do all procedures, maybe its the same in Greece.
But at least you have the warm weather, no cold and rain, like in UK.

Not sure why it is, when I decided to move here it took about 3 days, now thinking about moving again, it takes years already......

I would not want to move to Greece, but Austria might be interesting, or the corner of Belgium where German is spoken, or Luxemburg.

I have travelled a bit in other european countries, I think Germany is the best choice (landed here through luck plus judgement/choice). Anyone agree?

Auntie Helen wrote: ↑Sat Apr 20, 2024 3:17 pm I can retire immediately but my UK rental income and savings mean big €€€€€ for health insurance which makes retiring and volunteering really expensive.

Can you please elaborate?
I know of course that since Brexit UK rental income is subject to Progressionvorbehalt. But other than that, how does it influence your KK cost? And what role do your savings play?
Thanks.

Oh, and good luck with moving, if it does happen.

Alberto wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 1:56 pm Can you please elaborate?
I know of course that since Brexit UK rental income is subject to Progressionvorbehalt. But other than that, how does it influence your KK cost? And what role do your savings play?

If you retire early, you are classified by your KK as a self payer so 16% of your income goes to your KK. This was being discussed on another thread recently. Your savings aren't income but interest on your savings is.

Once you reach retirement age, you may be able to get insured as a pensioner if you've been in Germany long enough and then you would pay less.

LeonG wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 8:02 pm If you retire early, you are classified by your KK as a self payer so 16% of your income goes to your KK. This was being discussed on another thread recently. Your savings aren't income but interest on your savings is.

More like 19.x% by now
Yes, see here: viewtopic.php?p=1990#p1990

LeonG wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 8:02 pm Once you reach retirement age, you may be able to get insured as a pensioner if you've been in Germany long enough and then you would pay less.

Membership in the KVdR (Krankenversicherung der Rentner) is not about having been in Germany, it is about having spent at least 90% of the second half of your work life in an EU/EEA/UK public health insurance (even under free family insurance will do) and at the same time drawing a DRV (Deutsche Rentenversicherung) pension: https://www-finanztip-de.translate.goog ... r_pto=wapp

The legal basis is § 5 (1) Nr. 11 SGB V: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_5/__5.html

• (1) Mandatory members of public health insurance are:
  ...
  11.
  Persons who fulfil the requirements for entitlement to a pension from the statutory pension insurance scheme and have applied for this pension if they were a member or insured in accordance with § 10 in public health insurance for at least nine tenths of the second half of the period from the time they first took up gainful employment until the pension application was submitted,

PandaMunich wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 8:34 pm it is about having spent at least 90% of the second half of your work life in an EU/EEA/UK public health insurance

Too bad they don't include Canada.

Interesting thread re returning to the UK. I had lived in the UK since early childhood until I moved to DE 13 years ago. I still own a house there that is let. As a German citizen, it now looks very difficult to move back there to work self employed or retire. I best strike the option from future possibilities!

Do you also have UK citizenship, emkay?

kiplette wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:18 am Do you also have UK citizenship, emkay?

No, I don’t have dual citizenship. I remember thinking about it around 2005. At that time, it would have cost around £1000. Then, there was no benefit. All my pension will be from 35+ years of UK contributions though I don’t think that counts towards eligibility?

Emkay wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:25 am No, I don’t have dual citizenship. I remember thinking about it around 2005. At that time, it would have cost around £1000. Then, there was no benefit. All my pension will be from 35+ years of UK contributions though I don’t think that counts towards eligibility?

Correct me if I'm wrong but...
A) citizenship gives you the right to reside, but on its own it doesn't make you entitled to claim a pension.
B) years of paying contribution makes you entitled to draw a pension, but it doesn't necessarily give you the right to reside.
Or am I wrong?

Ireland/Ulster might be a possibilty, near the border?

Alberto wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:37 am

Emkay wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:25 am No, I don’t have dual citizenship. I remember thinking about it around 2005. At that time, it would have cost around £1000. Then, there was no benefit. All my pension will be from 35+ years of UK contributions though I don’t think that counts towards eligibility?

Correct me if I'm wrong but...
A) citizenship gives you the right to reside, but on its own it doesn't make you entitled to claim a pension.
B) years of paying contribution makes you entitled to draw a pension, but it doesn't necessarily give you the right to reside.
Or am I wrong?

That seems about right. Not sure if my retired German dad had to do anything as a long term UK resident? Something along the lines of settled status? I’m sure if I really needed to live in the UK, there’d be some kind of option.

Emkay wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 12:27 pm I’m sure if I really needed to live in the UK, there’d be some kind of option.

If all you have is that you lived in the UK for a long time, a while ago, and maybe you were even born there, on its own will not let you reside in the UK.

All can count is:
*) UK citizenship (so of course you won't even need a visa)
*) UK employment (so of course you can get a visa, which you will need)
*) family, like your husband has the right to reside there (like citizenship, or settled status, or employment)

I doubt EU pensioners will be welcome to reside in the UK.
After all this is exactly why they Brexited.
Sorry.

Alberto wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 1:35 pm

Emkay wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 12:27 pm I’m sure if I really needed to live in the UK, there’d be some kind of option.

If all you have is that you lived in the UK for a long time, a while ago, and maybe you were even born there, on its own will not let you reside in the UK.

All can count is:
*) UK citizenship (so of course you won't even need a visa)
*) UK employment (so of course you can get a visa, which you will need)
*) family, like your husband has the right to reside there (like settled citizenship, or settled status, or employment)

I doubt EU pensioners will be welcome to reside in the UK.
After all this is exactly why they Brexited.
Sorry.

That’s pretty much what I’d figured out. There’s some kind of option if one has ever paid NI for 5 years consecutively. I didn’t look at more of the details. Just feels a little unjust that I couldn’t live in my own UK house and live off my UK pensions (private and state) and UK savings. I don’t really think I will need to move back….at least I hope not. Would you be in a similar situation if you thought of moving back to the UK?