Expat returning to the UK. 10 Things to remember:

The source of much of my stress over the past weeks

My return to the UK from nearly 5 years overseas has not been without a variety of issues which have caused a medley of stress levels and certainly a vast amount of time which hadn’t really been factored in.

The greatest problem and time waster was the return of my car and the debacle which is still continuing owing to the fact that the car didn’t get added to the NOVA  (Notice of vehicle arrival) data base when it arrived back at Tilbury in August. 

We are now into the end of September and I still cannot drive my car although it is sitting in my garage.  One of the main reasons is because it seems that every government department to do with cars has a stock answer of “10 working days” when responding to any query regarding processing time of paperwork.  The DVLC still work on a paper only basis so nothing can be emailed, it all has to go into a brown envelope.  Information is mixed and inaccurate, so my first application to get the car registered was just returned with a standard letter suggesting that I get the car onto the NOVA database and when I have, then I can re-apply.   And I thought St Helena was top of the hit parade when it comes to Bureaucracy.  I forgot that it was the British that taught them! 

The saga above is what has given me the inspiration for the subject of this latest post. 
I am sure there are thousands of Expats returning to the UK every month given the kind of work patterns we all have nowadays.  The following are my suggestions and my opinions. 

My Container at Jamestown Quay or Seaside as its known

  10 things to remember when returning to the UK from overseas:

1. Things are going to take longer than you think before you have a routine in this country.Even things like re-stocking food cupboards can take masses of time.My home wasn’t rented out whilst I was away but many expats have the joy of returning to a home that needs re-decorating .  I had an ongoing battle with a number of spiders who thought they had squatter’s rights.  They have now moved on although I am still finding webs in hidden places.
   
2. Keep any documents which are vaguely legal and legal.  Keep the originals and also scan all of them.  This can be useful not only overseas but when you return.  I kept my log book for the car which appears to be the key to get the car re-registered.  I was told in 2012 that once the car left the UK I didn’t need to keep the logbook but I kept it anyway.  Utility bills are routinely asked for in this country as a form of ID.  I had copies of St Helena Utility bills which were used as proof that I was not in the UK although why I had to prove this is probably the heading for another blog.
   
3. Take photographs of all belongings before they go into the container to make sure that a) they all are returned to you and b) to prove if any damage has occurred.  Obviously check everything off when it does get to your home.  Oh and don’t sign to say you have received it if you haven’t checked everything off.  The shipper might be in a hurry to drop your possessions and run as they are usually sub contracting the drop off.
   
4. Check all ongoing UK contracts such as utilities and phone.  Some of these might need changing for a better deal.  Things may have changed without you knowing.  My phone contract has mysteriously started charging £1 for accessing voicemail which I didn’t realise until the bills started coming in.
   
5. Take time out for family and friends.  You haven’t been around for a while, some will have moved on in life but the core support system will always be there and they deserve some quality time with you.
   
6. Make sure any money owed to you from overseas has been paid, and that any money transfers have occurred. This is also a good time to check credit card bills and whether the credit cards used overseas are appropriate for the next chapter in the UK.  And make sure your local bank still exists.  Many banks have closed in the past few years.  My nearest bank is now just a hole in the wall.
   
7. Do you have another Job to go to or is this the start of the Job hunt?  Get the CV up to date and also any sites which contain your information.  This could be Linked in Facebook or any of the plethora of media out there.
   
8. Remember that if you haven’t been in the UK for a while, you may have a problem getting car insurance at a reasonable price.  Keep any evidence of car insurance from overseas as this can go toward persuading some insurance companies to give you some no claims bonus
   
9. UK tax can be a nightmare, if you return anytime other than at the beginning or end of a tax year, you will have to file a return and ask for split year treatment which means that what you earned and paid tax on overseas is counted as one lump and anything you earn in the UK going forward will be counted as another lump.  Keep all evidence of income and tax paid overseas and communicate with HMRC sooner rather than later.
   
10. Final one although I am sure there are many more I will come up with once I have posted this article:  Factor in time for all this to happen and  for things to bed in as mentioned.  Keep calm and take the waiting time to appreciate the finer things about being home.    I thought I would be up and running with a new job, house in order etc etc by the end of September.This is NOT going to happen.  Many of us leave the UK to work overseas for the adventure as much as anything.  Coming home can be deflating if you let it be but there are many many advantages to having a home in the UK………………. even if it’s just a base and turnaround point for the next adventure.
    

Just waiting for the car to go in