.png)
For Brits moving abroad
Which Countries Won't Tax Your UK Pension?
Last checked: November 2026
Some countries won't tax your UK pension at all. A few have no income tax, and others only tax money earned inside the country. But "the country won't tax it" doesn't always mean "no tax", because the UK can still take its share. Here's where you stand in each country we cover.
The catch: the UK can still tax your pension
If you live abroad, the UK usually still taxes your UK income, including pensions. British citizens keep their tax-free Personal Allowance of £12,570 a year, but you have to claim it each year using form R43.
Whether the UK stops taxing your pension depends on the tax treaty between the UK and your new country. Where the treaty says your pension is taxed only where you live, you can ask HMRC to pay it without UK tax using form DT-Individual. Where there's no treaty, the UK keeps taxing it.
UK government pensions (civil service, NHS, teachers, armed forces, police) usually stay taxed in the UK wherever you live.
Countries with no income tax
Dubai (UAE): No personal income tax. The UK–UAE treaty says most private and workplace pensions are taxed only where you live, so you can apply to have them paid without UK tax.
Bahamas, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands: No personal income tax, but no tax treaty with the UK either, so HMRC keeps taxing your UK pensions above your Personal Allowance.
Antigua and Barbuda: Personal income tax was abolished in 2016. There's an old UK tax agreement from 1947, but it only switches off UK tax when the pension is taxed in Antigua instead, so expect the UK to keep taxing it.
Countries with income tax that don't tax your UK pension
Philippines: Foreigners are only taxed on income from the Philippines, so your UK pension isn't taxed there. Under the UK–Philippines treaty, private and workplace pensions are taxed only where you live, so you can apply to stop UK tax on them too.
Malaysia: Foreign income you bring into Malaysia is tax-free until 31 December 2036, but only if it's already been taxed where it came from. A UK pension that's had UK tax taken off qualifies. Money that was never taxed, such as your tax-free lump sum or ISA withdrawals, may not.
Turkey: Since June 2026, new residents who haven't lived in or paid tax in Turkey in the previous three calendar years pay no Turkish tax on foreign income, including pensions, for 20 years. It isn't automatic: you have to apply for an exemption certificate. Check whether the UK will still tax your pension before you rely on it.
Low flat rates instead
Some countries do tax your pension, but at a low flat rate under special schemes for foreign retirees.
Greece: 7% on all foreign income for up to 15 years, anywhere in Greece, if you haven't been Greek tax resident in five of the last six years.
Italy: 7% on all foreign income for up to 10 years, if you move to a qualifying town of up to 30,000 people in southern Italy.
Cyprus: 5% on foreign pension income above €5,000 a year, or the normal rates if they work out cheaper.
Why some countries aren't on this list
Thailand taxes pension money you bring into the country if you live there 180 days or more a year. In Cambodia and Ecuador, the rules on foreign pensions aren't clear enough to promise you'll pay nothing.
Before you move
This page is general guidance, not tax advice. Tax rules change and depend on your type of pension and your circumstances, so check your situation with a tax adviser who knows both the UK and your new country.
What about your UK State Pension?
Your UK State Pension is taxable, but it's usually paid without any UK tax taken off. If you live in a country with a tax treaty with the UK, you can usually claim that the UK shouldn't tax it, using form DT-Individual. Some treaties only cover pensions paid for past work, so check yours first. In a country with no treaty, the UK can still tax your State Pension if your total UK income is above your Personal Allowance.
Not sure where to move yet?
Our free relocation app compares countries based on your job, age and priorities, and shows you which ones suit you best.
Questions about moving abroad?
Send us a message and we’ll get back to you within one to two days.
