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Digital Nomad

UK Non-Dom Abolished: Where to Move in 2026, Compared

H
Haroun Moula
Published: November 2nd, 2026Updated: November 2nd, 2026
9 min read

Key Takeaways

  • The UK remittance basis ended on 6 April 2025. UK residents are now taxed on foreign income and gains as they arise, except in their first 4 tax years of residence after at least 10 consecutive years abroad (the FIG regime).
  • Inheritance tax now follows residence, not domicile. You are a long-term UK resident after 10 of the previous 20 tax years, and your worldwide assets can stay in UK inheritance tax for 3 to 10 tax years after you leave.
  • Leaving for under five years can backfire. If you were solely UK resident in 4 of the 7 tax years before you left and come back within 5 years, gains you made while away on assets you owned before leaving are taxed in the year you return.
  • Cyprus, Malta and Ireland still run non-dom style rules. Cyprus non-doms pay only a 2.65% health contribution on foreign dividends and interest for up to 17 years; Malta and Ireland tax foreign income only when you bring it in.
  • The flat-fee regimes cost very different amounts. Italy charges $333,900 (€300,000) a year on all foreign income for people moving from 2026, Greece $111,300 (€100,000) plus a $556,500 (€500,000) investment, and Türkiye exempts foreign income for 20 years with no fee.

Yes, the UK non-dom regime is abolished. Since 6 April 2025 the remittance basis is gone, UK residents pay tax on foreign income and gains as they arise, and only people in their first 4 years of UK residence after 10 years abroad get a break through the new foreign income and gains (FIG) regime. Inheritance tax now depends on long-term residence, not domicile, and for long-term residents it keeps worldwide assets in scope for 3 to 10 tax years after they leave. For British leavers, the closest replacements are Cyprus and Malta's non-dom rules, Ireland's remittance basis, Italy and Greece's flat-fee regimes, Türkiye's new 20-year exemption and the UAE's lack of personal income tax.

Everything below is as of October 2026 and comes from the UK and destination profiles in the Nostos tax data, checked against HMRC and each country's tax authority. Rules verified against official sources on 27 and 28 October 2026. It is general information, not tax advice. US citizens are taxed by the US wherever they live, and treaty rules can change the answer, so confirm your own case with a qualified adviser before you move.

What changed for UK non-doms on 6 April 2025?

Four things, all set out in Finance Act 2025 and HMRC's guidance:

  • The remittance basis ended. Non-doms could previously leave foreign income and gains offshore and pay UK tax only on what they brought in. That option no longer exists; HMRC describes the FIG regime as its replacement.
  • The 4-year FIG regime started. Anyone of any nationality who becomes UK resident after at least 10 consecutive tax years of non-residence can claim 100% relief on foreign dividends, interest, overseas rent and foreign gains for their first 4 tax years. In a year you claim, you lose the $16,740 (£12,570) personal allowance and the $4,000 (£3,000) capital gains exemption. Pay for work done in the UK is never covered.
  • Overseas Workday Relief was extended. Qualifying new residents can exclude pay for days worked abroad, capped at the lower of 30% of the qualifying employment income or $399,500 (£300,000) a year.
  • Inheritance tax moved to a residence test. Domicile and deemed domicile were replaced by long-term UK residence, meaning UK resident for 10 or more of the previous 20 tax years.

For former remittance basis users who stay, the Temporary Repatriation Facility lets them bring in pre-April 2025 foreign income and gains at 12% in 2025/26 and 2026/27, and 15% in 2027/28. The United Kingdom page on Nostos summarizes the full UK profile.

Who does the end of non-dom status hit hardest?

The change matters most for three groups:

  1. Long-standing non-doms with offshore investments. Anyone more than 4 years into UK residence now pays UK tax on foreign dividends, interest and gains as they arise, at the same rates as everyone else.
  2. Long-term residents with assets abroad. After 10 of 20 years in the UK, worldwide assets are in UK inheritance tax at 40% above the $432,800 (£325,000) nil-rate band, regardless of where you were born.
  3. Remote workers and founders paid from abroad. The FIG regime never covered UK workdays, but the old rules let non-doms keep investment income offshore. That shelter is gone.

People who arrived recently after 10 years abroad are in a better position than before for their first 4 years, because relieved foreign income can now be brought into the UK tax-free.

How do you stop being UK tax resident?

The Statutory Residence Test decides it for each tax year (6 April to 5 April). HMRC's guidance note RDR3 sets three automatic overseas tests. You are non-resident if:

  • you were UK resident in one or more of the previous 3 tax years and spend fewer than 16 days in the UK, or
  • you were resident in none of the previous 3 tax years and spend fewer than 46 days in the UK, or
  • you work full-time overseas, spend fewer than 91 days in the UK and work more than 3 hours on fewer than 31 UK days, with no significant break from the overseas work.

If none applies, the sufficient ties test counts your UK ties. For leavers there are five: family, accommodation, work, the 90-day tie, and a country tie.

Days in the UK in the tax yearUK ties that make a leaver resident
16 to 454 or more
46 to 903 or more
91 to 1202 or more
Over 1201 or more

A day counts if you are in the UK at midnight. Split-year treatment can end your UK residence partway through the tax year you leave, but only if you fit one of HMRC's departure cases, so check them before you set a moving date.

Scouting a base before you set that date? Plan the trip free with Navoy and compare hotels in Dubai.

What if you come back within five years?

HMRC's temporary non-residence rules apply if you had sole UK residence in at least 4 of the 7 tax years before you left and you are non-resident for 5 years or less. Gains on assets you owned before leaving, and certain income such as distributions from close companies, pension lump sums and offshore income gains, are then taxed in the year you return (HS278 and RFIG21560). So selling shares you already owned during a short spell abroad does not escape UK capital gains tax.

How long does UK inheritance tax follow you after you leave?

If you are a long-term UK resident when you leave, your worldwide assets stay within UK inheritance tax for a "tail" of 3 to 10 tax years. HMRC's guidance and section 6A of the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 set these lengths:

Years of UK residence in the previous 20Inheritance tax tail after leaving
10 to 133 tax years
144 tax years
155 tax years
16 to 196 to 9 tax years (one more per extra year)
2010 tax years

UK assets, such as a London flat, stay in scope whatever your residence. Separate transitional rules apply to people who were non-domiciled or deemed domiciled on 30 October 2024. The practical point: moving to a country with no inheritance tax does not end UK exposure on your worldwide estate until the tail runs out.

Where are British leavers moving, and how do the regimes compare?

The table compares what each destination charges on foreign investment income and gains for a new resident who qualifies, roughly sorted from the lightest tax on foreign income to the heaviest. "Cost" is the fixed fee, minimum tax or investment the regime requires. City costs are Nostos estimates of total monthly living costs for one person.

DestinationRegime for newcomersForeign dividends, interest, gainsCostHow longInheritance tax on foreign assetsCity on Nostos
UAENo personal income tax0%NoneNo limitNoneDubai, $3,546/mo
TürkiyeArt. 20/D foreign-income exemption0%None; apply by year-end20 yearsA foreigner's foreign assets generally out of scope; 1% for exemption holders since June 2026Istanbul, $1,391/mo
CyprusNon-dom status2.65% health contribution on dividends and interest; share gains exemptNoneUntil 17 of 20 years residentNoneLimassol, $2,152/mo
MaltaRemittance basis (non-domiciled)0% to 35% on income brought in; foreign gains untaxed$5,570 (€5,000) minimum tax if $38,960 (€35,000) or more stays abroadNo limitNone (5% duty on Maltese property)Valletta, $2,101/mo
IrelandRemittance basis (non-domiciled)Taxed only if brought in, except EU, EEA and OECD funds and ETFsNoneNo limit33% CAT above thresholds after 5 consecutive years of residenceDublin, $3,488/mo
Italy24-bis flat taxCovered by the flat amount$333,900 (€300,000) a year15 yearsItalian assets onlyMilan, $2,305/mo
GreeceArt. 5A flat taxCovered by the flat amount$111,300 (€100,000) a year plus $556,500 (€500,000) investment15 yearsForeign movable assets exemptAthens, $1,435/mo
AndorraOrdinary system, top rate 10%10% above $3,340 (€3,000); most share gains exempt$1.1 million (€1 million) investment plus $55,650 (€50,000) for passive residenceNo limitNoneAndorra la Vella, no cost estimate
SwitzerlandLump-sum taxation (no Swiss work)Taxed on deemed living costs insteadFederal base of at least $525,000 (CHF 435,000)No limitCantonal; spouses always exemptLugano, $4,000/mo (Swiss national estimate)
PortugalNHR closed; IFICI for qualifying jobs only28% flat for most newcomersNoneIFICI 10 years10% stamp duty on Portuguese assets only; close family exemptLisbon, $2,499/mo
Bar chart of estimated monthly living costs for one person in Lugano, Dubai, Dublin, Lisbon, Milan, Limassol, Valletta, Athens and Istanbul
Nostos estimate of total monthly living costs for one person, in US dollars, October 2026; Lugano uses the Swiss national estimate. Source: Nostos city data

The no-income-tax option: UAE

The UAE does not tax individuals' income, so foreign dividends, interest, gains, rent and pensions are all untaxed, and it has no wealth or inheritance tax. The exception is self-employment: freelance or consulting work done from the UAE falls under 9% corporate tax on profit above $102,100 (AED 375,000) once turnover tops $272,300 (AED 1 million) a year.

For the other countries with no personal income tax, and their catches, see countries with no income tax in 2026.

The flat-fee regimes: Italy, Greece and Switzerland

Italy's 24-bis regime replaces tax on all foreign income with $333,900 (€300,000) a year for people moving from 1 January 2026, for up to 15 years, if you were non-resident in at least 9 of the previous 10 years. Holders pay Italian inheritance tax only on Italian assets. Greece's Art. 5A charges $111,300 (€100,000) a year for 15 years, but you must invest at least $556,500 (€500,000) in Greece and have been non-resident in 7 of the previous 8 years. Neither covers pay for work done in the country.

Swiss lump-sum taxation taxes your living expenses instead of your income, on a federal base of at least $525,000 (CHF 435,000) in 2026. It is only for non-Swiss nationals doing no paid work in Switzerland, and Zurich, Basel-Stadt, Schaffhausen and Appenzell Ausserrhoden do not offer it. Every canton also levies a wealth tax. Our comparison of flat tax regimes for new residents covers these and the other regimes built for newcomers.

The non-dom regimes that survive: Cyprus, Malta and Ireland

Cyprus is the closest match to the old UK rules. A resident whose domicile of origin is abroad pays no Special Defence Contribution on dividends and interest until resident for 17 of the last 20 years, leaving only the 2.65% GESY health contribution. Share gains are exempt, and there is no inheritance tax. Employees starting a first Cyprus job after 15 years without salaried work there can also exempt 50% of their pay in any year it exceeds $61,220 (€55,000).

Aerial view of Limassol Marina in Cyprus, with yachts moored behind the breakwater and the seafront town beside it
Limassol Marina on the south coast of Cyprus. Photo: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels

Malta and Ireland tax foreign income only when you bring it in. Malta also leaves foreign capital gains untaxed, but an ordinarily resident non-dom with $38,960 (€35,000) or more of foreign income kept abroad owes at least $5,570 (€5,000) a year. Ireland's catch is that gains on most EU, EEA and OECD funds and ETFs are taxed even if they stay abroad.

Türkiye's 20-year exemption

People who become Turkish resident on or after 1 January 2026, after three calendar years with no Turkish domicile or tax liability, can apply for a certificate that exempts all foreign-source income for 20 years. Work you do while in Türkiye stays taxable at 15% to 40%. Since June 2026, inheritances on a holder's death within the 20 years are taxed at a flat 1%.

Lower rates without a special regime: Andorra and Portugal

Andorra taxes residents on worldwide income, but never above 10%. Passive residence now requires a $1.1 million (€1 million) investment and a non-refundable $55,650 (€50,000) payment. Portugal closed NHR to newcomers. Its successor, IFICI, gives a 20% flat rate and exempts most foreign income for 10 years, but only for qualifying jobs, mostly with an employer in Portugal, so most British leavers pay 28% on foreign investment income.

Which destination fits which kind of leaver?

  • Living on investment income without a large fixed fee: Cyprus, Türkiye or the UAE, where foreign dividends and gains pay little or nothing.
  • Large foreign income: Italy or Greece, where a flat payment covers any amount, if $333,900 (€300,000) or $111,300 (€100,000) a year is below what you would otherwise pay.
  • Still working: in 140 of the 152 countries Nostos covers, pay for work done while you are physically there is taxable locally. In this list the UAE, which has no tax on salaries, and Cyprus, with its 50% exemption for qualifying employees, soften that the most.
  • Thinking about your estate: count your UK inheritance tax tail first. Cyprus, Malta, Andorra and the UAE have no inheritance tax, but none of them ends the UK tail.

If you are scouting cities before you commit, plan the trip free with Navoy and check hotels in Dubai and flights to Dubai. If you plan to keep working on the move, read our guide to which digital nomad visas make you pay tax.

Frequently asked questions

Is UK non-dom status completely abolished?

Yes. Since 6 April 2025 domicile no longer decides how UK residents are taxed, and the remittance basis is gone. It was replaced by the 4-year foreign income and gains (FIG) regime for people arriving after at least 10 consecutive tax years of non-residence. Inheritance tax moved to a long-term residence test of 10 out of the previous 20 tax years.

How long does UK inheritance tax apply after I leave the UK?

If you are a long-term UK resident when you leave, your worldwide assets stay within UK inheritance tax for between 3 and 10 tax years. HMRC says the tail is 3 years if you lived in the UK for 10 to 13 of the previous 20 years, 4 years for 14 and 5 years for 15, and longer stays lengthen it to a maximum of 10. UK assets stay in scope whatever your residence.

Which countries still have a non-dom regime in 2026?

In the Nostos tax profiles, Cyprus, Malta and Ireland all still give people who are not domiciled there a better deal on foreign income. Cyprus exempts non-doms from its defence contribution on dividends and interest for up to 17 of 20 years. Malta and Ireland use a remittance basis, taxing foreign income only when you bring it into the country. Italy and Greece offer flat annual payments instead.

Can I keep using the FIG regime if I leave the UK for a year?

No, not for that year. HMRC says that if you become non-UK resident during your 4-year window, you cannot claim the regime for the tax years you were away, and unused years cannot be carried forward. You can still claim for any qualifying years left in the window after you return.

Sources

Tax ResidencyMove AbroadNon-DomInheritance Tax

About the Author

Haroun Moula

Haroun Moula is the founder and CEO of Navoy. Before Navoy, he worked in luxury travel with VVIPs and high-profile travelers. He built Navoy to bring curated, adaptive trip planning to more travelers through an AI travel agent that plans and books core trip parts in one place.

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