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Your move, step by stepYou’re at: Moving on
  1. ResearchWeighing it up, job hunting or comparing an offer
  2. Making the moveOffer accepted, packing up, or just landed
  3. Living hereSettled in: renewals, seasons, careers, green cards, wills
  4. Helping othersComing soon
  5. Moving onYou’re here
Your move · Moving on

We’re leaving. What do we sort, and when?

A dated plan for leaving well: notice, your lease, your car, your 401(k) and tax, and your pets, in the order they need doing.

Your leaving plan

120 days until you leave

Your situation
Where next?
  1. 8 Oct120 days beforeGet quotes from removal companies and pick a dateRead
  2. 18 Oct110 days beforeShipping to the UK? Apply for transfer of residence relief (form ToR1) before you book shippingRead
  3. 7 Nov90 days beforeDecide what to do with your 401(k) and IRAs before you go: take advice before cashing anything inRead
  4. 7 Dec60 days beforeCheck your notice period and any final pay rules, and hand in your notice in timeRead
  5. 7 Dec60 days beforeGive your landlord written notice. How much depends on your lease and your stateCheckSoon
  6. 22 Dec45 days beforeDecide whether to sell or ship your car. Shipping it to the UK? Apply for transfer of residence relief firstRead
  7. 6 Jan30 days beforeSell the car, then cancel the insurance and deal with the plates as your state requiresSale firstRead
Why this order →

Kept only while this page is open, and never sent to us. To keep your plan on this device, allow “Remember my choices” in .

Leaving with a 401(k)?Your 401(k), IRAs and last US tax returnCashing in a 401(k) early can mean US tax plus a 10% extra tax, and UK tax too. Read your options, and the order everything else goes in →

Plan your exit

4 guides

How do I leave the USA, and in what order?

Notice at work, final pay, your lease and deposit, the car, your green card, tax clearance and belongings, in the order they need doing.

What do I need to close before I leave the USA?

Which bank account to keep, your 401(k) and IRAs, your final dual-status tax return, state tax, utilities, phone and mail.

How do I take my pet back to the UK?

The GB pet health certificate, USDA endorsement, tapeworm treatment and flying as cargo on an approved route.

Back to the UK

2 guides

How do we settle back into the UK?

The NHS, tax, National Insurance, your 401(k), Social Security and State Pension, schools, university fees, driving and renting.

How do we find a home and a job back in the UK?

Renting with no recent UK history, buying and stamp duty, job hunting from the USA, FBI checks and qualifications.

Where are you going next?

Back to the UK

Settling back in

The NHS, tax, schools, your licence and belongingsRead the guide → On to the UAE

Start again with Research

Costs, areas, schools, visas and jobsResearch the UAE →On to Australia

Start again with Research

Visas, jobs, cities and costsResearch Australia →On to Canada

Start again with Research

Permits, jobs, cities and costsResearch Canada → Somewhere else

Tell us where

Tell us, so we know which country to cover nextTell us →

Other steps

Moving somewhere new? Start again with Research for your next destination.