Leaving the UK: Where Brits Are Actually Moving in 2026

From NHS waiting lists to post-Brexit travel restrictions, we break down why so many Brits are leaving — and which countries are actually worth the move.

If you're in the UK in 2026, you're probably feeling that familiar exhaustion. Energy bills that never came back down, a housing market that's locked out an entire generation, and an NHS waiting list that's still sitting at over 7.2 million people.

People aren't really leaving their country; they're leaving a system that keeps taking small pieces of them. Every new law that limits choice, every regulation that takes time, every tax that takes income — that's a chip off your life. A chip off the time you wanted with your family. A chip off the experiences you wanted to have. A chip off the freedom you thought adulthood would give you.

We're Australian. Different country, exact same pattern. We hit that wall in 2024, feeling the same pressures. We started researching leaving the UK, where to go to find a different way. Here's what we figured out.

Why Are So Many Leaving the UK?

1. The Cost of Living Squeeze

The Ofgem price cap for early 2026 sits at £1,641 a year for a typical household — still roughly 44% higher than before the 2021 energy crisis. Food prices jumped nearly 40% between 2020 and 2025, and mortgage rates have hammered anyone coming off a cheap fixed deal. The Resolution Foundation found that UK workers have suffered through 15 years of economic stagnation, leaving them with an £11,000 a year "lost wages gap."

2. The Post-Brexit Reality

Since the UK left the EU, British passport holders lost the right to live, work, or retire freely across Europe. Now, if you want to spend the winter in Spain or France, you're caught by the Schengen 90/180 rule: you can only stay for 90 days in any 180-day period. Recent polling shows that 58% of Britons now think leaving the EU was the wrong decision.

3. The Tax Squeeze on Builders

The UK government abolished the non-domiciled tax regime in April 2025, replacing it with a stricter residence-based system. Henley & Partners forecast that the UK would lose 16,500 millionaires in 2025 — the largest net loss of any country in the world. Millionaires are leaving, yes. But so are everyday business builders who are tired of being penalised for creating wealth.

4. The NHS and the Weather

The NHS waiting list was still sitting at over 7.2 million in early 2026. Combine that systemic stress with the weather — the UK gets about 1,400 to 1,500 hours of sunshine a year — and it takes a toll. Antidepressant prescriptions in England have more than doubled over the last decade.

Quick Comparison: 5 Countries Brits Are Moving To

Country Deep Dives

🇵🇦 Panama

Panama is rapidly becoming a top choice for expats looking to build businesses and keep more of what they earn. In 2024, InterNations ranked Panama as the number one country overall for expats. The country operates on a territorial tax system, meaning foreign-sourced income is generally not taxed locally.

Cost Breakdown: For a family of four, monthly living costs range from $2,855 to $4,148 USD. Renting a 3-bedroom in Panama City averages $1,665–$2,151 USD, and in Boquete, where we live, furnished 3-bedroom houses run $800–$1,600 USD per month. Groceries run $400–$700 USD monthly, and private healthcare insurance starts around $22 USD per person for basic preventative care.

Visa Options: The Friendly Nations Visa grants a 2-year provisional residency, leading to permanent residency. It requires an economic tie — such as a $200,000 USD real estate investment or incorporating a Panama company — plus government fees of $1,050 USD per applicant.

Honest Downside: Spanish is the primary language. While English is widely spoken in expat hubs, daily life outside those areas requires basic Spanish.

🇵🇹 Portugal

Cost Breakdown: Monthly costs for a family of four run $2,857–$3,148 USD. A 3-bedroom apartment in Lisbon averages $2,000–$2,500 USD per month.

Visa Options: The D7 Passive Income Visa and the Digital Nomad Visa are the most accessible routes. The D7 requires proof of passive income of at least €760 per month per adult.

Honest Downside: Portugal's NHR tax regime has been significantly reformed. The new IFICI regime is more restrictive. If tax efficiency is your primary driver, Portugal is no longer the obvious choice it once was.

🇹🇭 Thailand

Cost Breakdown: A family of four can live comfortably on $2,226 USD per month in Chiang Mai, including a 3-bedroom house, private school fees, and a car.

Visa Options: The Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa is the best option for those with passive income or remote work. The Thailand Elite Visa offers 5–20 years of residency for a one-time fee of $15,000–$30,000 USD.

Honest Downside: The "burning season" in northern Thailand (February to April) creates severe air pollution, often forcing expats to leave the region for months at a time.

🇲🇽 Mexico

Cost Breakdown: Monthly costs for a family of four run around $3,029 USD in popular expat destinations like Mexico City or the Yucatán.

Visa Options: The Temporary Resident Visa requires proof of income of around $2,600 USD per month for the primary applicant. After four years, you can apply for permanent residency.

Honest Downside: Security varies wildly by region. While expat hubs are generally safe, cartel violence in other states requires constant situational awareness.

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

Cost Breakdown: Costa Rica is the most expensive country in Central America. A family of four needs around $3,572 USD monthly.

Visa Options: The Rentista Visa requires proof of $2,500 USD monthly income for two years. The Pensionado Visa requires a $1,000 USD monthly lifetime pension.

Honest Downside: Homeschooling is illegal in Costa Rica. This was a dealbreaker for us.

Why We Chose Panama

We literally had to Google Panama to work out where it was. It was that country we'd heard mentioned in movies. That was the full extent of our knowledge.

We'd always assumed we'd end up somewhere in Europe. But the more we travelled through it, the more we realised it wasn't the right fit for us. There was a language barrier almost everywhere, and more than that, we just never fully relaxed. Beautiful moments, yes. But nowhere we pulled up and thought, "We could actually build here." Because that's the thing: we're not in retirement phase. We're in build phase. We needed people around us who were on the same path.

We seriously considered Portugal, Thailand, Bali, and Mexico. Each one got ruled out for its own reason. Bali made it nearly impossible to bring our dogs. Portugal has some tax laws that can catch you out badly if you're not careful. Cyprus had the energy of a country that didn't quite know what it wanted to be, and homeschooling is illegal there, which was a dealbreaker for us. Safety was a big factor too — especially with an 18-year-old who wants to stretch his wings.

Panama kept rising to the top. Tax efficiency, a genuine expat community of people who are building things (not just retired and waiting for the sun), and a country that actually welcomes homeschooling families.

The moment that confirmed it was Boquete. I'd been dreaming of a town with energy but still that country feeling: coffee plantations, little cafes, and the kids walking down to a freshwater stream and just sitting on the edge. That was it. That was the moment for our whole family.

What We Got Wrong

We made the decision to not go back to Australia while we were already overseas in Italy. Which sounds great in theory. In practice, it meant we were trying to sell a house, sort our self-managed super fund, relocate a shipping container, and figure out our dogs' paperwork. All from the other side of the world.

The single biggest thing we'd do differently: fix everything in your home country while you can still walk into a bank or a solicitor's office in person. Panama visa documents must be no older than six months. We did not know this. We hit Panama on our feet and went, "What's next now?" — and there was a lot of "next."

We're still tidying up loose ends in Australia to this day. That's the whole reason Pathway to Panama exists: so you don't have to reverse-engineer it like we did.

What Surprised Us Most

Honestly, I'm not sure I would have believed this before we left. We'd travelled to Bali, Fiji, all over Australia, but we'd never actually lived somewhere permanently in a new country. Visas, cars, setting up a life from scratch.

What surprised us most was how much less red tape there was. We came from Australia expecting friction everywhere. Instead, our biggest stresses were still coming from Australia — not from Panama. Someone should have told us: "I know how Australia is, but when you cross that border, it's a different experience." We're not very good at small talk. Ask us about goals, dreams, or travel and we'll talk all day — but we'll also talk about bureaucracy, and Panama wins that comparison easily.

Ready to Explore Panama Deeper?

If you're that person that wants to create multiple sources of income, that wants to live a life of choice, and you're not scared of doing the work and recalibrating how you think, we built something for you.

Or, if you're on Instagram, comment PATHWAY on our latest post and we'll send the link straight to your DMs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can UK citizens legally homeschool in Panama?

Yes. In 2021, Panama passed a law officially recognising homeschooling as a legal exemption to compulsory school attendance. You must notify the Ministry of Education and complete annual assessments.

Does Panama tax UK pension income?

Panama uses a territorial tax system. Income sourced from outside Panama — including UK pension income — is generally not taxed by Panama. However, the UK may still tax your pension depending on your residency status and any applicable double-taxation agreements.

Is Panama safe for families?

Yes. Panama is consistently ranked as one of the safest countries in Latin America. Boquete, where we live, has an extremely low crime rate. Panama City has areas that require the same awareness you'd apply in any major city, but the expat hubs are very safe.