1.2 million Britons in Europe face having lives upended twice in five years as Burnham eyes rejoining

More than a million Britons living in Europe face having their lives upended for a second time in five years as Andy Burnham takes his push to rejoin the EU to Dublin, warns the CEO of deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations.

The prime minister is due at the European Political Community this week with options for a new relationship with Brussels, including full membership. Several cabinet ministers are trying to talk him out of it.

Nigel Green says: “Closer ties with Europe are likely to be good for Britain and its economy, and for a lot of expats they could make life much easier.

“My worry is how we get there. British expats had their residency, healthcare, tax and pensions overhauled in 2021.

“A long political fight over rejoining could put them through all of it again, possibly more than once.”

An estimated 1.2 million Britons live in EU countries. Those who were there before January 2021 kept their rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. Those who arrived later are treated as third-country nationals and need visas or permits to live and work.

“Retirees have seen their pension and inheritance rules change more than once since 2021,” notes Nigel Green.

“Young professionals Brits can’t just take a job in the EU anymore, they need a visa first. And anyone with family or a business on both sides of the Channel has been dealing with extra paperwork for five years.

“Many have spent those years getting their affairs straight. New residency cards, new wills, pensions moved. Some of it can’t be undone.”

The UK has tightened the rules from its side too. Pension transfers to European schemes have carried a 25% charge since the 2024 Budget, inheritance tax became residence-based in April 2025, and unused pensions are set to fall into the inheritance tax net from April 2027.

“Expats have had the rules changed on them from both directions, and they’re tired of it,” he adds.

“The pound is likely to get very jumpy if rejoining becomes a serious prospect, and a referendum would make it worse. For someone retired in the EU on a UK pension, a bad month for sterling is a pay cut.”

The Conservatives have pledged to reverse Labour’s moves towards Europe if they win the next election.

“The biggest danger is rejoining becoming a political football,” says the deVere CEO.

“If it does, the rules for expats could change with every government. Of course this makes planning a career, a retirement, or putting your kids through school a lot harder.

“We work with around 80,000 expats, and we hear from them most that they want closer ties. But, crucially, that they also want to know the rules won’t flip again in four years.”

Nigel Green concludes: “Burnham’s right to go to Dublin, and he’s right to want a better deal with Europe.

“But the 1.2 million Britons living across the continent were an afterthought in 2016. If he seriously wants this to work, they need to be front of mind from day one, with guarantees that outlast his government.”