Leaving the UK

What happens to my ISA when I leave the UK?

Answered by Jordan Onraet-Wells, Founder & Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA). Published 17 July 2026. Last reviewed 17 July 2026.

The short answer

Your ISA stays open and keeps its UK tax-free status when you leave the UK, but you cannot add new money once you become non-UK resident (unless you are a Crown employee working overseas, or their spouse or civil partner). You must tell your ISA provider as soon as you stop being a UK resident. The bigger catch is that most destination countries do not recognise the ISA wrapper, so once you are tax resident abroad the interest, dividends and gains inside it are usually taxable there under local rules.

Your ISA does not close when you leave: the wrapper survives and you still get UK tax relief on the money and investments already inside it.
Once you become non-UK resident you cannot pay in new money, unless you are a Crown employee working overseas or their spouse or civil partner.
You must tell your ISA provider as soon as you stop being a UK resident.
You can still transfer an ISA to another provider while you are living abroad.
If you return and become UK resident again, you can pay in once more, subject to the £20,000 annual allowance for 2026/27.
Junior ISAs are more forgiving: you can still add cash to a child's existing Junior ISA after they move abroad, up to £9,000 in 2026/27.

UK tax free does not mean tax free abroad

The ISA wrapper only binds HMRC. Most destination countries ignore it entirely: once you are tax resident there, they will usually tax the interest, dividends and gains inside the account exactly as if you held the investments directly. Double tax treaties rarely help, because there is no UK tax on the income for a treaty to relieve, and some countries also tax pooled funds held by their residents unfavourably. In some cases it is cleaner to realise gains before you go, while you are still UK resident and the account is still fully tax free.

The common trap: paying in after you depart

Do not assume you can keep using your allowance after your departure date. The cut-off follows your residence position, which is decided by the Statutory Residence Test, not by the date on your ticket, so confirm when your non-residence starts before adding money. The same no-new-money rule applies to Lifetime ISAs, which also means no further 25% government bonus, since the bonus only arises on money you pay in. Some providers go further than the rules and restrict or close accounts held at overseas addresses.

What to do before you go

Tell every ISA provider as soon as you stop being UK resident and ask whether they will keep serving you abroad. Find out how your destination taxes ISA income and gains, then decide whether to keep, transfer or encash each account: keeping the wrapper preserves its UK tax-free status and your ability to subscribe again if you return. Junior ISAs can keep running, since contributions can continue after the child moves abroad, subject to provider policy. Our leaving the UK tax guide covers the full departure checklist, including form P85 and split-year treatment.

Go deeper

Sources and further reading

This is general information for the 2026/27 UK tax year, not personal tax advice; speak to a Chartered Tax Adviser about your own position.

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