Long Stays, Study and Work

The short version

An American can spend up to six months at a time in the UK as a visitor, with nothing more than a passport and an Electronic Travel Authorisation. That covers a long sabbatical, a semester-length course or a slow tour of the four nations. It does not let you take a job with a UK employer, enroll in a long degree, or make Britain your home through back-to-back visits.

To stay longer or to work, you need a visa chosen for a specific purpose: studying, a sponsored job, exceptional talent, a startup, or joining a British or settled partner. There is no retirement visa, no digital nomad visa, and the working-holiday visa that Canadians and Australians use is closed to Americans. Every visa over six months also carries the Immigration Health Surcharge, paid upfront, which buys you into the NHS on the same footing as residents.

After arrival, the practical side takes longer than the paperwork: renting without UK credit history, banking without a UK address, registering with a doctor and keeping the IRS happy. This page takes them in the order you will hit them.

What a visitor can and can't do

US citizens visiting for tourism, family, business meetings or a short course need an ETA (see Entry and the ETA). It costs £20 (about $27), lasts two years or until your passport expires, and covers multiple trips. Each visit can last up to six months.

Allowed as a visitor

• Tourism, visiting friends and family, volunteering for a registered charity for up to 30 days.
• Business meetings, conferences, negotiating deals and some permitted paid engagements (a one-off lecture, for example).
• Study for up to six months at an accredited institution, which covers many US study-abroad semesters and short courses.
• Private medical treatment, as long as you can pay for it.
• Working remotely for your US employer or your own US clients is allowed under UK visitor rules introduced in 2024, provided it is incidental and the main reason for your trip is something a visitor is allowed to do.

Not allowed as a visitor

• Paid or unpaid work for a UK company, or working as a self-employed person in the UK market.
• Courses longer than six months, other than English language courses on the Short-term study visa.
• Getting married or forming a civil partnership; for that you come as a Marriage Visitor, a separate category with its own evidence rules, so check GOV.UK before you travel.
• Living in the UK through frequent or successive visits, or treating the UK as your main home.
• Claiming public funds such as benefits or free social housing.

ETA or visa: which route fits

If your stay is under six months and you will not work for a UK employer, the ETA is all you need. For anything else, you apply online for a visa from the US before you travel. Depending on the route, you either verify your identity with the UK Immigration: ID Check smartphone app or attend an appointment at a visa application center for fingerprints and a photo. Anyone holding a visa does not need an ETA as well.

The table shows the main routes Americans use, with fees for applying from outside the UK as listed on GOV.UK in October 2026. Fees rise most Aprils, so check the official page on the day you apply.

Two routes Americans ask about that do not apply

Youth Mobility Scheme. This two-year working holiday visa (fee £340, about $450, plus savings of £2,530, about $3,365) is open only to citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino and Uruguay, certain British nationals, and, by ballot, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The US is not on the list as of October 2026, and there is no US–UK agreement in force. Be wary of agencies that suggest otherwise.

UK Ancestry visa. Despite the name, it is only for Commonwealth citizens with a UK-born grandparent. A US passport does not qualify, however British your grandmother was.

Studying: semester, English course or full degree

A semester or short course as a visitor

Many US study-abroad semesters run four to five months, which fits inside the six-month visitor limit for study at an accredited institution. You travel on your ETA and carry your acceptance letter, proof of funds and return ticket. You cannot work, and some placements or internships are not allowed, so confirm the details with your home university's study-abroad office before you book flights.

Short-term study visa

This visa exists for one purpose: English language courses lasting more than six months and up to 11 months, for people aged 16 and over. You cannot work or extend it. Few Americans need it, but it is the answer if you want a long intensive course in, say, academic English before a degree.

Student visa

For a degree or any course longer than six months you need a Student visa, sponsored by a university or college with a student sponsor license. The school issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number once you accept an unconditional offer, and you apply with it.

• Apply as early as six months before your course starts. Decisions from outside the UK usually take about three weeks.
• Fee: £558 (about $740), plus the health surcharge at £776 (about $1,030) a year of the visa.
• Living costs: the rules ask for £1,529 (about $2,030) a month in London or £1,171 (about $1,560) a month elsewhere, for up to nine months, held for 28 days in a row. US nationals are on the reduced-evidence list, so you usually do not upload bank statements, but UKVI can ask for them, so have the money in place anyway.
• Work: degree-level students can usually work part time in term (typically up to 20 hours a week) and full time in vacations. Your CAS and visa set your actual limit.
• Family: since January 2024 only students on postgraduate research courses, such as PhDs, can normally bring a partner and children.

Many UK universities accept US federal Direct Loans; check the university's own US students page. After a UK degree, the Graduate visa lets you stay and work without a sponsor. It lasts two years (three after a PhD) if you apply by December 31, 2026, but only 18 months for most applications made from January 1, 2027 (PhD graduates still get three years), so check the current length when you plan.

Working: the Skilled Worker visa and other job routes

Skilled Worker

This is the standard work visa. You need a job offer from an employer holding a sponsor license, who assigns you a Certificate of Sponsorship. Since the rules tightened in July 2025, the job generally has to be in a higher-skilled occupation; medium-skilled roles qualify only if they appear on the immigration salary list or a temporary shortage list.

• Salary: at least £41,700 (about $55,500) a year or the going rate for your occupation code, whichever is higher. Some applicants can qualify at £33,400 (about $44,400), and healthcare and education jobs follow national pay scales.
• Fees from outside the UK: £819 (about $1,090) for up to three years, £1,618 (about $2,150) for longer. Jobs on the immigration salary list cost less: £628 (about $835) and £1,235 (about $1,645).
• Savings: £1,270 (about $1,690) held for 28 days, unless your employer certifies it will cover your first month.
• English: as a US national your passport proves it, since the US counts as a majority English-speaking country.
• Timing: decisions usually within three weeks from outside the UK. The visa can last up to five years before you extend.

Employers also pay an Immigration Skills Charge for each sponsored worker, which is one reason smaller firms hesitate to sponsor. If your US employer has a UK office, ask HR about the Global Business Mobility routes for intra-company transfers, which work differently and do not lead to settlement.

High Potential Individual

If you graduated in the last five years from a university on the Home Office's global top-universities list, which includes a long run of American schools, you can come for two years (three with a doctorate) without a job offer. You can work in most jobs, freelance or job hunt. It cannot be extended, but you can switch into Skilled Worker once you find a sponsor. The fee is £880 (about $1,170), and you need £1,270 (about $1,690) in savings held for 28 days. Check the current university list on GOV.UK, since it is updated each year.

Global Talent

For established or emerging leaders in academia and research, arts and culture, or digital technology. Most applicants first get an endorsement from the relevant body, then apply for the visa: £561 (about $745) for the endorsement stage and £205 (about $275) for the visa, £766 (about $1,020) in total. Winners of listed prestigious prizes skip the endorsement. You need no job offer, can work freely, and the visa runs up to five years at a time, with settlement possible after three or five years depending on your field.

Innovator Founder

For starting a new, innovative and scalable business. An approved endorsing body has to back your plan; the endorsement costs £1,000 (about $1,330) and each progress meeting £500 (about $665), with check-ins at 12 and 24 months. The visa itself costs £1,357 (about $1,805) from outside the UK and lasts three years, renewable, with settlement possible after three years if the business meets the targets. There is no longer a fixed minimum investment, but endorsing bodies expect a credible, funded plan.

Family visas and partners

If your spouse, civil partner or long-term partner (living together for at least two years) is a British citizen or has settled status, you can apply for a partner visa from the US. The first grant lasts up to two years and nine months, followed by an extension and then settlement. The sponsoring partner generally needs income of at least £29,000 (about $38,600) a year, a level set in April 2024 that the government has been reviewing, or substantial savings instead. Your US passport covers the English requirement.

Engaged couples who plan to marry in the UK use the fiancé(e) visa, which gives six months to hold the wedding and then switch. Partner visa fees are among the highest of the common routes (£2,064, about $2,745, from outside the UK in October 2026), so check the current figure on GOV.UK and budget for the health surcharge on top.

If you are moving because your partner has a work or study visa, you apply as their dependant on the same route, paying the visa fee and the surcharge for each person. Remember the dependant limits for students described above.

The health surcharge and using the NHS

The Immigration Health Surcharge is paid upfront with your visa application, for every year of the visa. The rates are:

• £1,035 (about $1,375) a year for most visas, including Skilled Worker, Global Talent and family visas.
• £776 (about $1,030) a year for students and their dependants, Youth Mobility visas and anyone under 18.
• Part years: a visa of six months or less from outside the UK pays nothing; over six months up to a year pays a full year; each extra half year adds half the annual rate. A two-year student visa costs £1,552 (about $2,065), a three-year work visa £3,105 (about $4,130).

The surcharge is refunded if your visa is refused. Once paid, you use the NHS on the same terms as residents, with free GP visits and free hospital care. Visitors on an ETA, by contrast, are charged for most hospital care beyond the emergency department (see Health and the NHS).

Registering with a GP

Your gateway to the NHS is a general practitioner, the local family doctor's practice. Register as soon as you have an address; do not wait until you are ill.

1. Find practices whose catchment area covers your home: the NHS website in England, NHS inform in Scotland, NHS 111 Wales, and nidirect in Northern Ireland.
2. Register online through the practice website or the NHS App, or by filling in a form at the front desk. In England, practices should not refuse you for lacking proof of address or ID, though many ask for it.
3. Bring your US medical records and a list of medications with their generic names. Brand names often differ, and some US drugs are not used in the UK.
4. Expect the GP to refer you to specialists; you do not book them directly the way many US plans allow.

Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England charges a flat fee per item, £9.90 (about $13), with prepayment certificates that cap the cost if you need regular medicines. NHS dental care is charged in bands and practices taking new adult patients can be hard to find, so many expats go private for dentistry. Eye tests are usually charged too.

Finding a place to rent

Most rentals are listed on Rightmove, Zoopla and OpenRent; SpareRoom is the go-to for rooms in shared flats. Rents are quoted per calendar month (pcm) or, in London, sometimes per week (pw), so check which. "Bills included" means utilities are in the rent, which is common for rooms and rare for whole apartments. Many rentals come furnished, a relief if you are not shipping furniture.

For the first month, book a serviced apartment or a monthly short let. It gives you an address for the bank and the GP and lets you view places in person, which matters because good rentals in London, Edinburgh and Bristol often go within days.

Referencing and the credit problem

Letting agents run references on every tenant: a credit check, proof of income and often a previous landlord's reference. Your US credit history does not transfer, so a strong American applicant can look like a blank slate. Ways through:

• An employer's letter confirming salary and visa, plus your offer letter.
• A UK-based guarantor, who usually has to earn a multiple of the annual rent; if you have none, guarantor companies will stand in for a fee.
• Offering six or twelve months' rent upfront used to be the standard fix for newcomers. In England that ended on May 1, 2026: under the Renters' Rights Act a landlord cannot ask for more than one month's rent before the tenancy starts, so a guarantor or a strong employer letter now matters more. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules; ask the agent.

Deposits and fees

• England: a holding deposit is capped at one week's rent, and the tenancy deposit at five weeks' rent where annual rent is under £50,000. The landlord must protect it in a government-approved scheme. Most letting fees charged to tenants are banned.
• Scotland: deposits are capped at two months' rent and must go into an approved scheme; charging tenants fees or premiums is illegal.
• Wales and Northern Ireland: deposits must also be protected, and Wales bans most letting fees.

Tenancy law differs by nation. Since May 1, 2026, England has banned fixed-term assured tenancies, so most new lets are rolling contracts that last until you give notice or a court grants possession; "no fault" Section 21 evictions are gone, landlords must not accept bids above the advertised rent, and they must consider a written request to keep a pet. Scotland has used open-ended private residential tenancies since 2017, and Wales switched to occupation contracts in 2022. Read your agreement carefully for notice periods.

Right to Rent

In England only, landlords must check that tenants have the right to rent before a tenancy starts. With an eVisa, you generate a share code on the GOV.UK Right to Rent page and send it to the landlord or agent. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have no such check. If you are only a visitor, most landlords will not sign a standard tenancy with you, so stick to furnished short lets.

Council tax and bills

Council tax is a local charge set by the property's valuation band (A to H in England and Scotland, A to I in Wales). The occupant pays it, usually monthly over ten months. Adults living alone get 25% off, and full-time students are exempt. Average bills in England run above £2,000 (about $2,660) a year for a mid-band home; your council's website shows the exact rate for your address. Northern Ireland uses domestic rates instead.

On top come energy (gas and electricity, priced under the regulator Ofgem's cap in Great Britain), water (in Scotland it is billed with council tax), broadband, and a TV licence of around £175 (about $235) a year if you watch live TV or BBC iPlayer.

Banking and phones

A UK bank account, and what to use meanwhile

The classic newcomer trap is circular: banks want a UK address, landlords want a UK bank account. Break it with a fintech account you can open before you leave.

• Wise: a US Wise account can hold pounds with UK account details (a sort code and account number), so you can receive a UK salary, pay a deposit or set up a direct debit before you have a British bank. Conversion fees are low and shown upfront.
• Revolut: useful for spending and transfers; once you have a UK address you can switch to a UK Revolut account with local details.
• App banks: Monzo and Starling open full UK current accounts in minutes on a phone, usually needing your passport, visa status and a UK address. They are the fastest route to a proper sort code.
• High-street banks: Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest and others. They want proof of address, such as a tenancy agreement, a council tax bill or an employer letter. HSBC and Barclays offer international accounts for wealthier movers who want one opened before arrival.

As a US person, every UK bank will ask you to certify your US tax status and give your Social Security number, because banks report American customers' accounts to the IRS under FATCA. A few providers decline Americans altogether; if one does, move on to the next.

Build a UK credit file early: put a utility and your phone contract in your name, and get a UK credit card and pay it off monthly. Lenders check the electoral register; in Scotland and Wales foreign residents with permission to stay can register for devolved and local elections, but in England and Northern Ireland Americans cannot, which slows a new credit score. If you hold an American Express card, ask Amex about its program for transferring card membership to a UK card. Keep your US checking account and a US credit card open; some US brokerages restrict accounts once you report a foreign address, so ask yours before you move.

Phones and broadband

Roaming on your US plan works for a visit (see Staying connected), but residents switch to a UK number quickly, since banks, doctors and delivery services all text UK mobiles.

• SIM-only plans on rolling 30-day terms are cheap and usually need no credit check. The networks are EE, O2, Vodafone and Three, and budget brands such as giffgaff, Voxi, Smarty, Lebara, iD Mobile and Tesco Mobile ride on them. Many good-value plans cost around £10 (about $13) a month.
• Handset contracts of 24 to 36 months need a credit check, which a newcomer may fail; buy your phone outright or bring an unlocked US phone.
• Your US number: keep it alive for two-factor codes from US banks and the IRS. A cheap US prepaid plan kept in an eSIM slot, or porting the number to a VoIP service, both work; check that your bank accepts texts to the option you choose.
• Broadband: contracts usually run 18 to 24 months. Check full-fiber availability at your address before you sign a lease if you work from home.

Driving on your US license

Visitors can drive on a valid US license for up to 12 months. Once you become resident, the clock is 12 months from the date you became resident. After that you need a UK license, and the catch for Americans is that no US state license can be exchanged in Great Britain. You have to qualify like a new driver.

1. Apply for a provisional license from the DVLA: £34 (about $45) online, £43 (about $57) by post. You need permission to live in Great Britain for at least 185 days. In Northern Ireland, the DVA runs the equivalent system.
2. Pass the theory test, a multiple-choice exam plus a hazard perception video test, booked on GOV.UK. Budget about £23 (about $31) and study the Highway Code.
3. Book the practical test as soon as you pass the theory. Waits for a test slot can run to months in busy areas, and the weekday fee is about £62 (about $82).
4. Take a few lessons with an approved instructor even if you have driven for decades. Examiners mark US habits harshly: rolling stops, mirror checks, roundabout lanes and speed on country roads.

While your 12 months last, you can keep driving unsupervised on your US license even after getting a provisional one. After the 12 months, holding only a provisional means L plates and a qualified supervisor beside you. If you take the test in an automatic, your UK license will cover automatics only. Car insurance for a newly licensed UK driver is expensive; some insurers will consider a claims-free letter from your US insurer, so bring one. More on the roads themselves in our driving guide.

US taxes while you live in the UK

The US taxes its citizens wherever they live, so moving to Britain means extra filings on top of the usual return. The UK will also tax you once you are resident, on a tax year that runs April 6 to April 5. A cross-border accountant who handles both systems pays for itself in the first year.

What you file with the IRS

• Form 1040 every year. Living abroad gives you an automatic two-month extension to June 15, though interest runs on any tax owed from April 15.
• Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (Form 2555). Excludes a set amount of foreign earnings, indexed to inflation each year ($130,000 for 2025 and $132,900 for 2026), if you pass the physical presence test (330 full days abroad in a 12-month period) or the bona fide residence test.
• Foreign Tax Credit (Form 1116). Because UK income tax rates are generally higher than US rates, many Americans in Britain do better crediting UK tax paid than using the exclusion. Your accountant can model both.
• FBAR (FinCEN Form 114). Required if the combined balance of all your non-US accounts tops $10,000 at any point in the year. It is filed online with FinCEN, separately from your return; it is due April 15 with an automatic extension to October 15. Penalties for missing it are steep even when no tax is owed.
• Form 8938 (FATCA). For taxpayers living abroad, required if specified foreign assets exceed $200,000 on the last day of the year or $300,000 at any time (single), or $400,000 and $600,000 for joint filers.

Traps for Americans

• UK investment funds and ISAs. ISAs are tax-free in the UK only; the IRS taxes them, and UK-domiciled funds are usually PFICs with punishing US rules. Ask before investing.
• Pensions. The US–UK tax treaty protects many workplace pension contributions, but not every arrangement. Check with your adviser before opting in or out.
• Social Security. The US–UK totalization agreement stops you paying into both systems. If a US employer sends you over temporarily, get a certificate of coverage so you keep paying US Social Security instead of UK National Insurance.
• State taxes. Some states, notably California and New York, can keep treating you as resident if you keep a home, a driver's license, voter registration or other strong ties there. Plan your exit from your state as carefully as your entry to the UK.
• New UK residents. Since April 2025 the UK's old non-dom regime has been replaced by a four-year relief on foreign income and gains for people who have not been UK resident in the previous ten years. You must claim it; it is not automatic.

You will also need a National Insurance number to work and pay UK tax correctly. Apply on GOV.UK once you are in the UK; you can start a job before it arrives.

Bringing pets and belongings

Pets

Dogs, cats and ferrets can come from the US without quarantine if you follow the rules in order: microchip first, then a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel, then an animal health certificate from a USDA-accredited vet, endorsed by USDA APHIS, within the ten days before you arrive. Dogs also need a tapeworm treatment one to five days before landing. Pets flying into Great Britain generally must travel as cargo on approved routes, and Northern Ireland has its own rules. Some breeds, including pit bull terriers and XL bullies, are banned or tightly restricted. Our pets guide has the full checklist and costs.

Furniture, boxes and cars

Transfer of Residence relief lets you bring personal belongings without paying UK import duty or VAT if you have lived outside the UK for at least 12 months, have owned and used the items for at least six months, and bring them in within 12 months of moving. Apply online on GOV.UK before your shipment arrives, and tell your moving company your reference number.

Sea freight from the US East Coast usually takes four to eight weeks door to door; ship essentials by air or in your luggage. Before paying to ship, remember the UK runs on 230 volts at 50 hertz with Type G plugs: laptops and phone chargers are fine, but US kitchen appliances, lamps and power tools mostly are not. Importing a US car is rarely worth it once you add duty, modifications for UK lighting rules and left-hand drive on British roads.

A moving timeline that works

1. Six to twelve months out

   Pick the route

   Decide which visa fits and check eligibility on GOV.UK. Students apply to universities; workers line up a sponsor; see if you can claim British or Irish citizenship through a parent or grandparent.

2. Three to six months out

   Apply

   Gather documents (passport, birth and marriage certificates, degree certificates, bank statements). Apply online, pay the fee and the health surcharge, and verify your identity by app or at an appointment. Start the pet timeline now if you have one.

3. One to two months out

   Set up money and housing

   Open Wise, tell your US banks and brokerages about the move, get a claims-free letter from your car insurer, book a furnished short let for your first four weeks, and book movers using Transfer of Residence relief.

4. Week one

   Paperwork

   Check your eVisa shows correctly in your UKVI account, register with a GP, get a UK SIM, open a Monzo, Starling or high-street account, and apply for a National Insurance number.

5. Month one

   Settle

   View and secure a rental, register for council tax and utilities, buy a TV licence if needed, and apply for your provisional driving license.

6. First spring

   Taxes

   File your US return by June 15 (or extend further), your FBAR by October 15 at the latest, and register with HMRC for UK self-assessment if you have income beyond a UK salary.

Official links to bookmark

• Check if you need a UK visa and the GOV.UK visas and immigration hub
• Immigration Health Surcharge
• Student visa and Skilled Worker visa
• Global Talent and Innovator Founder
• Apply for a provisional driving licence
• Register with a GP in England
• FinCEN BSA E-Filing for the FBAR and the IRS international taxpayers pages

Planning a long stay that starts with a trip around the country first? Our planning guide, money guide and where to stay pages cover the visitor side, and our trip planning service can help shape a scouting visit.