Moving to India from the UK: the practical guide

India at a glance

Start with the visa

UK citizens need a visa or an OCI card to live in India. If you are of Indian origin, check your OCI eligibility first: it is the simplest route by far.

Source: Aniday, 2026. Apply through Indian Visa Online or VFS Global in the UK, and check the Ministry of Home Affairs for current rules.

Rules to know once you live there

• Register within 14 days. Foreigners on visas of more than 180 days must register online with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (e-FRRO) within 14 days of arriving, and get a residential permit. OCI holders do not need to register.
• Extensions are done in India, usually each year, through e-FRRO.
• Keep your documents in order. Your registration, passport and visa are needed to rent, open a bank account and clear your household goods.
• Get a PAN and Aadhaar if eligible. A PAN (tax number) is needed for banking and tax; residents may also be asked for an Aadhaar identity number.

Cost of living

India can be very affordable, but expat-standard housing in the big cities is not cheap, and Mumbai is far more expensive than Bengaluru or Delhi. A three-bedroom flat in Bandra, Mumbai typically costs ₹80,000 to ₹1,80,000 a month (about £625 to £1,405).

Source: Beacon Filing, September 2026. Sterling figures use ₹128 to the pound, the rate in early October 2026. Amounts in India are often written in lakhs: ₹1,00,000 is one lakh.

What works differently from the UK

• Deposits can be enormous. Mumbai landlords often ask for 6 to 10 months’ rent up front, and Bengaluru landlords up to 10 months for unfurnished flats. Delhi is usually 2 to 3 months.
• Domestic staff are common. A full-time driver costs roughly ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 a month and a full-time cook ₹12,000 to ₹25,000.
• Housing societies set rules. Apartment complexes often need permission, gate passes and booked lifts for moving in.
• Imported goods are expensive. Alcohol, imported food and electronics carry high duties.
• Power and water backup matter. Ask whether a flat has a generator or inverter and reliable water supply.
• Air quality varies. Delhi’s winter air can be very poor; many families budget for air purifiers.

Buying a home

Rules on property ownership depend on your status. OCI card holders can buy homes and commercial property, but not farmland. Other foreign nationals face stricter rules under India’s foreign exchange laws, and most expats rent. Take legal advice before committing money.

Tax

India’s tax year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Most people now use the “new regime”, which has lower rates but few deductions; the older regime, with more deductions, can still be chosen.

Source: ClearTax. A rebate means no tax on income up to ₹12 lakh, and salaried people get a standard deduction of ₹75,000. A 4% cess is added to all tax, and surcharges apply to high incomes. A new Income-tax Act took effect in April 2026; check the Income Tax Department for current figures.

Points that catch UK arrivals out

• Your residence status decides what is taxed. You are resident if you spend 182 days or more in India in a tax year, or meet other tests based on time spent there. New arrivals are often “resident but not ordinarily resident” at first, which generally keeps UK income outside Indian tax.
• Fully resident means worldwide income. Once you are “resident and ordinarily resident”, your UK income, savings and pensions are taxable in India too, with credit for UK tax under the UK–India double taxation agreement.
• Tax is deducted from your pay by your employer, and you file a return online after the year ends.
• Moving money is regulated. India has foreign exchange rules, so use proper banking channels and keep records of money you bring in.

Leaving the UK tax system

Tell HMRC you are going. Most people do this with form P85, which can also trigger a refund for the year you leave. You will still pay UK tax on UK income such as rent from a property you keep. Take advice from an accountant who handles both countries before you move, not after.

Healthcare

India’s best private hospitals, in the big cities, are internationally accredited and far cheaper than private care in the UK. Public hospitals are inexpensive but crowded, so most expats use private care paid for by insurance.

Source: Pacific Prime, August 2026. Prices depend on age, health, the amount insured and extras such as maternity or dental cover.

How cover works

• Check your employer’s plan, and whether it covers your family, outpatient visits and maternity.
• Look for a “cashless” network. Plans with cashless hospitals settle the bill directly; otherwise you pay and claim back.
• Indian plans have waiting periods, often two to four years for existing conditions and up to two years for maternity.
• International plans cost more but usually include evacuation and treatment abroad, which local plans often lack.

Well-known private hospital groups include Apollo, Fortis, Max and Medanta, and Lilavati and Kokilaben in Mumbai. There is no reciprocal health agreement between the UK and India. Talk to your GP about vaccinations and malaria advice before you go, and carry prescriptions for any medicines you bring.

Schools and the school year

Most expat families choose an international school, following the IB, the Cambridge (IGCSE and A-level) curriculum or an American programme, with a school year from August to June. Many Indian schools follow a different year, from April to March.

Source: Beacon Filing, September 2026. Admission fees, development charges and transport are extra.

What else to know

• Apply early. The best-known international schools have waiting lists, especially for August starts.
• Check the curriculum. IB and Cambridge schools make moving back to the UK easiest. Indian boards (CBSE, ICSE and state boards) teach in English but follow a different year and exams.
• Location matters. Traffic is heavy in all the big cities, so choose your home near the school.
• Ask your employer. School fees are often part of an expat package.
• Think ahead to university. Children who have lived abroad may be charged international rather than home fees at UK universities, depending on how long they have been away.

Driving

India drives on the left, as in the UK, but city traffic is dense and unpredictable. Most expat families employ a driver rather than drive themselves, which is affordable and far less stressful.

Your licence

• For your first year, you can drive on your UK licence with a 1949 International Driving Permit. Buy the permit at a UK Post Office before you leave.
• After that, you need an Indian licence, issued by the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in your area. Rules for foreigners vary by state and can include a learner’s licence and a driving test, so check locally.

Road rules worth knowing

• Expect anything. Motorbikes, auto-rickshaws, pedestrians, cyclists and animals all share the road, and lane discipline is loose.
• Horns are used constantly to signal presence, not anger.
• Insurance is compulsory, at least for third-party cover. Comprehensive cover is advisable.
• Ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Ola are widely used and cheap.

Should you ship your car?

Usually not. Private car imports are limited to recent vehicles you have owned for a minimum period, must pass Indian approval tests, and attract duty well above the car’s value. A UK car is right-hand drive, which suits Indian roads, but it is rarely worth the cost.

Pensions

India has no social security agreement with the UK that covers pensions, so your UK State Pension stops rising when you move. Retirement income for most UK movers comes from UK pensions and their own savings.

Your UK State Pension

• It is paid in India, but frozen. You cannot get annual increases there; the rate you first receive is the rate you keep. See State Pension if you retire abroad.
• You need 35 qualifying years for the full amount and at least 10 to get anything. Check your forecast before you leave.
• Topping up from abroad became harder and dearer on 6 April 2026. Cheap Class 2 voluntary contributions are no longer available for time abroad. You can pay Class 3 only if you lived in the UK for 10 years in a row or paid 10 years of contributions. See voluntary National Insurance if you live abroad.

Saving in India

If you work for an Indian company, you are likely to join the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), with contributions from you and your employer. Special rules apply to “international workers”, including when you can withdraw your savings on leaving India, so ask your employer how they apply to you. See the EPFO.

Your UK workplace and private pensions

These can stay invested in the UK and be paid to you in India, where they may be taxed once you are fully resident. The UK–India double taxation agreement decides which country taxes which pension. Moving a UK pension abroad usually triggers a 25% overseas transfer charge unless you live in the same country as the scheme. Use a regulated adviser, and read GOV.UK on transferring to an overseas pension scheme first.

Shipping your home

Household goods are cleared in India as unaccompanied baggage under Transfer of Residence rules. How much comes in free of duty depends on how long you have lived abroad, and every shipment is examined, so an accurate, valued inventory matters.

Customs

Source: Wego, June 2026. Goods above the allowance pay duty, which was cut to 10% from April 2026, plus other charges. Check the current rules with CBIC.

• You must be in India for clearance, with your original passport showing your arrival stamp. Goods can arrive up to two months before you, and should be sent within a month of your arrival.
• Televisions are always taxed, even under the Transfer of Residence allowance.
• Used goods only. New, boxed or multiple items can be treated as trade goods.
• Some items are banned or controlled. Vapes and e-cigarettes are banned outright. Gold, jewellery and cash have their own limits and declarations. Drones and satellite phones need permission. Alcohol is tightly limited, and meat, dairy, seeds and plants are controlled.

Delivery and sea freight

Sea freight takes 7 to 12 weeks door to door: about 8 to 11 weeks to Mumbai and Pune, and a little longer to Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata, where containers travel inland by rail or road. Air freight takes 5 to 8 days. The monsoon, from about June to September, can slow ports and deliveries, especially in Mumbai and Kerala. Housing societies may need written permission, gate passes and booked lifts, so give us your society’s contact early. Our India shipping guide has the detail.

Pets

• You can bring up to two cats or dogs under Transfer of Residence rules if you have lived abroad for two years or more. Otherwise, a separate import licence is needed.
• Microchip, then vaccinate against rabies more than a month and less than a year before the flight.
• Get an official health certificate endorsed by the UK government vet service.
• Apply for an advance permit (NOC) from India’s Animal Quarantine and Certification Service online at least seven days before the flight. The final permit is issued on arrival.
• Fly into an airport with a quarantine station: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Kochi.

Source: NRI Information, September 2026. Quarantine only applies if your pet is found unfit on arrival. Confirm current rules before you book.

Useful links

These are the official sources we point clients to. Rules change, so check them close to your move date.

This guide is general information for people planning a move, correct to the best of our knowledge in October 2026. It is not tax, pension, legal or immigration advice. Rules and figures change, so check the official sources linked above and take professional advice on your own circumstances.