Moving from Germany to the UK: Visa, NHS, Tax and Housing
Vathanakone Prakosay · Updated on
In short: For visits of up to 180 days, German citizens need an ETA when moving from Germany to the UK, and it costs 20 GBP. To work there, you need a visa such as the Skilled Worker visa, which requires a confirmed job offer before you apply. The NHS is free from the day your visa starts if you paid the health surcharge.
What do you need when moving from Germany to the UK?
You need a legal basis for each stay. German citizens without a visa or residence permit must show a valid ETA when they enter, according to the Federal Foreign Office (as of 25 October 2026). Anyone who wants to work needs a visa on top of that. This guide covers England. Some rules, such as income tax, differ in Scotland, and Wales and Northern Ireland are not covered.
The guide is based on official pages: GOV.UK, the NHS, the Federal Foreign Office and the German Pension Insurance. Each fact shows its source and date. Where no official statement exists, the text says so.
Requirements at a glance
| Topic | What the source says | Source, date |
|---|---|---|
| Visit up to 180 days | ETA, 20 GBP, passport | Federal Foreign Office, 25.10.2026 |
| Work visa | Skilled Worker: confirmed job, sponsor, certificate before the application | GOV.UK |
| English | Level B2 for the Skilled Worker visa | GOV.UK |
| Health surcharge | 1,035 GBP a year; 776 GBP for students and Youth Mobility | GOV.UK |
| National Insurance number | Apply only from inside the UK, up to 4 weeks | GOV.UK |
| Income tax, England | 12,570 GBP tax-free, then 20, 40 and 45 per cent | GOV.UK, tax year 2026/27 |
| Renting | Right to Rent check for every adult tenant | GOV.UK, version of 1 October 2026 |
Do German citizens need an ETA to enter the UK?
Yes, if you have no visa or residence permit. The Federal Foreign Office says a valid ETA must be shown since February 2026 (as of 25 October 2026). ETA stands for Electronic Travel Authorisation. It costs 20 GBP. You apply in the official app or on GOV.UK at least three days before you travel. The ETA is valid for two years or until your passport expires, and each entry may last up to 180 days.
You enter with a passport. A national ID card is accepted only for Gibraltar. GOV.UK adds that an ETA does not guarantee entry. The Foreign Office page also says that au pair stays are no longer possible and that EU students need a student visa for stays of more than six months.
What changes if you stay longer than six months?
For stays of more than six months, the Federal Foreign Office names the eVisa. It replaces the former residence card. You manage it in a UKVI account that is linked to a valid travel document. The eVisa is also the proof of your status when you rent a home.
Which work visas can you get from Germany?
GOV.UK lists seven open visas for work: Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Global Talent, Graduate, Innovator Founder, Youth Mobility and High Potential Individual. The page marks these as closed to new applicants: Entrepreneur and Investor (both Tier 1), Turkish Businessperson, Turkish Worker and Start-up.
Can you move to the UK without a job offer?
Yes, but only on certain visas. GOV.UK names Global Talent, Graduate, High Potential Individual and Youth Mobility as visas without a job offer. Founders use the Innovator Founder visa. The Skilled Worker visa is different: the page says you must have a confirmed job offer before you apply.
What does the Skilled Worker visa require?
Your employer must be an approved sponsor and issue a certificate of sponsorship. You apply within three months of receiving it, and no earlier than three months before the start date on the certificate. GOV.UK gives a decision time of three weeks for applications from outside the UK and eight weeks from inside the UK.
Your salary must reach the higher of 41,700 GBP a year and the going rate for your job. Lower rates apply to extensions and job changes, and health and education jobs follow separate rules. The English requirement is level B2. Proof is a recognised test or a degree; a degree from outside the UK, taught in English, needs confirmation from Ecctis. German citizens are not on the list of exempt nationalities.
The fee for an application from outside the UK is 819 GBP for up to three years and 1,618 GBP for longer. From inside the UK it is 943 and 1,865 GBP. The fee page also names a savings requirement: 1,270 GBP must stay in your account for at least 28 days in a row.
How does health care work after moving from Germany to the UK?
Most visa applicants pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) in the online application. You can then use the NHS free of charge from the date your visa starts. While your application is pending, treatment can cost money. Prescriptions, dental treatment and eye tests are not free.
The IHS is 1,035 GBP a year. Students, their dependants, Youth Mobility holders and applicants under 18 pay 776 GBP a year. Registering with a GP in England is free, and the NHS says you need no ID, no proof of address and no proof of immigration status (page last checked 28 July 2025). For short stays, the EHIC and the replacement certificate are still accepted, but the Foreign Office advises travel health insurance and repatriation cover.
Do you need a National Insurance number?
If you work, yes. People who live in the UK, may work there, and either work or look for a job can apply. You apply only from inside the UK, and the application takes up to four weeks. Work can begin before the number arrives, if you can prove your right to work. If you already have a number, you do not need a new one.
How are tax and pensions handled?
The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April. For England in 2026/27, the first 12,570 GBP of income is tax-free. Then 20 per cent applies up to 50,270 GBP, 40 per cent up to 125,140 GBP and 45 per cent above that. Above 100,000 GBP, the tax-free amount falls by 1 GBP for every 2 GBP of extra income.
Your tax residence depends on tests. GOV.UK names 183 days as an automatic UK test, but it counts only if no automatic overseas test applies. With fewer than 16 days in the country, you are usually non-resident. People who live there for tax purposes normally pay tax on foreign income; others do not. Germany and the UK have a double taxation agreement in force since 30 December 2010, updated by protocols in 2015 and 2021.
The German Pension Insurance pays your German pension to the UK if you live there, through its liaison office. A pension you already receive continues after you move. Since 1 January 2021 the trade and cooperation agreement applies to new cases, and claims earned up to 31 December 2020 remain. The pension pages do not say whether a payment is reduced or whether a health insurance subsidy exists.
How do you rent a home in England?
Landlords in England must check the right to rent of every adult who lives in the home as a main residence. This includes British citizens. Children under 18 are not checked. Proof can be original documents, a share code from the online service, or a certified provider. Share codes for this check begin with R. Landlords keep the records for the tenancy plus at least one year.
If you buy a home in England or Northern Ireland as a non-resident, you usually pay a 2 per cent surcharge on stamp duty land tax. Non-resident means fewer than 183 days in the UK in the 12 months before. Exceptions exist.
How are qualifications recognised in the UK?
For regulated professions, a regulator in the UK decides, and the rules differ by part of the country. GOV.UK describes recognition of qualifications from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein with a cut-off date of 1 January 2021; earlier decisions stay valid. The UK list of regulated professions shows which jobs are regulated. For new cases the page gives no rule.
What you need to bring
The sources name these items, depending on your route:
- a valid passport and, for short stays, a valid ETA
- for the Skilled Worker visa: a certificate of sponsorship, proof of English at level B2 and the savings requirement of 1,270 GBP over 28 days
- proof of your right to work for the National Insurance number
- for renting: original documents, a share code from your eVisa account, or a certified provider
No official list exists in the sources for address registration or opening a bank account. Ask the responsible UK authority for the current list.
Where do you find more guides?
The site covers other destinations in its Countries overview. If you plan a later return, read Moving to Germany, how to register your address in Germany and health insurance when moving to Germany.
Which questions stay open?
Official statements are missing for cost of living, rent levels, deposits, address registration and bank accounts. The text does not guess these points.
Frequently asked questions
Can a German citizen live in the UK?
Yes, with a suitable visa. GOV.UK lists seven open work visas; the Skilled Worker visa needs a confirmed job offer before you apply.
Do German citizens need an ETA for the UK?
Yes, without a visa or residence permit. It is required since February 2026 and costs 20 GBP (Federal Foreign Office, 25 October 2026).
How much is the NHS health surcharge?
Most applicants pay 1,035 GBP a year. Students, Youth Mobility holders and under-18s pay 776 GBP (GOV.UK).
Can I travel to the UK with a German ID card?
No. The Federal Foreign Office names the ID card only for Gibraltar. You need a passport.
Is my German pension paid in the UK?
Yes, if you live there. The liaison office of the German Pension Insurance pays it, and an existing pension continues after the move.
How much income tax do I pay in England?
For 2026/27, 12,570 GBP is tax-free, then 20, 40 and 45 per cent (GOV.UK). Scotland has other rates.
Sources
- Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt), travel advice for the United Kingdom, 2026 (As of: 25.10.2026)
- GOV.UK, Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), 2026 (As of: no date shown on the page)
- GOV.UK, Skilled Worker visa, 2026 (As of: no date shown on the page)
- GOV.UK, Skilled Worker visa: how much it costs, 2026 (As of: no date shown on the page)
- GOV.UK, Skilled Worker visa: your job, 2026 (As of: no date shown on the page)
- GOV.UK, Skilled Worker visa: knowledge of English, 2026 (As of: no date shown on the page)
- GOV.UK, Work visas, 2026 (As of: no date shown on the page)
- GOV.UK, Healthcare surcharge: how much you pay, 2026 (As of: no date shown on the page)
- GOV.UK, Apply for a National Insurance number, 2026 (As of: no date shown on the page)
- GOV.UK, Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances, 2026 (As of: tax year 2026/27)
- GOV.UK, Tax on foreign income: residence, 2026 (As of: no date shown on the page)
- GOV.UK, Landlord's guide to Right to Rent checks, 2026 (As of: version of 1 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, Stamp Duty Land Tax: residential property rates, 2026 (As of: no date shown on the page)
- NHS, How to register with a GP surgery, 2025 (As of: last checked 28 July 2025)
- GOV.UK, Get your EU professional qualification recognised in the UK, 2026 (As of: no date shown on the page)
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung, United Kingdom liaison office (German page), 2026 (As of: © 2026, no date shown)
General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the linked official pages before you act.
Author: Vathanakone Prakosay · Updated on October 25, 2026
