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Why It MattersThe UK remains one of the world’s leading centers for wealth creation, financial services, education, and international connectivity. These strengths continue to support its position within the Global Wealth Mobility Framework (GWMF). However, recent policy changes have altered its competitiveness for internationally mobile wealth. The abolition of the non-dom regime, expanded inheritance tax exposure, higher capital gains taxation, and broader fiscal and policy uncertainty have reduced its attractiveness for globally mobile individuals and families with international assets and income streams.
The UK performs strongly across dimensions such as institutional quality, financial sophistication, global connectivity, education, and lifestyle on the GWMF. However, its competitiveness has weakened in areas relating to fiscal attractiveness, long-term wealth planning, and policy predictability. The framework therefore identifies a growing tension between the UK’s enduring structural strengths and an increasingly challenging tax environment for internationally mobile wealth.
Early evidence suggests policy changes are influencing relocation decisions among some high-net-worth individuals, with residence program hosting jurisdictions such as Italy, Switzerland, and the UAE increasingly appearing as alternative destinations for those seeking greater fiscal certainty.
Henley & Partners’ own enquiry and application trends broadly reinforce the pressures identified in the GWMF. The UK has historically been a major center for globally mobile wealth, attracting large numbers of foreign entrepreneurs, investors, and internationally connected families. However, recent years have seen growing evidence of diversification and relocation planning among this community, particularly following Brexit, the pandemic, and more recent changes to the UK’s tax and policy environment.
The data highlights both developments. In the first five months of 2026, non-UK nationals accounted for 53% of applications originating from a UK address, up from 44% in 2025, suggesting continued mobility planning among internationally mobile residents based in the UK. At the same time, UK citizens have become one of Henley & Partners’ largest client groups globally, ranking 4th overall in both 2024 and 2025. Notably, by the end of May 2026, 36% of applications from UK nationals originated from individuals already living outside the UK, while enquiries from UK-based British citizens seeking international residence and citizenship options have remained elevated since Brexit and the pandemic.
Taken together, these trends suggest that the UK’s wealth mobility story is no longer confined to internationally mobile foreign residents. Increasingly, both expatriate communities and British nationals themselves are seeking greater optionality, international access, and long-term diversification in response to a changing policy and economic landscape.
Key InsightMajor tax reforms in globally connected economies can materially influence wealth mobility behavior, even where broader institutional and economic fundamentals remain strong.
As the global leader in residence and citizenship planning, Henley & Partners is best placed to advise you and your family. Contact us for a free consultation.
