Pension Transfer Advisor Dubai | UK Pension Advice for Expats | IFA Private Office

UK pension transfer advice for British expats in Dubai. QROPS, SIPP and defined benefit reviews from an independent, UK-qualified pension transfer adviser.

Pension Transfer Advisor Dubai

UK pension transfer advice for British expats in Dubai

If you are a British expat living in Dubai with a UK pension, you will at some point be approached by an adviser recommending a pension transfer. In most cases that recommendation will be driven by commission rather than by your interests.

IFA Private Office provides independent pension transfer guidance for British expats in Dubai. We are not paid by commission. We do not place clients into products that generate fees for us. We provide advice that reflects your actual situation.

The pension transfer landscape in Dubai

The Dubai financial advisory market has for decades been dominated by firms whose business model depends on offshore product sales. QROPS transfers into expensive offshore bonds, poorly structured SIPPs, and investment portfolios built around adviser remuneration rather than client outcomes have resulted in documented and substantial losses to British expat pension wealth.

This does not mean pension transfers are always wrong. It means they require genuinely independent advice from someone who has no financial interest in the outcome.

Your UK pension options as a British expat in Dubai

Leave it where it is. For most defined contribution pensions and many defined benefit pensions, leaving the pension in the UK scheme is the right default position. The pension grows, retains its protections, and can be accessed from age 55 (rising to 57 in 2028) regardless of where you are living.

Transfer to a SIPP. A Self-Invested Personal Pension can offer greater investment flexibility than a workplace scheme and may be appropriate in specific circumstances. The decision should be based on your personal situation, not on a commission schedule.

Transfer to a QROPS. A Qualifying Overseas Pension Scheme can be appropriate for expats who do not intend to return to the UK, who have specific tax or residency requirements, or whose existing schemes face particular issues. QROPS is rarely the right answer and should never be recommended on the basis of commission-driven incentives.

Defined benefit pensions. Final salary schemes are among the most valuable financial assets a British expat is likely to hold. UK regulation requires that any transfer from a defined benefit scheme worth £30,000 or more must be advised by a UK-authorised pension transfer specialist. The default position is to leave the scheme intact.

The April 2027 pension inheritance tax change

From April 2027, unspent pension wealth will be included in your estate for UK inheritance tax purposes. If you are UK domiciled, this change could significantly increase your estate's inheritance tax exposure. For British expats in Dubai with substantial pension wealth, this is one of the most important financial planning issues to address before the change takes effect.

How we work

All advice is delivered by video or telephone. We coordinate regulated execution with appropriately authorised UK pension transfer specialists where required.

The first conversation is free.

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