Complete week-by-week preparation guide for managing your student loan before moving abroad
Moving abroad with a UK student loan requires systematic preparation. This 90-day checklist breaks down everything you need to do before departure, organized by week to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Follow this timeline to transition smoothly from UK PAYE to overseas repayment, avoid penalties, and set yourself up for compliance success.
The three-month window isn't arbitrary—it's the minimum time needed to properly notify Student Loans Company, complete final UK tax obligations, set up international payment systems, gather documentation, and understand your new repayment obligations. Rushing these steps or leaving them until the last minute creates problems that can haunt you for years.
This guide assumes you're moving abroad permanently or for an extended period (more than 3 months). If your departure is less than 90 days away, focus immediately on the high-priority items flagged throughout this checklist. The weeks are guidelines—adjust based on your actual timeline while ensuring all critical tasks are completed before you board that plane.
Three months provides the minimum time to handle both the bureaucratic requirements and the practical preparations needed for a successful transition. Here's what needs to happen:
Common problems from inadequate preparation:
The first month focuses on understanding your obligations, researching your destination country, and beginning the notification process.
□ Log into SLC Account and Review Current Position
Access your Student Finance England account online. Note your Customer Reference Number, current outstanding balance, recent repayment history, and current repayment plan. Download and save your latest annual statement.
□ Research Destination Country Repayment Threshold
Visit SLC's overseas repayment page. Find your destination country's income threshold for your loan plan. Note: thresholds vary dramatically—Australia's threshold is different from USA's. Calculate approximate monthly repayments based on your expected overseas salary.
□ Understand Tax Implications
Research UK-destination country tax treaty. Determine if there's a double taxation agreement. Understand when you become non-UK tax resident (usually when you leave, but split-year treatment may apply).
□ Create Emigration Document Folder
Set up both physical and digital folders. Label sections: SLC Correspondence, Tax Documents, Employment Records, Banking, Insurance. This becomes your master file for all emigration-related documents.
□ Notify Student Loans Company of Planned Departure
Use online form, phone (0300 100 0611), or post. Provide departure date, destination country, expected duration, and contact details. Request acknowledgment and overseas customer reference number. This is your MOST CRITICAL TASK.
□ Request Current Loan Statement
Ask SLC for a detailed statement showing: outstanding balance, interest rate, repayment history for past 12 months, and projected balance at departure date. You'll need this for your records and potentially for overseas mortgage applications.
□ Review Employment Contract for International Implications
If transferring with current employer, confirm continued employment terms. If new employer, review contract for: salary currency, payment method, benefits, tax withholding arrangements. Understand whether you'll be on UK or local payroll.
□ Confirm SLC Notification Received
Check online account for overseas status update. You should receive acknowledgment letter within 10 days of notification. If not received, call SLC to confirm. Save all confirmation emails and letters.
□ Research International Payment Methods
Investigate options: bank wire transfers, Wise (formerly TransferWise), PayPal international, online banking international payments. Compare fees—they vary dramatically. Some charge flat fees, others percentage-based.
□ Calculate Expected Overseas Repayment Amount
Using destination country threshold and your expected salary, calculate monthly repayment. Factor in: 9% above threshold for Plan 2, different rate for Plan 1/4/5. Budget this into your overseas cost of living calculations.
□ Notify Current Employer of Departure
Formal notice period begins. Confirm: final working day, final salary payment date, how P45 will be provided. Ask HR to ensure student loan PAYE code is removed from your final payslip to prevent continued deductions.
□ Gather Historical Loan Documents
Download all available annual statements, repayment history, and correspondence from SLC online portal. Some documents are only available online for 7 years—save everything now before losing access.
□ Set Up Email Forwarding or New Email Address
If using work email for SLC correspondence, set up personal email and update SLC records. Ensure you'll have permanent email access after leaving UK employment. Update SLC with new contact email.
The second month involves setting up systems, completing paperwork, and making critical administrative arrangements.
□ Receive and Review Overseas Income Assessment Form
SLC sends this approximately 6 weeks after notification. Read carefully. Understand what income evidence is required, submission deadline (usually 30 days), and how to complete it. Don't submit yet—you won't have overseas income to declare until you've started work abroad.
□ Arrange UK Correspondence Address
Designate family member or friend's address for mail forwarding, or use mail forwarding service. Some SLC correspondence still arrives by post. Ensure someone can scan and email important documents to you abroad.
□ Register for Personal Tax Account with HMRC
If not already registered, set up Government Gateway account. You'll need this for final tax return and to check tax position. Verify your tax records show correct employment history and loan repayment deductions.
□ Open International Transfer Account
Set up Wise, OFX, or similar service for cost-effective international payments. Verify your identity now (takes 3-5 days). Test with small transfer to ensure it works. Save SLC's UK bank details in your account for easy future payments.
□ Request P60 from Employer
If leaving mid-tax year, request Year-to-Date P60 or detailed payslip breakdown. You need: total gross pay this tax year, total tax paid, total student loan repayments deducted. Critical for final tax return.
□ Verify National Insurance Record
Check your NI contribution history is correct. Moving abroad pauses UK NI contributions. If planning to return, consider voluntary contributions to protect state pension. Record your NI number securely—you'll need it for all SLC correspondence.
□ Calculate Partial-Year UK Income for Tax Return
Determine your UK income from April 6 (tax year start) to departure date. Calculate tax paid, student loan repayments made via PAYE. You'll declare this on your final UK Self Assessment if required, or it's automatically processed via PAYE if not self-employed.
□ Understand Split-Year Treatment
Research HMRC's split-year rules. If you leave UK part-way through tax year, you may qualify for split-year treatment, making you non-resident from departure date. This affects tax obligations and potentially student loan repayment calculations for that year.
□ Organize Digital Copies of All Documents
Scan or download: passport, birth certificate, degree certificates, SLC statements, P45/P60, rental agreements, bank statements. Store in secure cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) accessible from abroad. You'll need these for visa applications, overseas banking, and income verification.
□ Set Up Automatic Reminders for SLC Deadlines
Create calendar reminders: Annual income assessment deadline (usually 30 days from receipt), annual repayment due date, deadline to notify SLC of any changes. Missing these triggers penalties and estimated assessments.
□ Research Destination Country Banking Requirements
Understand what you need to open local bank account: proof of address, employment letter, visa documents. Some countries require significant documentation. Plan to open account in first month abroad to facilitate local salary receipt and international transfers to UK.
□ Create Student Loan Information Sheet
One-page summary: Customer Reference Number, overseas reference number, SLC contact details, current balance, repayment plan, destination country threshold, calculated monthly repayment. Keep digital and printed copies easily accessible. This becomes your quick reference guide abroad.
The final month focuses on completing UK obligations, confirming all systems are in place, and handling last-minute details.
□ Receive P45 from Employer
On your final day or shortly after, employer issues P45. This shows: final gross pay, tax paid, student loan repayments, leaving date, tax code. Check all figures match your expectations. Query immediately if discrepancies. CRITICAL DOCUMENT—you need this for final tax calculations.
□ Verify PAYE Loan Deductions Have Stopped
Check final payslip shows no student loan deduction (PAYE code should be removed once SLC confirmed your overseas status). If deduction appears, contact employer immediately and ask them to process refund or contact SLC.
□ Close or Downgrade UK Bank Accounts
Keep at least one UK account open for receiving refunds from HMRC/SLC and making payments back to SLC if needed. Switch to account with no monthly fees. Update SLC with bank details if you're expecting any refunds for post-departure PAYE deductions.
□ Update SLC with Final UK Address and Overseas Address
If you now have confirmed overseas address (rental agreement signed, accommodation arranged), update SLC online or by phone. Provide: full overseas address, move-in date, contact phone number with international code. This ensures correspondence reaches you.
□ Determine If Self Assessment Required
If you earned over £100,000 in UK, had self-employment income, rental income, or complex tax affairs this year, you must complete Self Assessment tax return for the tax year you left. Deadline: 31 January following the tax year. Register now if required.
□ Test International Payment System
Make a test transfer from your UK bank to your international transfer service (Wise, etc.), then to SLC. Verify: transfer goes through successfully, fees are as expected, timing is acceptable (same-day vs. 3-day), and you can track the payment. Better to discover problems now than when your first real payment is due.
□ Create Physical Document Pack to Take Abroad
Print and organize: SLC statements, overseas notification confirmation, Customer Reference numbers, P45, P60, degree certificates, rental agreements. Keep in hand luggage—you may need these for visa entry, banking applications, or employer verification immediately upon arrival.
□ Inform HMRC of Departure
Use HMRC's "Tell HMRC about a change" service online. Declare: date leaving UK, destination country, reason for leaving (work, study, emigration). This helps establish your non-resident status and prevents incorrect tax coding.
□ Review and Finalize Budget Including Loan Repayments
Your overseas budget should include: monthly student loan repayment (calculated from destination threshold), international transfer fees (budget £10-30/month), emergency fund for arrears or assessment disputes. Don't arrive abroad without budgeting for loan obligations.
Your departure week focuses on final confirmations, backup preparations, and ensuring nothing is forgotten.
Confirm SLC has correct overseas address and contact details — Log in online or call to verify. Wrong address means missed correspondence and potential penalties.
Download and save all accessible SLC documents — Annual statements, correspondence, payment history. After moving, online access can be temporarily disrupted.
Note SLC overseas team direct phone number — +44 141 243 3660. Save in phone contacts. You'll need this when calling from abroad with questions.
Set up VPN access if using geo-restricted banking — Some UK banking services restrict overseas access. VPN ensures you can access UK accounts from abroad for making SLC payments.
Inform correspondence address holder of their responsibilities — Ensure family member/friend knows to forward SLC mail promptly. They should scan and email critical documents rather than waiting for postal forwarding.
Create emergency contact sheet — List: SLC overseas team number, HMRC contact, UK bank customer service (international numbers), correspondence address holder, accountant if using one. Keep digitally and in phone.
Take screenshots of online SLC account — Capture: current balance, repayment history, overseas status confirmation, threshold information for destination country. Useful if online access is temporarily unavailable abroad.
Before you board, you should have:
Your first 30 days abroad are critical for establishing your new repayment routine and confirming all systems work as planned.
Confirm arrival with SLC — Email or call SLC to confirm you've arrived, provide final overseas address if it changed, verify they have correct contact details.
Open local bank account — Essential for receiving salary and making international transfers. Some banks take 2-3 weeks to issue cards and activate accounts.
Set up mail forwarding monitoring — Contact your correspondence address holder to confirm any SLC mail has arrived or is being forwarded.
Start employment and note start date — Record exact employment start date—this determines when your repayment obligation begins for income assessment purposes.
Receive first payslip — Verify salary matches contract, understand local tax deductions, calculate your UK student loan repayment based on actual take-home versus gross.
Link local bank to international transfer service — Add your new overseas bank account to Wise/OFX. Test transfer from overseas account to UK account to verify end-to-end payment flow.
Complete and return overseas income assessment form — Now that you're employed, you can accurately complete the form. Declare: employment start date, employer details, annual salary (gross), attach first payslip as evidence. Return within deadline (usually 30 days from receipt).
Receive first repayment calculation from SLC — SLC processes your income assessment and sends repayment schedule. Verify: calculation matches your expectation, payment amounts are correct based on destination threshold, payment due dates are clear.
Make first overseas repayment — Execute first payment using your international transfer system. Keep confirmation and track until SLC confirms receipt. This tests your entire repayment infrastructure.
First Month Priority: The goal is establishing a working repayment routine. By end of month one, you should have: completed income assessment, received repayment schedule, made first payment successfully, and confirmed SLC received it. Any problems that emerge now can be addressed while you're still settling in, not later when they've snowballed into arrears.
Learning from others' errors helps you avoid costly mistakes. Here are the most frequent problems people encounter:
Why it's wrong: You must notify before or immediately upon departure. Delaying triggers penalties and backdated repayment demands.
✓ Do instead: Notify SLC 2-4 weeks before departure during your planning phase.
Why it's wrong: You must return the form even if unemployed, declaring zero income. Not returning it triggers estimated assessment and penalties.
✓ Do instead: Complete form declaring zero income with explanation. SLC won't charge repayments but needs confirmation.
Why it's wrong: SLC has no visibility into foreign employment. You must proactively declare income.
✓ Do instead: Update SLC within 30 days of starting employment abroad with employer details and salary.
Why it's wrong: Overseas residents use destination country thresholds, not UK thresholds. These are often higher but can be lower.
✓ Do instead: Research and use correct threshold for your destination country from SLC's overseas threshold table.
Why it's wrong: Irregular payments create compliance issues and don't reduce total amount owed. SLC expects regular payments.
✓ Do instead: Use low-fee services like Wise. Budget £10-20/month for transfer fees. Regular small payments are better than irregular large ones.
Why it's wrong: You need immediate access to Customer Reference Number, statements, and correspondence abroad. Can't wait for postal forwarding in emergencies.
✓ Do instead: Keep digital copies in cloud storage and take summary sheet with key information in hand luggage.
Why it's wrong: Foreign employers have no obligation or system to deduct UK student loan repayments. You're responsible for direct payment.
✓ Do instead: Understand you're now responsible for calculating and making repayments yourself directly to SLC.
Why it's wrong: Different countries have different thresholds. Moving from Australia to Singapore requires new notification and threshold recalculation.
✓ Do instead: Notify SLC within 30 days of moving to a new country, even if moving between overseas locations.
While this checklist applies universally, certain destinations require additional preparation:
This 90-day checklist ensures you transition smoothly from UK PAYE to overseas repayment, avoid penalties, and maintain compliance from day one. Print it, work through it systematically, and tick off each task as you complete it.
Remember: every hour spent preparing saves days of stress dealing with problems abroad. Follow this timeline, and you'll move with confidence knowing your student loan obligations are properly managed.
UK Education Policy Specialist
With over 15 years of experience in UK education policy and student finance, Dr. Sharma founded Student Loan Calculator UK to help students navigate the complex world of student loans.