UK Investment Platforms for Non-Residents: SIPP and ISA Rules
The five UK platforms we checked all let you keep your SIPP and ISA after you move abroad, but four of them stop you adding money, and four pay withdrawals only into a UK bank account. The rules differ by platform, and they are buried in help pages and terms documents. We read the published policies of five platforms (Hargreaves Lansdown, AJ Bell, interactive investor, Fidelity and Vanguard) as they stood in October 2026. This post sets them side by side, explains the HMRC rules that sit underneath, and lists the questions to put to your platform before you move to Singapore, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok.
Key Takeaways
- You can usually keep a UK SIPP and ISA as a non-resident, but most platforms we checked block new money, and AJ Bell, interactive investor, Fidelity and Vanguard pay withdrawals only into a UK bank account.
- Fidelity sells US shares within 30 days if you move outside the UK.
- HMRC lets you keep an ISA open and free of UK tax after you leave, but you cannot pay into it while non-resident.
- HMRC allows tax relief on SIPP payments for up to five tax years after the year you leave, capped at £3,600 gross a year without UK earnings. Whether your platform accepts those payments is a separate question.
What Does HMRC Allow After You Leave the UK?
HMRC lets you keep a UK ISA and a UK pension after you become non-resident. It stops new ISA payments and limits pension tax relief to five tax years after you leave. These rules apply at every platform.
What Happens to Your ISA?
GOV.UK is direct: once you are non-UK resident “you cannot put money into it (unless you’re a Crown employee working overseas or their spouse or civil partner).” You can keep it open, and you “still get UK tax relief on money and investments held in it.” You can also transfer it to another provider while non-resident, and pay in again if you return to the UK. Finding a provider that accepts the transfer is harder: AJ Bell says “non-UK residents generally cannot transfer ISAs to us.”
You must tell your ISA provider “as soon as you stop being a UK resident.” Read the GOV.UK guidance on ISAs when you move abroad for the full wording. We cover what to do with the ISA itself in our guide to your UK ISA after moving to Malaysia.
What Happens to SIPP Tax Relief?
You can get UK tax relief on pension contributions if you were UK resident at some time in the five tax years before the year you pay, and UK resident when you joined the scheme. The rule is in section 189 of the Finance Act 2004 and HMRC’s Pensions Tax Manual at PTM044100.
The amount is the limit most expats miss. Relief applies up to the greater of £3,600 gross or your relevant UK earnings. HMRC says “a pension is not classed as earnings”, so if you have no UK salary, you top out at £3,600 gross a year. You pay £2,880 and the provider claims the other £720.
Which UK Platforms Let Non-Residents Keep Their Accounts?
All five platforms we checked let you keep existing investments after you move abroad, but each one restricts something. The table summarises the published position in October 2026.
| Platform | Keep existing SIPP and ISA? | Add money after moving outside the EEA? | Withdrawals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hargreaves Lansdown | Yes, and you can still trade | No, unless you are a Crown employee | Not stated on its moving-abroad page |
| AJ Bell | Yes, but it may require you to close a SIPP or Dealing Account | SIPP: “in most instances” for five tax years. ISA: no | Sterling, to a nominated UK bank account |
| interactive investor | Yes, with a £5 a month non-resident charge | ISA: no. SIPP: not stated | SIPP: UK bank account only |
| Fidelity | Restricted, and US shares sold within 30 days | SIPP: no, unless a Crown servant | UK bank account or cheque only |
| Vanguard | Yes, account restricted or suspended | No | UK bank account needed, including for the pension |
The EEA is the European Union plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Singapore, the UAE, Malaysia and Thailand all sit outside it.
What Does Each Platform’s Policy Actually Say?
Each platform words its policy differently, and the differences decide whether you can top up a pension, trade freely or get money to an Asian bank account. These quotes come from each platform’s own pages and terms.
Hargreaves Lansdown and interactive investor
Hargreaves Lansdown says “There are no restrictions on using your HL account anywhere in the world.” Adding money is a different matter. You can keep paying in “as long as you can prove you’re still living within the European Economic Area”. Outside it, “You will not be able to keep adding money to your accounts… unless you are a crown employee.” The page gives no exception for a SIPP. You also cannot open new accounts or transfer accounts in once you live outside the EEA.
interactive investor lets you keep and switch ISAs you already hold, but “You can’t contribute to them anymore.” Its charges sheet, updated 1 October 2026, adds a fee for “Non-UK residents” of “£5 per month”. Its SIPP terms require you to notify ii if you stop being UK resident, without saying what happens next.
AJ Bell
AJ Bell’s terms are the most generous on pensions, and also the least consistent. Clause 24.9 says “In most instances, you can continue to make Payments to your SIPP… for five tax years after the tax year in which you… cease to be a UK resident.” Clause 1.5 says SIPP, Ready-made pension and Dealing Account holders “must be a UK resident for tax purposes at the time of submitting the Application and at all times while the Account is open.” Clause 1.6 adds that if you no longer meet those conditions, “we may require that you close your Account.”
On the Dealing Account, AJ Bell “may close your Account but would normally only do so if your new country of residence means we have to provide any additional services”. ISA payments stop while you are non-resident, but AJ Bell says it will keep the ISA open.
Fidelity and Vanguard
Fidelity’s August 2026 terms say it “may have to place restrictions on your account to comply with regulations. This may include selling your investments or informing foreign authorities about your investments, if we are required to do so.” Proceeds can go only “into a UK bank account or by cheque”. To contribute to the Fidelity SIPP you must be “resident for tax in the UK”, with an exception for Crown servants. Fidelity’s US shares rule is stricter: if you move outside the UK, your W-8BEN form becomes invalid and “we will sell the holdings within 30 days”, with a foreign exchange charge and a dealing fee.
Vanguard says “In most circumstances you would be able to leave your funds invested.” For an ISA or General Account, it suspends the account: “you can keep your funds, but you cannot make any deposits, buys or switches.” For the Personal Pension, “You would not be able to pay into your Personal Pension.”
Why Does a UK Bank Account Matter So Much?
If your platform pays out only to a UK bank account, losing that account can trap your money in the wrapper. Four of the five platforms we checked set this rule. AJ Bell requires “a nominated UK bank account in your name”. interactive investor says of SIPP payments, “We will not make any payments to overseas bank accounts.” Fidelity and Vanguard set the same condition.
Take a British IT director who moves to Singapore in 2026 and closes her UK current account a year later. Her Vanguard ISA is suspended. She can still sell, but only if she has a nominated UK bank account to receive the cash. Without one, the money stays put until she opens one or transfers the ISA to a provider that serves overseas residents.
Keeping a UK account open from abroad is its own challenge. Our guide to offshore bank accounts for expats covers the options. A multi-currency account can then move the money on to Singapore dollars or ringgit.
What Should You Ask Your Platform Before You Move?
Ask your platform five questions in writing, and keep the answers. Terms change, and the help page you read today may differ from the contract you signed.
- Can I keep each account (SIPP, ISA, general account) open when I move to my new country?
- Can I still pay into the SIPP, and for how many tax years?
- Can I buy, sell and switch funds, or only sell?
- Where can you pay withdrawals: a UK bank account only, or an overseas account?
- What extra charges apply to non-UK residents?
Then check the answers against your plans. A Dubai-based engineer who wants to keep topping up a SIPP for five years needs a platform that accepts the payments. A retiree drawing income in Penang needs a payout route that works without a UK bank account.
Moving to an international platform is one option. Compare the funds, the costs and the local tax position before you switch, and weigh them against what you keep by staying put. Our guide to portable retirement planning for globally mobile expats sets out how to think about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my Hargreaves Lansdown account if I move to Dubai?
Yes. HL says there are no restrictions on using your account anywhere in the world, and you can still trade. Outside the EEA you cannot keep adding money, open new accounts or transfer accounts in, unless you are a Crown employee. Dubai is outside the EEA. Policy as published in October 2026.
Can I still pay into my SIPP after I leave the UK?
HMRC gives tax relief for up to five tax years after the year you leave, if you joined the scheme while UK resident. Without UK earnings, relief stops at £3,600 gross a year. Your platform must also accept the payment. AJ Bell says it does “in most instances”. Fidelity and Vanguard say you cannot, and HL stops new money outside the EEA.
Can I keep my ISA if I move to Singapore?
Yes. GOV.UK says you can keep your ISA open and keep its UK tax relief, but you cannot pay in while non-resident. You can transfer it between providers. Tell your provider when you leave. Our UK ISA guide for expats covers what to do with new savings.
Will my UK platform close my account if I move to Malaysia?
AJ Bell’s terms say it may require you to close a SIPP or Dealing Account once you stop being UK resident. HL, Fidelity and Vanguard describe restrictions instead, and Fidelity sells US shares within 30 days of a move abroad. interactive investor adds a £5 monthly charge. None of the pages we read names Malaysia.
Can I get withdrawals paid into a Singapore or UAE bank account?
Not from most of the platforms we checked. AJ Bell, Fidelity and Vanguard pay only into a UK bank account, and interactive investor will not pay SIPP money overseas. Ask your platform in writing before you close your UK account. Our offshore banking guide covers keeping one open.
Does it matter which country I move to?
For HL, yes: the line is drawn at the European Economic Area. Singapore, the UAE, Malaysia and Thailand all sit outside it. The other four platforms apply one non-resident policy, and none of the pages we read names these four countries.
Related Reading
- UK inheritance tax on pensions from April 2027 for expats abroad
- UK pension options for expats in the Philippines: QROPS and SIPP
- How Irish-domiciled UCITS compare with US ETFs for expats in Southeast Asia
- A practical guide to wealth management for expats in Malaysia
If your platform has started restricting your account, the next step is a plan for where the money sits and how you draw it. We can talk through the options with you, alongside any UK-regulated advice you need.
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This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial, investment, or tax advice. By reading this post, you agree to our disclaimer.