The request to change residence to the United Kingdom (ToR1)

Application for residence relocation. Form to request transfer of residence when moving or returning to the UK.

If you are planning to move to the United Kingdom, it is important to obtain a reference number for the transfer of residence to the United Kingdom in advance. It is called URN (Unique Reference Number) and they are granted from customs after verifying that the things that are entering the country are personal effects and therefore exempt from taxes and customs fees.
Please note that your URN only covers imports that arrive in the UK within 12 months. However, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, your URN will be extended for another 3 months.

In order to pass your move through customs without delay and complications, you must hand over your URN to the transport company of your choice, so that they can make an import declaration on your behalf.

Below, we explain in details how to use the form to request Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief when moving or returning to the UK. When sending the request, you should receive a response and an example we attach below.

You can view or print an example of this document following the Tor link.

We would just like to give some tips on that. Once you start filling in the questionnaire boxes, you must continue to the end without long pauses. Otherwise, the page expires, and the message appears that "You have been disconnected" and you must start the whole process from scratch.

❶ We start where it is written "Make a new request or modify an approved request", giving the green button "Start now" (follow the link https://www.gov.uk/guidance/application-for-transfer-of-residence-relief-tor1 to enter the corresponding page of the UK government).

❷ You will be sent a code to the provided email address just to confirm it. They will also send a confirmation to the address when this application is complete, and to contact you in the future.

❸ On the next screen, you will be asked to enter the code that was sent to your email.

❹ Email confirmation. You can now proceed to the Request Residence Tax Relief Transfer form. Your form will be saved with this email address and can be accessed again by verifying the email address. To continue you must click the green button "Save and continue".

❺ What do you want to do? You can choose between "Apply for residence transfer tax relief" and "Make additions to an already approved application." If you are using this form for the first time, you must choose the first option and click the green button "Save and continue".

❻ Here you are asked if you are an agent acting on behalf of a client? Choose the option "No" and click the green button "Save and continue".

❼ You are asked what you plan to do on the territory of the United Kingdom. Among six options you must choose one and click the green button "Save and continue".

❽ Enter your full name (as it appears on your passport) and the date of your birth in the appropriate boxes. To continue, press the green button "Save and continue".

❾ Then press the "Select file" button to upload a file with a copy of your passport page with the photo. Then press the green "Save and continue" button to continue with the Form.

❿ If you do not want to provide (just in case) a second email address for customs notifications, check the second option and then click on the green button "Save and continue".

⓫ Enter your full phone number (with area code) in the box. The visa customs office that you will only use if they need to contact you about this application.

⓬ In this step you are asked whether you intend to live in the UK for 12 consecutive months from the day you moved. They also inform that the time you have been out of the UK on vacation does not count.

⓭ Here they ask you if you have lived outside the UK for 12 consecutive months. If yes, please enter the date you moved to the UK. If the answer is no, please enter the date you expect to move to the UK.

⓮ They ask if you already live in the UK (at the time of submitting this application).

⓯ Enter in the boxes your country of residence and current address.

⓰ You must justify your current address outside the UK. You can do this by uploading files, for example of a utility bill in the last 3 months, or a mortgage or rental agreement in your name.

Then, in the same way, you must answer some more very specific questions, which depend on your current situation or your plans. It is very easy, so we do not see it necessary to continue with the explanation.

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