The Fernshore Index
The factors retirees look at first.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Retirement
15 of 100Weak
Weak. The retired person of independent means route is closed to new applicants (GOV.UK, update of 13 June 2019) and its guidance was withdrawn on 9 November 2022 without replacement. GOV.UK's visa topics name no retirement or passive-income route.
Source: Extend your stay as a retired person of independent means; Browse: visas and immigration. Checked 16 October 2026.
Healthcare
92 of 100Strong
WHO UHC service coverage index 88 (2023). Expat Insider 2026 ranks the United Kingdom last of 31 for the quality of medical care, which this index does not measure.
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 16 October 2026.
Cost of living
14 of 100Weak
Price level 0.892 of United States prices (2025), over the 0.75 line.
Source: Price level index (GDP), United Kingdom. Checked 16 October 2026.
Safety
61 of 100Mixed
Global Peace Index 2026: 39th of 163 (score 1.730).
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 16 October 2026.
Community
51 of 100Mixed
Expat Insider 2026: 21st of 31 for Ease of Settling In (22nd for Local Friendliness).
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In. Checked 16 October 2026.
Climate
33 of 100Weak
Heathrow (Met Office, 1991-2020): 5 comfortable months a year (May 18.37 C, June 21.57, July 23.89, August 23.40, September 20.22). April (15.00 C) and October (15.81 C) are under the 18 C line; no month is over 30 C and rain is under 150 mm in every month (the wettest, November, is 66.6 mm).
Source: Heathrow 1991-2020 averages. Checked 16 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
Unknown
Research for US passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
Unknown
Research for Canadian passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
Unknown
Research for Australian passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
Unknown
Research for New Zealand passports is being checked
The country
The rest of the research on United Kingdom.
The country page grades every factor, with its sources.
United KingdomQuestions from retirees about United Kingdom.
Is there a retirement visa for the United Kingdom?
No. The retired person of independent means route is closed to new applicants (update of 13 June 2019) and its guidance was withdrawn in 2022. GOV.UK's visa topics name no retirement or passive-income route. A visit of up to 6 months needs a £20 ETA for US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passports.
How does healthcare work for a retiree in the United Kingdom?
Most long-stay visa holders pay an immigration health surcharge (usually £1,035 a year) and can then use the NHS free from the visa start date, except prescriptions, dental treatment and eye tests. The English prescription charge is £9.90 an item. A visitor pays at the point of use unless a service is free.
How strong is healthcare in the United Kingdom on the numbers?
The WHO service coverage index is 88 of 100 (2023); it measures coverage, not waiting times or whether care is there when needed. Expat Insider 2026, a private survey of expats, ranks the UK 31st of 31 for quality of medical care. The two measures differ, so check what matters to you.
What would everyday costs be for a retiree in the United Kingdom?
ONS average private rent in August 2026 was £1,013 in Scotland, £1,459 in England and £2,332 in London, all sizes; the UK average for a one-bedroom was £1,136. A TV Licence is £180. Council tax, utilities and food prices are unknown here, not zero.
How safe is the United Kingdom, and how easily do expats settle in?
The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks the UK 39th of 163, down 7 places on the year; it measures peacefulness, not crime where you would live. Expat Insider 2026, a private survey of expats, ranks the UK 21st of 31 for Ease of Settling In and 28th for Quality of Life.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [R1] Extend your stay as a retired person of independent means, UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026. 'This category is closed for new applicants' (update of 13 June 2019). The publication was withdrawn on 9 November 2022: 'This guidance is no longer in use and has not been replaced.' It applied only to people who already held permission as a retired person of independent means.
- [R2] Browse: visas and immigration, UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK. Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026. The topics are: Visit the UK, Work in the UK, Study in the UK, Family in the UK, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, Ukrainians and their families, Commonwealth citizens and British nationals (overseas), Live permanently in the UK, seek protection or asylum, appeals and travelling to the UK. None names a retirement or independent means route.
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 16 October 2026. United Kingdom: 88 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO Global Health Observatory data service (indicator UHC_INDEX_REPORTED, spatial code GBR) on 16 October 2026; 88 also in 2020 and 2022, 87 in 2019. The index measures service coverage, not waiting times or whether care is available when needed.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), United Kingdom, World Bank. Checked 16 October 2026. 2025: 89.16 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 16 October 2026; 84.89 in 2024.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 16 October 2026. The United Kingdom ranks 39th of 163 countries, score 1.730 (the ranking table in the report PDF, read on 16 October 2026). The report says the UK fell 7 places on the 2026 index, driven by the Ongoing Conflict domain.
- [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 16 October 2026. The UK is 21st of 31 destinations in the Ease of Settling In index (22nd for Local Friendliness, 21st for Culture & Welcome, 21st for Finding Friends). The rank is read from the full-ranking image on the page (Expat-Insider-2026_Ease-of-Settling.png) on 16 October 2026; the page text names only the top 10 and bottom 10. A private survey of expats; 31 destinations met the 50-respondent minimum.
- [W1] Heathrow 1991-2020 averages, Met Office (UK national meteorological service). Checked 16 October 2026. Read on 16 October 2026 (the Met Office's location-specific long-term averages page for the station, period 1991-2020). Mean daily maximum (C): Jan 8.42, Feb 8.98, Mar 11.73, Apr 15.00, May 18.37, Jun 21.57, Jul 23.89, Aug 23.40, Sep 20.22, Oct 15.81, Nov 11.47, Dec 8.79. Monthly rainfall 38.8 to 66.6 mm, under 150 mm in every month. Heathrow is the Met Office climate station taken for London; it is about 22 km west of the centre. Kew Gardens, the other London station the Met Office publishes, also has 5 comfortable months (May 18.39, Jun 21.43, Jul 23.78, Aug 23.37, Sep 20.29). The table gives maximum and minimum temperature but not mean temperature; the midpoint of the two puts the warmest month (Jul, 19.0 C) 13.5 C above the coolest (Jan, 5.5 C). That meets the 12 C test for 'seasons'.