Moving to UK for permanent residence with your family and pet

Martha and I recently got married. We are both young, work for the same company, and have promising career prospects. When we received a good job offer in the UK, we didn't hesitate. We were going to launch a branch of the company and set up all the business processes. But we didn't want to part with our beloved setter, Charlie.

Andrew, 27 years old

IT specialist from South Africa

Clients’ names and photos have been changed

Andrew and Martha are young, talented and promising employees of a large IT company. They were born, live and work in South Africa. The couple recently got married and their income is above the national average, so they can afford a fairly high standard of living. They have their own spacious and well-appointed flat, travel a lot, save money in a bank deposit account and buy high-quality food.

However, their current income did not allow them to realise their long-held dream of moving to the United Kingdom. This would mean a completely different level of living, new prospects, a good education for their future children, and significantly higher salaries. When the company where Andrew and Martha work wanted to enter the UK market and offered them the opportunity to launch a subsidiary in the country, they did not hesitate.

There was one problem — their pet. Charlie the setter is a full-fledged member of the family and everyone’s favourite. The couple was not ready to leave him in South Africa, but the prospect of moving with a dog was not appealing either. There were many technical difficulties, from the flight to finding a long-term rental apartment.

Andrew and Martha understood that they would not be able to handle the practical implementation of such a project on their own. But they felt that there was a solution. To find it, they turned to Imperial & Legal for help. Our experts discussed the situation with them and worked out a plan of action together.

Our client

Andrew and Martha, citizens of the Republic of South Africa, who want to move to the United Kingdom permanently with their dog.

The task set for our specialists

To find a long-term rental in the UK and organise the family’s move. An important condition was that the landlord be friendly towards pets. The clients asked us to organise everything in such a way as to minimise the risks associated with possible financial claims from the landlord.

Difficulties encountered by our specialists

The main difficulty of the case was that the clients had a dog. This imposed restrictions on the move and significantly reduced the number of potentially suitable rental options.

The main difficulties:

• airlines require compliance with numerous sanitary regulations for the transport of animals;
• in order for the dog to be transported across the border, strict epidemiological standards must be met regarding the animal’s vaccinations;
• Andrew and Martha had no credit history at the time of signing the lease agreement, and their bank account had only just been opened;
• Almost all of their time after arriving in the UK had to be spent on work (launching a branch of a South African company).
• Most apartment owners in desirable areas of London disapproved of the property being rented to a young family with a pet.

Solution

After studying the situation, it became clear to Andrew and Martha that the key difficulty was not only finding accommodation but also organising the move with a pet from a third country.

In practice, even if all veterinary requirements are met, when importing an animal into the UK by air from non-EU countries, the pet must undergo a three-month quarantine. To avoid this, we suggested an alternative route to our clients: first fly to one of the European Union countries, such as France or Belgium, with all the necessary documents and veterinary certificates. Once there, a local vet signed an additional document, after which the dog could be transported to the UK by car or through the Channel Tunnel. This option allows you to comply with all legal requirements while avoiding quarantine. We organised the entire process and coordinated each stage.

As for renting, current UK legislation requires the agent to verify the tenant’s right to reside in the country. This is now done using a special electronic code that immigrants receive based on their visa. 

We helped our clients go through all the stages of verification:
• organised online viewings of properties they liked;
• provided codes to confirm their right to reside;
• prepared a package of documents confirming their income and employment at the British branch of the company;
• agreed on the text of the lease agreement and ensured that it could be signed remotely.

As a result, when Andrew and Martha arrived with their dog from Brussels, the lease was already in effect — all they had to do was move into their new home.

As a result, the clients moved into a spacious and bright house in one of London’s neighbourhoods, where both they and their pet felt comfortable. Imperial & Legal’s lawyers agreed on all the terms with the landlord, recorded the technical condition of the property and took out insurance against unforeseen circumstances.

The result of collaboration

All three of our clients were satisfied with their new home in the UK. The area is very convenient for living, quiet and peaceful, with all the necessary infrastructure and transport links nearby. When the family grows, the children will be able to go to nursery and school.

How we worked on the case Andrew

Conclusion

We are impressed by such tasks — they allow us to test the professional level of our lawyers and their ability to find non-standard solutions. And we are very pleased when the task is completed in full. After all, the most important thing for us is customer satisfaction and their sincere desire to recommend Imperial & Legal to their friends and acquaintances.