Moving from Uk for 18 months - should we apply for residency

[gabby27]

So sorry if this topic has been asked many times but we are moving to CVO from UK in April for 18 months and wonder whether we should apply for temporary residency. We still own a home in the UK with mortgage which we are renting so obviously do not want to lose our British Citizenship and also I have had cancer so we will return for my check ups etc every 6 months. Therefore I am unsure as to whether we need or should apply. We want to be totally legit as tend to draw in bad luck! As UK so accessible I was hoping my E111 would suffice for health care as we cannot afford private health care. We were planning to pay our own IMI bill in April as our fiscal rep suddenly wants €500 to represent us, so I hope we can do this but I understand that one of the advantages of residency is not needing a fiscal rep.
Thanks for any help from such an ignoramous! My name is always on forum and I feel guilty cos I can't offer any advice back!
Gabby x

[EMM]

It has been reported that under new rules you can lose your automatic right to free non emergency NHS care if you leave the UK and take up permanent residence elswhere in the EU as your country of residence is where you now receive care.
If this is the case then clearly it makes sense to retain your UK address and residence.

[MALLYMAL]

Hey Gabby... good luck with the move. I reckon a little of that Portuguese sunshine will herald a change in your luck

[jonboy]

Be careful of 182 day rule on tax residency ....

Best of luck with your venture....

JB

[James Faro]

You have to sum up the pros and cons. I would stay on the side of caution and keep your British residency/domicile. If in the event you get very ill, or a family member has, you have all that protection in the UK with the NHS and well as the usual range of benefits. If matters got worse financially you'd be far worse off in Portugal than the UK. Britain has drawbacks, as every country has, but the back-up health and social services benefits in the UK is far more advantageous.

If the UK had the sunshine, warm climate and blue skies all year round it would be the place in the world.