There is no universally right answer to "what do I do with my pension". But there are five routes, and each one has consequences most expats have not considered. If you think the answer is obvious, you have probably missed a fork.
For any given expat, one route is the right one and four are wrong. The trouble is which-is-which depends on jurisdiction, treaty position, scheme type, balance, withdrawal plans, age, and where you intend to die. Picking on intuition is how expats end up moving £400,000 into the wrong wrapper and paying for it for the next three decades.
This decision map was built by advisers structuring pensions, super, 401(k)s, IRAs and retirement annuities for cross-border families every week. Each of the five routes has a "when it makes sense" section, a "when it does not" section, and a "gotcha", the disqualifying condition most expats miss. The April 2027 UK pensions-into-IHT change features in two of the five and reshapes a lot of conventional advice.
If your finished read leaves you between two routes, that is normal, and it is the right point to bring an adviser in. A short conversation can lock in the one that fits your jurisdiction and your timeline.
