The 5 Documents Every Expat Must Have in Place

Living abroad brings enormous freedom — but it also brings a layer of legal complexity that most people don't think about until something goes wrong.

If you are an expat, your family may face a very different situation than if you had stayed in your home country. Documents that are straightforward in the UK may need to be translated, apostilled, or re-executed in your country of residence. And some documents simply don't exist in your home country's legal system at all.

Here are the five documents every expat should have in place — and why each one matters.

1. A Will that is valid in your country of residence

Many expats assume their UK will covers everything. It may not. If you own property in Spain, France, Germany, or another EU country, you may need a local will — or at minimum, a declaration under the EU Succession Regulation (Brussels IV) choosing which country's law governs your estate.

Without this, your estate could be split between two legal systems, causing months of delay and significant cost for your family.

What to do: Ask a local notario, notaire, or Notar to review your existing will and advise whether a local will is needed.

2. A Power of Attorney — in both countries

A UK Power of Attorney is not automatically recognised abroad. If you become incapacitated while living in Spain, your UK LPA may be useless unless it has been apostilled and registered with the local authorities.

Many expats need two Powers of Attorney: one for their home country (to manage UK assets, bank accounts, and property) and one for their country of residence.

What to do: Speak to a bilingual solicitor who practises in both jurisdictions.

3. Your foreign tax and residency ID numbers

Every country has its own system for identifying residents and taxpayers. In Spain it's the NIE. In Germany it's the Steuer-ID. In France it's the Numéro Fiscal. In the Netherlands it's the BSN.

Your family will need these numbers to close bank accounts, deal with tax authorities, and access your assets after you die. Without them, the process can take months longer.

What to do: Record all your foreign ID numbers in your Legacy Vault — including where the original documents are stored.

4. Your S1 form (if you receive a UK state pension)

If you live in an EU country and receive a UK state pension, you may be entitled to state healthcare in your country of residence via an S1 form. This is issued by HMRC and registered with your local health authority.

Your family needs to know whether you have one, where it is registered, and what it covers — especially if you are admitted to hospital abroad.

What to do: Check whether you have an S1 and record the details in your Healthcare Abroad section.

5. A repatriation insurance policy (or a note about your wishes)

If you die abroad, someone has to arrange for your body to be repatriated — or for a local funeral. This can cost thousands of pounds and take weeks without the right insurance in place.

Many expats have repatriation cover through their private health insurance or a specialist policy. But if your family doesn't know about it, they can't use it.

What to do: Record your repatriation insurance details — policy number, provider, and the emergency phone number — in your Living Abroad section. And if you have a preference about where you want to be buried or cremated, write it down.

All five of these documents have a dedicated place in your Legacy Vault Kit. If you haven't filled them in yet, start there. Your family will thank you.