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Brits in New York

Everything you need to move to, rent in and enjoy New York as a Brit, and how it fits with your UK tax, pension, money and paperwork.

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ExpatCuppa USA | Brits in the United States

Free group for Brits in the United States: questions, tips, meetups, Sunday roasts and the footie.

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Official Britain

British Consulate General New York

The UK's consulate in New York: consular help for British nationals, trade and investment, and press; contact by online form

1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 885 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6927

Website · Map

Votes for lifeVote from New YorkLiving abroad doesn't cost you your vote. Register as an overseas elector, choose a proxy or postal vote, and renew every three years.
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New York Partners

Katharina Bergauer, innsicht

Global partner · online

The inner move

A move abroad changes more than your postcode. Katharina Bergauer (innsicht) supports individuals, couples and families before the move and until everyone feels at home. Online, in English or German.

Katharina Bergauer

Eintragungsnummer: 17784

Book a first conversation

Global partner · online

Learn the language

Get to grips with the language where you live, keep the kids' English sharp or prep for an exam. Live online lessons with qualified teachers since 1991: English and the main world languages, 1:1 or in small groups, for adults, kids and household staff.

Cambridge School of English Online

Cambridge School of English sp. z o.o.Warsaw, Poland · online since 1991

Take the free level test

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Your business here: partner in New York

Are you a highly recommended business for Brits in New York? One partner per category, so there's no competitor next to you.

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Partners pay to be featured. Our guides are written independently. Meet all our partners

Guides for life in New York

Basics

Cost of living in New York: how it stacks up against London and the rest of the UK

New York makes London look reasonable. Rent, health cover and tipping are the big shocks; the subway and wages soften the blow a little.

Basics

Your Social Security number and US credit score: starting from zero in New York

Twenty years of paying your Barclaycard on time won't help you rent a flat in Brooklyn. Here's how to get your Social Security number and build US credit from nothing.

Basics

Languages and your family in New York: Spanish, dual-language classes and keeping English strong

English gets you everywhere in New York, but Spanish is all around you and taught in hundreds of school classrooms. Here's what that means for a British family.

Money and work

US taxes for Brits: residence, the UK–US treaty and your State Pension

Once you're US resident, the IRS wants to hear about your whole world, ISAs included. Here's how the two tax systems fit together and why your State Pension is taxed in the US.

Money and work

Banking in the US as a Brit: your first account, your UK account and moving money

You don't need a Social Security number to open a US bank account, but it helps. Here's what New York banks ask for, and what to do with your UK account.

Money and work

ISAs, UK pensions and PFICs: the US tax traps waiting for Brits in New York

Your ISA is tax-free back home and fully taxable in New York. UK funds can be taxed punitively as PFICs. Here's what changes once you're US resident, and the forms involved.

Money and work

The UK State Pension and US Social Security: how Brits in New York get both

Good news for once: the US is on the uprated list, so your State Pension keeps rising. Here's how the UK–US agreement works and how to claim both pensions.

Money and work

New York State and City income tax: the three-layer tax bill Brits don't expect

Live in the five boroughs and you pay income tax three times over: federal, state and city. Here's how the layers work, who's a resident and why New Jersey commuters still pay New York.

Home

Renting in New York: deposits, broker fees and your rights as a Brit

New York rents are eye-watering, but the rules have tipped towards tenants: deposits are capped at a month and landlords' brokers can no longer charge you their fee.

Home

Co-ops vs condos: what Brits need to know before buying a flat in New York

In New York you don't just buy a flat, you may have to be approved by your future neighbours. Here's how co-ops and condos differ and what buying really costs.

Moving and visas

Moving to New York as a Brit: the visa routes that actually work

There's no easy way in. Most Brits reach New York through a job, a business, a course or an American partner. Here are the routes and what to sort before you go.

Moving and visas

US work visas for Brits: the E-2, L-1, H-1B and O-1 compared

There's no easy US work visa, but Brits have more options than most. Here's how the E-2, L-1, H-1B and O-1 work, who they suit and what they cost in 2026.

Moving and visas

ESTA vs living in New York: what the Visa Waiver Program won't let you do

An ESTA gets you into New York for a holiday or a meeting. It won't let you work, study, house-hunt for months or quietly stay on. Here's where the line sits.

Moving and visas

Green cards and US citizenship for Brits: the routes, the lottery and your British passport

Family, a job or a big investment: those are the realistic green card routes for Brits. The lottery mostly isn't, and becoming American doesn't cost you your British passport.

Health

Healthcare in New York: insurance, deductibles and life without the NHS

There's no NHS safety net in New York and no UK–US health deal. Here's how insurance works, what it costs you at the desk and where to go when you're ill.

Schools and study

Schools in New York: British, international and public, and the road back to UK universities

New York has one British-curriculum school, some excellent international ones and a huge free public system. Here's how they compare, what they cost and how to plan for UCAS.

Schools and study

US universities or back to the UK? UCAS, the SAT and home fees for New York teenagers

Your teenager has grown up in New York and now has a choice: the Common App or UCAS. Here's how both work, the 2027 deadlines and the home-fees question.

Getting around

Driving in New York on a UK licence, and getting around without a car

Your UK licence is fine for a visit, but once you live in New York the DMV wants you on a local licence within 30 days. Most Brits barely drive anyway. Here's why.

Community

British life in New York: Sunday roasts, the footie and finding your people

New York has a big, busy British crowd if you know where to look: early-kickoff pubs, a 250-year-old English society, a proper roast and a grocer selling pork pies.

Going out

British food in New York: a proper cuppa, pork pies and a pub for the footie

A West Village grocer with home-made pork pies, a tea room that's been pouring for decades and a pub for almost every Premier League club. Here's where homesick Brits go.

Going out

Nightlife in New York: where Brits drink, dance and watch the footie

Bars open till 4am, jazz on a Tuesday, the Premier League with breakfast. Here's how New York nightlife works for Brits, from where to go to tipping and ID.

Compare propertyBuy in New York or back in the UK?Mortgages, stamp duty, buying costs and capital gains side by side.
Compare

Britain in New York

Free listings we choose and check: the British mission, clubs, party groups, sport, schools, pubs, shops and churches. Every entry checked on its own or an official 2025–2026 page (2026-11); listings are not paid. Tell us on WhatsApp if something has changed.

Official Britain

British Consulate General New York

The UK's consulate in New York: consular help for British nationals, trade and investment, and press; contact by online form

1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 885 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6927

Website · Map

Business and networking

BritishAmerican Business

Transatlantic business association with offices in New York and London; policy work, trade programmes and networking events

52 Vanderbilt Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10017

Website · Map · +1 212 661 4060 · nyinfo@babinc.org · X · LinkedIn · YouTube

Clubs and associations

St. George's Society of New York

Charity and social hub for the British and Commonwealth community in New York since the 1770s; scholarships, senior care and 20+ events a year

866 United Nations Plaza, #484, New York, NY 10017-1822

Website · Map · +1 212 682 6110 · hello@stgeorgessociety.org · Facebook · Instagram · X · LinkedIn

Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York

Scottish charity founded in 1756; relief for Scots in need, scholarships and the city's Tartan Week events

150 East 55th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10022

Website · Map · +1 212 223 4248 · office@standrewsny.org

Party groups abroad

Listed side by side, in alphabetical order. We don't favour any party.

Conservatives Abroad – New York

New York branch of the Conservative Party's organisation for members abroad, serving members and supporters in New York

Website

Labour International – USA New York branch

New York branch of the Labour Party's organisation for members abroad, serving members and supporters in New York City, New York State, New Jersey and Connecticut

Website

Lib Dems Overseas – New York Chapter

New York branch of the Liberal Democrats' organisation for members abroad, serving members and supporters in New York

Website

Schools and universities

School

Nord Anglia International School New York

British-curriculum day school in Manhattan from age 2: EYFS in the Early Years, then the English National Curriculum through Lower and Upper School

111 E 22nd St, New York, NY 10010

Website · Map · 212-600-2010

School

The British International School of New York

Small independent school for ages 3 to 18 on the East River; EYFS, IB Primary and Middle Years, then IGCSEs and A Levels

20 Waterside Plaza, New York, NY 10010

Website · Map · +1 212 481 2700 · info@bis-ny.org · Facebook · Instagram · X · LinkedIn

University

University of Oxford North American Office

Oxford's official office in North America since 1989: alumni events, admissions information and fundraising for the US, Canada and Mexico

500 Fifth Avenue, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10110

Website · Map · +1 (212) 377-4900 · Facebook

University

Cambridge in America

The University of Cambridge's US office: alumni events, lectures and support for Cambridge and its colleges

1120 Avenue of the Americas, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10036

Website · Map · (212) 984-0960

University

University of Edinburgh USA Development Trust

US non-profit supporting the University of Edinburgh with scholarships and gifts; contact point for North American alumni and donors

1350 Ave of the Americas, FL 2, Ste 266, New York, NY 10019

Website · Map

University

British Schools & Universities Foundation

Volunteer-run New York charity, in its eighth decade, enabling tax-efficient US giving to schools and universities in the UK and Commonwealth

641 Lexington Ave, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10022-4503

Website · Map

British Council

British Council USA

The British Council's US team (arts, education, English); based in Washington DC, enquiries by email only

3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008

Website · Map

Pubs and restaurants

Our guide to British food, shops and pubs in New York

Pub

The Red Lion

Greenwich Village bar showing every Premier League match plus FA Cup and Champions League; Brentford supporters' bar

151 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012

Website · Map · 212-260-9797 · Facebook · Instagram

Pub

Smithfield Hall

British-style sports pub with big screens; home bar for Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and West Ham fans

138 W. 28th St., New York, NY

Website · Map

Sunday roast

Hawksmoor New York

British steakhouse with a Sunday roast of dry-aged beef, dripping roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding

109 E 22nd St, New York, NY 10010

Website · Map · +1 212-777-1840 · Facebook · Instagram

Afternoon tea

Tea & Sympathy

West Village British café since 1990: afternoon tea, pies and Sunday roast; British grocery shop next door

108 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY 10011

Website · Map · 212-989-9735

Restaurant or café

Jones Wood Foundry

British pub-restaurant on the Upper East Side: beer-battered cod and triple-cooked chips; football and rugby at the bar

401 East 76th Street, New York, NY 10021

Website · Map · 212-249-2700 · Facebook · Instagram · X

Shops

Myers of Keswick

Family-run British grocer in the West Village since 1985; UK groceries plus home-made pork pies, pasties, Scotch eggs and bangers

634 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

Website · Map · +1 212 691 4194 · info@myersofkeswick.com · Facebook · Instagram

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