Everything handled, under one roof
Most firms handle one piece of tax emigration. A tax practitioner might submit your cessation of residency. A forex broker might transfer the money at the end. But the bits in between - the insurer liaison, the blocked account, the CGT calculation, the AIT application (see how the AIT approval process works step by step) - usually fall on you. WBForex manages the whole chain, start to finish, as one joined-up service.
Confused by the acronyms? See our SA Expat Finance Glossary for plain-English definitions.
Need help with this document? Read our guide on getting your SARS non-resident confirmation letter.
The Tax Emigration Process
A managed, step-by-step process that takes 3-6 months from start to finish.
Initial Assessment
SARS Compliance Check
Final Tax Return
Cessation of Tax Residency
AIT Approval
Fund Release & Transfer
Ongoing Support
Prefer to handle some of it yourself?
Not every client needs the full service. Some already have an accountant handling their final tax return. Others want to deal with their insurer themselves. We can step in at any stage - whether that is just the AIT application, the cessation submission to SARS, or the forex transfer at the end. Tell us what you need, and we will manage that part while you handle the rest.
Tell us what you needDIY vs. WBForex managed process
Tax emigration involves multiple SARS processes, insurer conversations, and a cross-border forex transfer. Getting one step wrong can delay the entire process by months.
| STEP | WITHOUT WBFOREX | WITH WBFOREX |
|---|---|---|
| Process Management | You manage SARS correspondence yourself | Full end-to-end management, we handle everything |
| Final Tax Return | Accountant required separately | Included - we prepare and submit |
| Deemed Disposal Calc | Complex, easy to get wrong | Calculated accurately to minimise CGT |
| SARS Queries | You respond directly | We handle all SARS correspondence |
| AIT Application | You apply independently | Obtained as part of our service |
| Insurer / RA Liaison | You negotiate with the insurer yourself | We deal with the insurer on your behalf |
| Non-Resident Capitec Account | You open it yourself | Opened for you as part of the process |
| Forex Transfer to UK | Separate provider, separate fees | Handled by our regulated forex team |
| Timeline | Often 6-12 months without guidance | 3-6 months with our managed process |
Living outside the UK? How cessation of SA tax residency works from anywhere
Cessation of SA tax residency is a SARS process - it works the same whether you live in London, Sydney or Toronto. What changes by country is the double taxation agreement that applies to you afterwards, and the practical mechanics of receiving your funds. WBForex handles the SA side end to end wherever you live, with the tax work carried out by a SARS-registered tax practitioner.
South Africans in Australia
South Africa and Australia have a double taxation agreement, and it matters most at the point you access retirement savings: relief under the DTA is not automatic - it must be applied for before withdrawal, otherwise SA tax can be withheld on funds the DTA assigns to Australia. Getting the sequence right (cessation confirmed by SARS first, DTA relief application second, withdrawal third) is the difference between a clean payout and months of reclaim correspondence. Once your funds are cleared, transfers land in Australian accounts in the ordinary course - Westpac and ANZ are the receiving banks we see most often in our Australian client book. If you are planning your transfer, you can read more on our dedicated South Africa to Australia money transfer page. Your R2 million Single Discretionary Allowance (doubled from R1 million in the 2026 Budget announced 25 February 2026) and R10 million Foreign Investment Allowance work identically from Australia; only the AIT paperwork and the destination currency change.
South Africans in New Zealand
If you have researched this from New Zealand, be careful of outdated information: a number of prominent pages still quote the old R1 million discretionary allowance. The current position is R2 million per calendar year per adult under the SDA, R10 million under the FIA with a SARS AIT, and a combined R12 million ceiling above which a SARS Letter of Compliance and SARB FinSurv application apply. The cessation process itself is identical from New Zealand - SARS's ordinarily resident and physical presence tests do not care which country you moved to. Most of our New Zealand-based clients receive funds into ANZ New Zealand, ASB, BNZ or Westpac New Zealand accounts; NZ banks complete identity checks and require proof of a New Zealand address before an account is fully operational, so have that in place before your transfer date (see our dedicated South Africa to New Zealand money transfer guide).
South Africans in the USA
The SA side of cessation is unchanged from the United States: SARS applies the same two residency tests, the same deemed-disposal CGT event, and the same AIT process for transfers above the R2 million SDA. South Africa and the United States have a double taxation agreement which determines where specific income types are taxed after cessation - how that interacts with your US filing position is a question for a US tax professional, and we will tell you plainly when a question belongs on that side of the Atlantic. On the receiving end, our US-based clients typically bank with Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank or U.S. Bank; requirements vary more in the US than most countries because they differ by bank and by state (read our dedicated South Africa to USA money transfer guide).
South Africans in Canada
Canada is one of the corridors where doing nothing costs the most: many South Africans in Canada left years ago without notifying SARS and remain tax residents in SARS's records today, with worldwide income technically in scope. The fix is the same cessation process described on this page, run from Canada, including backdating where the facts support it. South Africa and Canada have a double taxation agreement relevant to SA-sourced income after cessation - a SARS-registered tax practitioner confirms how it applies to you. Canada's five national banks - RBC, TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank, BMO and CIBC - all operate dedicated newcomer programmes, and in many cases account opening can begin before you arrive, which removes the usual receiving-account bottleneck from your transfer timeline (see our dedicated South Africa to Canada money transfer page).
South Africans in Germany
For South Africans in Germany the corridor runs in euros - the same EUR settlement rails we run daily into Ireland, with funds arriving by SWIFT into EU IBANs. The SARS process is identical from Germany, and the SA-Germany double taxation agreement governs SA-sourced income after cessation. One practical note for new arrivals: German banking generally requires your address registration (Anmeldung) before a full account opens, so sequence your registration ahead of any planned transfer (see our dedicated South Africa to Germany money transfer page).
South Africans in the Netherlands
Cessation of SA tax residency runs identically from the Netherlands, triggering a deemed-disposal CGT event on your worldwide assets (excluding SA property). Backdating is available to your permanent departure date where supported by facts, starting your RA withdrawal clock early. The SA-Netherlands DTA determines tax treatment on SA-sourced income, and we coordinate the transfer of cleared funds directly to your Dutch IBAN (see our dedicated South Africa to Netherlands money transfer page).
Common questions
Everything you need to know about tax emigration from the UK.
What is tax emigration and do I need it as a South African living in the UK?
What is the 3-year rule for accessing my retirement annuity from the UK?
How long does the tax emigration process take?
What is the difference between tax emigration and financial emigration?
What happens to my SARS tax obligations after tax emigration?
Can I do parts of this myself and just use WBForex for the bits I cannot handle?
Can WBForex handle cessation of SA tax residency if I live in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada or Europe?
Does the three-year rule for retirement annuities differ by country?
Is the R2 million Single Discretionary Allowance the same from every country?
Last reviewed: July 15, 2026