Advisers and brokers working with high-net-worth (HNW) and internationally mobile UK clients have a narrowing window to act, as tax changes reshaping the UK's non-dom and pension landscape drive one of the fastest growth periods on record for international wealth insurance.
New research published by Utmost, a global provider of insurance-based wealth solutions, in August 2026, found that international wealth insurance sales rose 46% over the past two years, from £36.4 billion in 2023 to £53.0 billion in 2025, a compound annual growth rate of 21%.
Much of the UK contribution to this growth traces back to the abolition of the non-dom regime from April 2025. The remittance basis, which had allowed non-domiciled UK residents to shelter foreign income and gains from UK tax provided the money was not brought into the country, was scrapped in favour of a residence-based system under the Finance Act 2025. UK residents now face tax on worldwide income and gains as they arise once they have been resident for more than four years.
A Temporary Repatriation Facility offers a reduced rate of 12% for offshore income and gains designated and repatriated in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 tax years, rising to 15% in 2027/28 before disappearing altogether. That gives advisers a defined and closing window, roughly 18 months from now, in which clients can act at the lower rate.
Utmost's own 2024 market study attributed a sharp uplift in UK HNW sales specifically to this change in tax regime, with many clients moving into offshore investment bonds and insurance-based wrappers that offer gross roll-up, a 5% annual withdrawal allowance and top-slicing relief on eventual gains.
A second deadline compounds the pressure. From April 2027, pension funds are set to be brought within the scope of inheritance tax for the first time in decades, a change likely to accelerate demand for alternative succession and wealth transfer vehicles among UK-connected HNW families in the same window.
Despite the surge in demand, international wealth insurance remains a small part of the wider wealth management landscape, accounting for only around 1% of the approximately £49 trillion global HNW investible asset market, excluding the US, according to the 2026 study.
NMG Consulting, which conducted the research, said the sector remains significantly underpenetrated, with sales projected to reach £87 billion by the end of the decade, also excluding the US market.
Meanwhile, Utmost's earlier 2024 study framed penetration differently, citing roughly 2% of a £28 trillion global HNW investible asset pool. The two figures are not directly comparable, likely reflecting a change in scope or methodology between the studies rather than a like-for-like trend, and this is worth confirming directly with Utmost before citing both together.
Utmost's earlier market study identified adviser capacity, specifically the number of professionals licensed and trained to place these solutions, as the primary constraint on the market's growth globally.
For UK advisers navigating a compressed decision-making window created by two simultaneous tax deadlines, that bottleneck is likely to be felt acutely over the next two years, both as a resourcing challenge and as a competitive opening for those who build expertise in the space now.
"High-net-worth individuals are increasingly looking for solutions that can support their long-term savings requirements," said Mark Fairbairn, head of strategy and corporate affairs at Utmost. "As families' wealth planning needs evolve, insurance-based wealth solutions are playing a growing role in helping clients structure their assets efficiently and plan for future generations.
"While the international wealth insurance market has grown strongly in recent years, it still represents only a small proportion of the global HNW market, highlighting the significant opportunity given the structural drivers among HNW and internationally mobile affluent families. Expanding global wealth, growing demand for succession planning and increased wealth mobility create a compelling backdrop to maintain, or accelerate, the industry momentum seen over recent years."
The sector remains highly concentrated, with five providers, including Utmost following its acquisition of Lombard International, accounting for around 45% of new business globally.
That concentration means advisers outside the largest distribution networks may need to work harder to secure placement capacity as demand peaks around the 2027/28 deadlines.
For UK advisers and brokers with HNW or internationally mobile clients, the message is less about a growing market in the abstract and more about a specific, time-limited opportunity to have client conversations now.
With the Temporary Repatriation Facility's lower rate expiring after 2027/28 and pension inheritance tax changes landing the same year, those who act early on both client outreach and their own technical capability are best placed to benefit before the window narrows further.
