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What To Do In Your First Week After Moving To England

Read about the things you should do during your very first week in your new home in England, to help you settle in with ease.

So you’ve made the big leap and moved to the UK, phew! Hopefully the international movers have unpacked your belongings already, so take a second, get a brew and enjoy knowing that the most stressful bit is over. However, there are still a number of things you need to sort out in order to settle in properly after moving to the UK. To help you with your first week in England, have a cuppa and a biscuit and take a look at this easy guide to help you find your feet:

Sign Up To Bank Accounts

To get full control of your affairs you will want to open a bank account. The largest banks in the UK are HSBC, Lloyds, Royal Bank Of Scotland and Barclays, but there are many more to choose from. Pop in to a bank to ask what you need to provide to open an account with them.

Get A National Insurance Number

If you will be working in England you have to have a National Insurance Number. You can find out more about applying for an NI number here.

Buy A UK SIM

It will be much cheaper to use a local SIM than your International SIM. There are many providers in the UK such as EE and Virgin, each offering various packages and contracts. It is a good idea to opt for a pay as you go SIM first to get yourself set up, then look around at the different contract options for further down the line. You can buy SIMs from supermarkets like Tesco or phone shops.

Get Travel Setup

If you have come without your vehicle, you may want to use your local public transport whilst you look into buying your own car. Most areas have a connection to at least a train station, bus route or tram stop. You can buy lower cost passes to save money on daily transport.

Sign Up For Health Services

You’ll want to sign up with the GP, dentist and any specialist services you require. It is important to know where your nearest hospital is at least, so should you require any immediate help you know where to go. In the event of needing medical guidance, call 111. In an emergency, call 999.

Pay A Visit To Your New Workplace

If you have set up a job before visiting it is a good idea to complete the route to your new workplace well in advance of your first day, so you can know how long it is likely to take to get there. If you do not have work, why not visit your local JobCentre, or recruitment companies? Getting any job as a starting point is a good idea, and you can build on that experience in the future.

Pay A Visit To The School

Hopefully you signed your children up to a new school before the move, especially if you’re moving to a busy area. If you haven’t, that should be a top priority as some schools can be difficult to get into. If you have, pay a visit to the local school either when it is open (under arrangement with the headmaster), or just to find where it is ready for the first day.

The above are just some of the things you need to do during your first week or two in England. It might seem like a mountain to climb but soon enough you’ll be set up for your brand new life, which will feel a lot easier once everything is in place and is set up properly.