Moving to the UK

Planning to move to the UK? This guide puts your first steps in order – visa, eVisa, home, bank, National Insurance number, GP and English classes – and gathers the UK emergency numbers, agencies, phone lines and city contacts you need when living in the UK as a foreigner.

If you are moving to the UK in 2026, living in the UK as a foreigner starts with a digital status: eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents, and you prove your right to work or rent with a share code from your free UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) account. Work visas are harder to get. Since 22 July 2025 a Skilled Worker visa normally needs a graduate-level job (RQF level 6) paying at least £41,700 a year, and since 8 January 2026 new applicants need B2 English. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who move to the UK now need a visa too. ILR (indefinite leave to remain) is still usually possible after 5 years on most work routes – the 10-year 'earned settlement' model is only a proposal, and the consultation has closed with no outcome.

This guide is for you whether you come for a job, to study, to join a partner, to start a business or to seek protection – or come home as a British citizen. Choose the profile below that fits you best, then read the 15 guides in the series. Use this page as your map: the first table shows the usual order of things, and the UK emergency numbers and address book are worth keeping to hand. Rules often differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; we say which part of the UK each rule covers. Every phone number, fee and opening hour was checked on 23 September 2026 – where we could not confirm a detail, we send you to the agency's website.

Comparing countries or new to Europe? Moving to Europe lists every country guide and explains the rules that apply across Europe – Schengen, EES, ETIAS, the EU Blue Card and free movement.

Who are you? Choose your guide

Choose what fits you best and get your own step-by-step path, the rules that apply to you and which guides to read.

EU/EEA or Swiss citizen

If you lived here by 31 December 2020, your EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status is your key – and since 9 April 2026 the Home Office has begun removing pre-settled status from people who have clearly left the UK. If you arrive now, you need a visa to live or work here, and since 25 February 2026 even visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), £20 since 8 April 2026.

Step	What to do
Work out which group you are in	Lived in the UK by 31 December 2020? Apply free to the EUSS if you have not yet – late applications need 'reasonable grounds'. Arrived later? You need a visa like any other non-UK national. – Where: Home Office – EU Settlement Scheme
Newcomers: choose a visa route	Working here for more than 6 months needs a visa, usually Skilled Worker: most jobs must be at degree level (RQF 6) and pay at least £41,700 or the going rate, and you need B2 English. – Where: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Just visiting? Get an ETA	An ETA costs £20, lasts 2 years or until your passport expires and allows visits of up to 6 months, but no work. You do not need one if you hold EUSS status or a UK visa. – Where: UKVI
Keep your eVisa travel-ready	Your status is an eVisa in your UKVI account. Keep your current passport or ID card linked to it, and give employers and landlords a share code, which is valid for 90 days. – Where: UKVI
Move from pre-settled to settled status	Pre-settled status is extended by 5 years automatically. Settled status needs 5 years' residence, with no more than 30 months abroad in the last 5 years or 6 months in any 12-month period. – Where: Home Office – EU Settlement Scheme
Family joining you: note the new deadline	Family can join under the EUSS only if your relationship began by 31 December 2020. From 8 October 2026 they must apply within 3 months of their latest legal entry (now 90 days from first arrival). – Where: Home Office – EU Settlement Scheme
Register with a GP	In England anyone can register free, with no ID or proof of address. EUSS status gives you free NHS care; newcomers on a visa are covered by the Immigration Health Surcharge, usually £1,035 a year. – Where: NHS
Get a National Insurance number	Check your eVisa first – you may already have one. If not, apply online once you are in the UK; it can take up to 4 weeks, and you can start work before it arrives. – Where: Department for Work and Pensions

Rules that apply to you
An ID card gets you in only with EUSS status, a pending EUSS application, an EUSS family permit, a Frontier Worker permit or in a few other cases; otherwise use a passport.
Settled status survives up to 5 years in a row abroad (4 for Swiss citizens); pre-settled status is lost after more than 5 years in a row away.
The proposed 10-year 'earned settlement' model does not apply to EUSS status – it is out of scope. For other routes it is still only a proposal.
You can usually apply for citizenship 12 months after settled status: £1,709 plus a £130 ceremony, and you must pass the Life in the UK Test and prove your English.
In Great Britain an EU licence lasts to 70 if you became resident before 67; exchange at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is optional. Northern Ireland: to expiry.

Source: Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, NHS, Department for Work and Pensions, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, read 23 September 2026

Irish citizen

Since 22 July 2025 you can register as a British citizen after 5 years for £853 as an adult, with no English or Life in the UK test. With Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) enforced since 25 February 2026, dual citizens must travel on their Irish or British passport. Otherwise the Common Travel Area lets you live, work and study here with no visa.

Step	What to do
Travel on your Irish passport or card	An Irish passport card is enough to travel to the UK, and there are no immigration controls on the land border with Northern Ireland. Dual citizens cannot get an ETA. – Where: Home Office – Common Travel Area
Prove your right to work	Show your Irish passport or passport card (current or expired), or an Irish birth certificate plus an official letter with your National Insurance number. You cannot get a share code. – Where: Your employer
Get a National Insurance number	Apply online once you live in the UK. It can take up to 4 weeks, but you can start work before it arrives if you can prove your right to work. – Where: Department for Work and Pensions
Register with a GP	In England anyone can register free, with no ID or proof of address. You never pay the Immigration Health Surcharge and use the NHS like British citizens. Northern Ireland: form HSCR-1. – Where: NHS; in Northern Ireland a local GP practice
Register to vote	You can vote in UK general elections from 18, and in local, Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections from 16 in Scotland and Wales. Being on the register also helps your credit file. – Where: Electoral registration office at your local council
Bring non-Irish family	Partners who are not Irish or British need a family visa – combined income of at least £29,000 and English at A1 – or the EU Settlement Scheme if you lived here by 31 December 2020. – Where: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Become British if you want to	After 5 years' residence, register as a British citizen: £853 for an adult (£723 plus a £130 ceremony) and £607 per child. Spend no more than 450 days abroad in those 5 years. – Where: Home Office

Rules that apply to you
You cannot apply through the points-based system or the EU Settlement Scheme – and you do not need to, including as a dual British-Irish citizen.
Benefits, healthcare and social housing are open to you on the same basis as British citizens; you pay into only one state's social security scheme at a time.
Lived here by 31 December 2020? Keep payslips, bank statements, bills and tenancy agreements – they help non-Irish family join you under the EU Settlement Scheme later.
Renting in England: landlords check every adult's right to rent – show your Irish passport or card. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have no such check.
You can study at every level on terms no less favourable than those for British citizens.

Source: Home Office (Common Travel Area guidance), UK Visas and Immigration, NHS, Department for Work and Pensions, read 23 September 2026

From the US or elsewhere outside the EU

The bar rose twice: since 22 July 2025 most jobs must be at degree level (RQF 6) and pay at least £41,700 or the going rate, and since 8 January 2026 new applicants need B2 English. Settlement – indefinite leave to remain (ILR) – still comes after 5 years; the 10-year 'earned settlement' model is only a proposal, not law.

Step	What to do
Get a job offer and a certificate of sponsorship	Your employer must be a Home Office-approved sponsor and issues a Certificate of Sponsorship. Apply within 3 months of getting it, and no earlier than 3 months before your start date. – Where: Your employer (licensed sponsor)
Check salary, skill level and English	Usually a degree-level job (RQF 6) paying £41,700 or the going rate, whichever is higher. Prove English at B2 unless exempt – nationals of the USA, Canada and Australia, for example, are exempt. – Where: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Budget for the fee and health surcharge	From outside the UK: £819 for up to 3 years or £1,618 for longer. Add the Immigration Health Surcharge, £1,035 a year paid upfront, and usually £1,270 in savings held for 28 days. – Where: UKVI
Travel on the right permission	US and Canadian visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA, £20); once your visa is granted you travel on your eVisa instead. Link your passport to your UKVI account before you fly. – Where: UKVI
Get a National Insurance number	Check your eVisa first – you may already have one. If not, apply online once in the UK; it can take up to 4 weeks, but you can start work before it arrives. – Where: Department for Work and Pensions
Rent a home	In England only, landlords check your right to rent with a share code and, since 1 May 2026, can ask for at most 1 month's rent in advance. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have no right-to-rent check. – Where: Landlord or letting agent
Register with a GP	Free in England, no ID needed. Prescriptions in England cost £9.90 an item – the government announced it stays at £9.90 in 2026/27 – but are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. – Where: NHS
Check your tax code	New starters often get an emergency code, which can take up to 35 days to correct. Scotland has its own bands (19% to 48%). After 10 years abroad, the 4-year FIG regime can exempt foreign income, not earnings. – Where: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

Rules that apply to you
You have no recourse to public funds (NRPF): no Universal Credit or Child Benefit, for example. Contribution-based payments such as Statutory Sick Pay are not affected.
ILR today: 5 years, no more than 180 days abroad in any 12 months, the Life in the UK Test (£50) and a £3,226 fee. From 26 March 2027 settlement needs B2 English.
The 10-year 'earned settlement' baseline is only a proposal: the consultation closed in February 2026 with no outcome, and it is not in the Immigration Rules.
Your employer must pay the Immigration Skills Charge (£1,320 for the first 12 months at larger sponsors); asking you to pay it can cost them their licence.
In Great Britain a US licence works for 12 months, then you must pass the tests; Canadian and Australian ones can be swapped at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Source: UK Visas and Immigration, Home Office, HM Revenue & Customs, NHS, Department for Work and Pensions, read 23 September 2026

Global Talent or high potential

Global Talent fees (£561 endorsement plus £205 visa) were not raised in April 2026, and a further 27 prizes now let winners skip endorsement. The High Potential Individual (HPI) visa has needed B2 English since 8 January 2026, and since 4 November 2025 has a roughly doubled university list and a cap of 8,000 applications a year. Neither route needs a job offer.

Step	What to do
Pick your route	Global Talent: leaders or potential leaders in academia and research, arts and culture or digital technology. HPI: a degree from an eligible non-UK university awarded in the last 5 years. – Where: Home Office
Global Talent: get endorsed or use a prize	Apply to an endorsing body for £561 – for digital technology that is Tech Nation, usually 5 to 8 weeks. Winners of an eligible prestigious prize skip this and pay £766 at the visa stage. – Where: Endorsing body, such as Tech Nation or the Royal Society
Apply for the visa within 3 months	Apply within 3 months of your endorsement letter. The visa costs £205 and decisions usually take 3 weeks from outside the UK. Choose up to 5 years; extend for 1 to 5 years at a time. – Where: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
HPI: check your degree and English	Pay £252 for Ecctis to check your qualification, then £880 to apply. You need B2 English unless exempt and £1,270 in savings. You can hold an HPI only once. – Where: Ecctis and UKVI
Pay the health surcharge	The Immigration Health Surcharge is usually £1,035 per person a year, paid upfront – £2,070 for a 2-year HPI. Each Global Talent dependant also pays £766. – Where: UKVI
Set up work and tax	Apply online for a National Insurance number once in the UK (up to 4 weeks). After 10 years of non-UK residence, the 4-year FIG regime can exempt eligible foreign income and gains. – Where: Department for Work and Pensions; HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
Plan your next step	An HPI lasts 2 years (3 with a PhD), cannot be extended and does not count towards settlement – switch to another visa, such as Skilled Worker, before it expires. – Where: UKVI

Rules that apply to you
Global Talent: no sponsor, no salary threshold and no English requirement; you can be employed, self-employed or a company director and change jobs without telling the Home Office.
Digital technology under current rules: leaders can settle after 3 years, potential leaders after 5. From 26 March 2027 settlement needs B2 English.
Faster settlement for high earners (3 years) and a 10-year default come from the earned settlement consultation – still a proposal, nothing has changed yet.
HPI: work in most jobs, look for work or be self-employed, but the time does not count towards indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
UK universities are not on the HPI list, and you cannot get an HPI if you have already had a Graduate visa.

Source: Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, Tech Nation, Ecctis, HM Revenue & Customs, read 23 September 2026

Researcher or PhD student

Rules laid in March 2026 widen the Global Talent fast track to all PhD-level roles at approved UK universities and research institutes. PhD graduates keep a 3-year Graduate visa while others drop to 18 months from 1 January 2027, and the UK, already in Horizon Europe, rejoins Erasmus+ in 2027.

Step	What to do
Choose Global Talent or Skilled Worker	Global Talent has no salary or English requirement. Fast-track endorsement takes about 2 weeks with an eligible job offer, fellowship or grant; peer review takes about 5 weeks. – Where: Royal Society, British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering or UK Research and Innovation
Skilled Worker: use the PhD salary rules	A relevant STEM PhD lets you be paid 80% of the going rate (minimum £33,400); non-STEM 90% (minimum £37,500). Postdocs can be paid 70%, with total stay capped at 4 years. – Where: Your university and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Check whether you need ATAS	Sensitive-technology research may need an ATAS certificate before a Student or Skilled Worker visa: at least 30 working days, no fast track. EU, US and some other nationals are exempt. – Where: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
PhD students: apply for a Student visa	Get a CAS from your university, then pay £558 plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £776 a year. Since 1 January 2024 only PhD and research-degree students can bring a partner and children. – Where: UKVI
Short stays and exchanges	Visiting academics staying 6 to 12 months pay £234. Sponsored researchers and fellows can use the Government Authorised Exchange visa: £340, for up to 12 or 24 months. – Where: UKVI
After arrival: National Insurance and a GP	Apply online for a National Insurance number (up to 4 weeks) and register with a GP – free in England, with no ID or proof of address needed. – Where: Department for Work and Pensions; NHS
Tap into European funding	UK-based researchers can bid for Horizon Europe funding, and from July 2026 UK entities may apply for EIC equity investments (a transitional arrangement). – Where: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Rules that apply to you
Global Talent researchers can settle after 3 years under current rules, and research time abroad counts. From 26 March 2027 settlement needs B2 English.
On Skilled Worker, indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is still 5 years; the 10-year 'earned settlement' model is only a proposal.
Employers pay no Immigration Skills Charge for certain research and higher-education teaching occupations.
Graduate visa after a UK PhD: 3 years, unchanged by the cut to 18 months for other graduates from 1 January 2027.
Government Authorised Exchange visas do not lead to settlement or a permanent job.

Source: UK Visas and Immigration, Home Office, Royal Society, UK Research and Innovation, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, read 23 September 2026

Student

Money rules are moving: you now need £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 elsewhere, rising to £1,570 and £1,203 for applications from 30 November 2026. The Student visa has cost £558 since 8 April 2026, and the Graduate visa drops from 2 years to 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027.

Step	What to do
Get your CAS	Accept an unconditional offer from a licensed student sponsor, which issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). From abroad, apply up to 6 months ahead; decisions usually take 3 weeks. – Where: Your university; UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Show your funds	First-year fees plus £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 elsewhere, for up to 9 months, held 28 days; £1,570 and £1,203 from 30 November 2026. EU and US nationals usually need not submit proof. – Where: UKVI
Prove your English	Degree level needs B2 (your university may assess it), below degree B1. Nationals of majority English-speaking countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia are exempt. – Where: Your university or an approved test provider
Pay the fee and health surcharge	The visa fee is £558 and the Immigration Health Surcharge £776 a year. Full-time EU, EEA or Swiss students with an EHIC who do not work can claim a full or partial refund. – Where: UKVI
Travel at the right time	Arrive up to 1 month before a course longer than 6 months starts (1 week for shorter ones), never before your visa start date. Your permission is an eVisa in your UKVI account. – Where: UKVI
Register with a GP	Free in England, no ID needed. Prescriptions in England cost £9.90 an item – the government announced it stays at £9.90 in 2026/27 – but are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. – Where: NHS
Sort out Council Tax	Tell your council when you move in. Households where everyone is a full-time student do not pay Council Tax. Northern Ireland has no Council Tax – domestic rates apply instead. – Where: Your local council

Rules that apply to you
Work: up to 20 hours a week in term time at degree level (10 below degree level), full-time in vacations; no self-employment or permanent full-time job.
Only PhD or research-degree students (courses from 1 January 2024) and government-sponsored students can bring a partner or children.
Graduate visa: 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027 (PhD: 3 years); fee £937. It cannot be extended.
Like most study visas, yours carries no recourse to public funds (NRPF): you cannot claim benefits such as Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.
Since 26 March 2026 Student visa applications from Afghan, Cameroonian, Myanmar and Sudanese nationals are refused.

Source: UK Visas and Immigration, Home Office, NHS, local councils, read 23 September 2026

Joining a partner or family

Partners joining a British, Irish or settled person need a combined income of at least £29,000 (since 11 April 2024), and the fee from abroad rose to £2,064 on 8 April 2026. If your family member is here on a work or study visa, you come as their dependant instead. Refugee family reunion has been suspended since 4 September 2025.

Step	What to do
Find the right route	Family visa if your partner is British, Irish, settled or has protection; dependant visa if they hold a work or study visa; in some cases the EU Settlement Scheme (EU partner here by 31 December 2020). – Where: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Meet the financial requirement	You need a combined income of at least £29,000. Only UK-earned job income counts; cash savings above £16,000 can help. No minimum applies if your partner gets certain disability or carer's benefits. – Where: UKVI
Prove your English	At least A1 in speaking and listening for the first visa, A2 to extend after 2.5 years. Over-65s and nationals of countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia are exempt. – Where: Approved English test provider
Pay the fee and health surcharge	£2,064 from outside the UK (£1,407 inside), plus the Immigration Health Surcharge: £3,105 per adult for 2 years 9 months. Decisions usually take 12 weeks from abroad. – Where: UKVI
Get started after arrival	Your eVisa is in your UKVI account. Partners can work: apply online for a National Insurance number (up to 4 weeks) and register with a GP – free in England, no ID needed. – Where: Department for Work and Pensions; NHS
Children: find a school place	In England apply through the council where you will live, even from abroad; state schools must not check immigration status. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own school-start rules. – Where: Your local council
Extend, then settle	The first grant lasts up to 2 years 9 months, then 2 years 6 months more. Settlement is possible after 5 years, or after 10 if you do not meet the financial requirements. – Where: UKVI

Rules that apply to you
You will usually have no recourse to public funds (NRPF), so no Universal Credit or Child Benefit; the 30 free childcare hours (England only) also need public-funds access.
Visitors must usually leave the UK to apply for a family visa; fiancé(e) visa holders can switch from inside the UK.
From 26 March 2027 settlement on family routes needs B2 English instead of B1.
The £29,000 rule still applies: the government commissioned a review of the financial requirements, but no change has been made.
Under the earned settlement proposal, partners of British citizens would keep a 5-year path; the proposal is not law yet.

Source: UK Visas and Immigration, Home Office, Department for Education, NHS, Department for Work and Pensions, read 23 September 2026

Youth Mobility Scheme

New 2026 quotas, set in March 2026, give 38,500 places to Australians, 10,000 to Canadians, 8,000 to New Zealanders and 1,000 each by ballot to Hong Kong and Taiwan. The fee rose to £340 on 8 April 2026. A UK–EU youth scheme is only under negotiation, so EU citizens cannot use it yet.

Step	What to do
Check your age and nationality	18–35 for Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea; 18–30 for Andorra, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino and Uruguay. You must be within the limit when you apply. – Where: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Enter the ballot if needed	Hong Kong (SAR passport) and Taiwan applicants must be selected in the ballot first; Indian citizens use the separate India Young Professionals Scheme, also by ballot. – Where: UKVI
Show savings and pay	Hold £2,530 for 28 days in a row. Pay the £340 fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge of £776 a year (£1,552 for 2 years). Apply up to 6 months before you travel. – Where: UKVI
Get a National Insurance number	Apply online once in the UK (up to 4 weeks). You can start work before it arrives if you prove your right to work with a share code from your eVisa. – Where: Department for Work and Pensions
Find a room	In England only, landlords check your right to rent and, since 1 May 2026, can ask for at most 1 month's rent in advance. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have no right-to-rent check. – Where: Landlord or letting agent
Open a bank account	The nine largest banks must offer a fee-free basic account to anyone legally resident without another suitable account, and decide within 10 business days. – Where: Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander and other large banks
Register with a GP	Free in England, no ID needed. The surcharge covers NHS care from your visa start date, but prescriptions (in England), dental care and eye tests cost extra. – Where: NHS

Rules that apply to you
You can stay up to 24 months; Australians, Canadians and New Zealanders can extend once by 1 year, applying no more than 28 days before expiry.
Self-employment is allowed only if your premises are rented, your equipment is worth no more than £5,000 and you have no employees.
You cannot apply if children under 18 live with you, you cannot bring family members, and you can use the scheme only once.
You have no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and cannot work as a professional sportsperson.

Source: UK Visas and Immigration, Home Office, HM Treasury, NHS, Department for Work and Pensions, read 23 September 2026

Refugee or protection status

If you claimed asylum on or after 2 March 2026, refugee status or humanitarian protection is granted for 30 months, not 5 years, and you must apply to renew. Refugee family reunion has been suspended since 4 September 2025. Plans for settlement only after 20 years are proposals, not law.

Step	What to do
Claim asylum as early as you can	Claim on arrival or as soon as you think it is unsafe to return – waiting makes refusal more likely. A single-interview 'merged registration' process is being phased in from 30 July 2026. – Where: Home Office
Apply for asylum support	If you have nowhere to live or no money, apply with form ASF1: housing (no choice of area) and £49.18 per person a week on an ASPEN card. – Where: Home Office
Use healthcare and school	You pay no Immigration Health Surcharge. On asylum support, prescriptions, dental care and eye tests are free, and children aged 5–17 must go to a free state school. – Where: NHS; your local council
Work only after a long wait	Asylum seekers usually cannot work. With no decision after 12 months through no fault of yours, apply for permission (form PTW1) – for jobs at RQF level 6 or above only. – Where: Home Office
After a grant: renew on time	Claims from 2 March 2026 get at least 30 months; apply to renew within 28 days of expiry if you still need protection. Earlier claims get at least 5 years. – Where: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Start work and open a bank account	Once granted, there are no limits on work. The nine largest banks must offer a basic account to legally resident people, including asylum seekers and people with no fixed address. – Where: Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander and other large banks
Get an integration loan	Refugees and people with humanitarian protection aged 18+ can borrow £100–£500 interest-free (£100–£780 with a partner) for a deposit, household items or training. – Where: Department for Work and Pensions
Travel with the right document	Recognised refugees travel on a Home Office travel document, not their national passport: £102 for adults, £66.50 for children aged 15 or under. – Where: Home Office

Rules that apply to you
Settlement – indefinite leave to remain (ILR) – is free for protection status holders; 5-year grants from claims made by 1 March 2026 still lead to ILR after 5 years.
Proposals, not law: no settlement on core protection until 20 years, a new 'Protection Work and Study' route, and asylum support becoming a power rather than a duty.
Family reunion is suspended: partners and children apply under the ordinary family rules, paying fees and meeting the financial requirement.
Ukrainians on the Ukraine Permission Extension can extend by a further 24 months and apply up to 90 days before their permission expires.

Source: Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, NHS, Department for Work and Pensions, read 23 September 2026

Returning British citizen

Since 25 February 2026 dual citizens must travel on a British passport or a Certificate of Entitlement – an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is not possible. From 6 April 2026 you can no longer pay voluntary Class 2 National Insurance for time abroad. A non-British partner needs a family visa and a combined income of at least £29,000.

Step	What to do
Travel on the right document	Use a valid British passport (adults: £102 online in the UK; fees differ abroad) or a Certificate of Entitlement (£589), now issued digitally. In an emergency, apply for an emergency travel document. – Where: HM Passport Office; Home Office
Sponsor your partner	A non-British partner needs a family visa: combined income of at least £29,000 (only UK-earned job income counts, or savings above £16,000), English at A1 and a £2,064 fee from abroad. – Where: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Check the EU route	The 'Surinder Singh' route via the EU Settlement Scheme is closed for most people; only family who already had pre-settled status or an EUSS family permit can still use it. – Where: UKVI
Check your National Insurance record	Your number stays the same for life. Look for gaps: you need 10 qualifying years for any State Pension, and Class 3 costs £18.40 a week in 2026/27. – Where: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
Register with a GP	If you move back for good you are ordinarily resident, so NHS hospital care is free from arrival. In England GP registration is free and needs no proof of address. – Where: NHS
Claim Child Benefit early	If you are responsible for a child under 16 and live in the UK, claim soon – it can be backdated only 3 months. It pays £27.05 a week for the eldest or only child. – Where: HMRC
Re-register to vote	Register at your new UK address. You can register from 16 in England and Northern Ireland and from 14 in Scotland and Wales. – Where: Electoral registration office at your local council
Check tax on foreign income	After 10 years of non-UK tax residence, the 4-year FIG regime can exempt foreign income and gains in your first 4 years back – it depends on residence, not nationality. – Where: HMRC

Rules that apply to you
If your partner cannot meet the financial requirement, a visa may still be granted on human rights grounds, but settlement then takes 10 years, not 5.
Student finance in England needs 3 years' residence in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man before the course, so returning children may not qualify at once.
Family members whose indefinite leave to remain (ILR) lapsed after 2 years abroad may need a Returning Resident visa (£726).
Under the earned settlement proposal, partners of British citizens would keep a 5-year path; the proposal is not law yet.

Source: Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, HM Revenue & Customs, NHS, read 23 September 2026

Starting a business or self-employed

Founders from abroad usually need the Innovator Founder visa, whose fee rose to £1,357 on 8 April 2026; since 25 November 2025 students who finish their course can switch to it and start trading while they wait. From 6 April 2026 Making Tax Digital applies to sole traders with income over £50,000.

Step	What to do
Check you may run a business	Global Talent, High Potential Individual and Graduate visas let you be self-employed; Youth Mobility only with rented premises, equipment up to £5,000 and no staff. Otherwise: Innovator Founder. – Where: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Get endorsed	Your idea must be new, innovative, viable and scalable. Pay £1,000 for the endorsement and £500 per contact-point meeting (at 12 and 24 months). There is no fixed minimum investment. – Where: Approved endorsing body
Apply for the Innovator Founder visa	£1,357 from outside the UK (£1,693 inside), plus £1,270 personal savings for 28 days and B2 English. The visa lasts 3 years; settlement is possible after 3 years under current rules. – Where: UKVI
Register your business	Sole traders can start straight away but must register for Self Assessment if they earn over £1,000 in a tax year. A limited company costs £100 online at Companies House. – Where: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC); Companies House
Know the tax deadlines	For 2025/26, register by 5 October 2026 if you are new; the online return and payment are due by 31 January 2027. Class 4 National Insurance: 6% on profits of £12,570–£50,270, 2% above. – Where: HMRC
Plan for Making Tax Digital	Digital records and quarterly updates apply if your qualifying income is over £50,000 (from 6 April 2026), £30,000 (from 6 April 2027) or £20,000 (from 6 April 2028). – Where: HMRC
Register for VAT when needed	Register once taxable turnover over the last 12 months exceeds £90,000; non-UK-established businesses supplying the UK must register whatever their turnover. – Where: HMRC

Rules that apply to you
Scotland has its own income tax bands (19% to 48%); Wales uses the same rates as England and Northern Ireland, set by the Welsh Government.
New UK residents after 10 years abroad can use the 4-year FIG regime to exempt foreign business and investment income, claimed on the Self Assessment return.
The Start-up visa has taken no main applications since April 2023, and the Tier 1 (Investor) route closed on 17 February 2026.
Settlement in 3 years for entrepreneurs under 'earned settlement' is only a proposal; the consultation closed with no outcome yet.
Innovator Founders may also take jobs outside their business that need at least an RQF level 3 qualification.

Source: UK Visas and Immigration, Home Office, HM Revenue & Customs, Companies House, read 23 September 2026

The 15 guides

Move

1. Part 1Your first 30 days in the UK
2. Part 2UK visas in 2026
3. Part 3National Insurance number and eVisa share code
4. Part 6Working in the UK
5. Part 7Income tax in the UK for newcomers

Live

1. Part 4Opening a UK bank account
2. Part 5Renting in the UK in 2026
3. Part 8NHS healthcare in the UK
4. Part 10School admissions in the UK
5. Part 11Life in the UK test and English levels
6. Part 12Driving licence exchange in the UK
7. Part 13Setting up home in the UK

Settle

1. Part 9Benefits in the UK
2. Part 14Everyday life in the UK
3. Part 15Indefinite leave to remain and British citizenship

The UK in numbers

Official statistics, fetched from the source. Each figure shows where it comes from and which period it covers.

Figure	Latest	Source and period
Population	69.49 million	World Bank · 2025
Economy (GDP)	£3,034 billion	Office for National Statistics (ONS) · 2025
GDP per person	$57,602	World Bank · 2025
GDP growth	+1.2%	ONS, compared with a year earlier · Q2 2026
GDP growth, full year	1.4%	World Bank · 2025
Unemployment	4.9%	ONS Labour Force Survey, age 16+, seasonally adjusted · May–July 2026
Employment rate	75.1%	ONS, age 16–64, seasonally adjusted · May–July 2026
Inflation	3.1%	ONS, consumer prices index (CPI) · August 2026
Central bank rate	3.75%	Bank of England Bank Rate · 22 September 2026
Price level	129	EU = 100 · Eurostat · 2024
€1 buys	0.8595 GBP	European Central Bank · 23 September 2026

Source: Office for National Statistics, Bank of England, Eurostat, World Bank and European Central Bank, read 23 September 2026, 23:40 Paris time (CET).

Pros
Unemployment of 4.9% (May–July 2026, ONS) – below the EU’s 6.1% (July 2026, Eurostat), although the two surveys are measured differently.
A rich economy: GDP of $57,602 per person (World Bank, 2025) and £3,034 billion in total (ONS, 2025).
Growing: +1.2% in Q2 2026 compared with a year earlier (ONS) and 1.4% in 2025 (World Bank).
An employment rate of 75.1% for 16–64-year-olds (May–July 2026, ONS).

Cons
Expensive: consumer prices 29% above the EU average (Eurostat, 2024).
The highest central bank rate of the six countries in this guide: Bank Rate 3.75% (Bank of England) – loans cost more.
Inflation of 3.1% (August 2026, ONS consumer prices index).
Outside the EU: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who move to the UK now need a visa too.

Your first steps in the UK, in order

Step	What	Where	Typical time
1	Get the right permission before you travel – usually a visa such as Skilled Worker, Student or a family visa. Visitors who need no visa, for example from Europe, the USA, Canada or Australia, need an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation): £20 since 8 April 2026 (it was £16). An ETA covers visits of up to 6 months, but no work and no living in the UK. Coming for 6 months or more after recently living in a listed country? Take a tuberculosis (TB) test at an approved clinic first.	UKVI – apply online on the UK government website	Usually 3 weeks from outside the UK for visitor, student, Skilled Worker and most other work visas; 12 weeks for family visas. Priority service (£500): usually 5 working days. ETA: usually within a day, up to 3 working days.
2	Create or link your UKVI account so you can see your eVisa, and add the passport you will travel on – eVisas are checked at the border and at check-in. Every dependant needs their own account. If you already have EU Settlement Scheme status, you already have an account: do not create a second one.	Your UKVI account, online. Problems: the UKVI Resolution Centre (see the address book)	Before you travel. A share code, which you use to prove your status, lasts 90 days.
3	Arrive and clear customs. Declare goods over your allowance, and cash of £10,000 or more when you travel between Great Britain and a country outside the UK (€10,000 in Northern Ireland). Belongings, vehicles and pets can come in free of import duty and VAT with Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief if you lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months and owned the goods for at least 6 months – get approval from HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs) on form ToR1 first.	The UK border; HMRC for ToR relief and vehicle imports	Import your belongings within 12 months of moving. Bringing a car: tell HMRC within 14 days of arrival.
4	Find a home. In England only, the landlord or letting agent must check your right to rent – with a share code or your original documents. Since 1 May 2026, new private tenancies in England roll on with no end date, 'no fault' section 21 evictions are abolished, rent in advance is capped at 1 month and the deposit at 5 weeks' rent (6 weeks if the annual rent is £50,000 or more). Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have no right-to-rent check and their own tenancy rules (see Good to know).	A landlord or letting agent; in England and Wales the deposit goes into a government-approved protection scheme	If your permission is time-limited, the check is done in the 28 days before the tenancy starts. The landlord must protect your deposit within 30 days.
5	Register for Council Tax. Contact your local council when you move in; it registers you and sends the bill. A full bill assumes at least 2 adults, so you get 25% off if you live alone – but you must apply for the discount. In Scotland, Council Tax is usually billed together with water and waste charges; Northern Ireland has domestic rates instead.	Your local council. Northern Ireland: Land & Property Services	When you move in. The bill is usually split into 10 monthly payments – 12 if you ask.
6	Open a bank account. The nine largest current-account providers must offer a fee-free basic bank account to anyone legally resident in the UK who has no other suitable account; you do not have to pass a credit check to be offered one, and there is no overdraft. Banks usually ask for a passport or driving licence and proof of address.	A designated bank or building society: Barclays UK, the Co-operative Bank, HSBC UK, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, NatWest Group, Santander UK, TSB or Virgin Money	The bank must open or refuse a basic bank account within 10 business days of a completed application.
7	Get a National Insurance number if you will work. Check your eVisa first – you may already have one. Otherwise apply online; you can only apply while you are in the UK. You can start work before it arrives if you can prove your right to work.	Online, on the UK government website. Application helpline: 0800 141 2079	Up to 4 weeks after you have proved your identity.
8	Start work. Prove your right to work before your first day, with a share code or eligible documents – your employer cannot insist on the share code. Without a P45 from a previous UK job you may start on an emergency tax code (1257L W1, M1 or X). From age 22, on at least £10,000 a year, you are enrolled in a workplace pension automatically.	Your employer; HMRC for tax codes – your personal tax account or the HMRC app	HMRC usually corrects an emergency tax code within up to 35 days of starting a job.
9	Find a school place. In England, apply for a state school place through the local council where you will live, even from abroad; if you arrive mid-year, you make an 'in-year application'. State-funded schools in England must not ask for passports or check immigration status as a condition of admission. In Scotland, children usually start primary school in August, aged between 4½ and 5½; in Northern Ireland, primary school runs from age 4 to 11.	The local council for the area where you will live (England)	A child offered a place mid-year usually starts at the beginning of the following term.
10	Register with a GP (family doctor). In England everyone can register for free – no ID, proof of address, immigration status or NHS number needed. If you paid the Immigration Health Surcharge with your visa, the NHS is free from the day your visa starts, but you still pay for dental treatment, eye tests and, in England, prescriptions. In Northern Ireland, people arriving from outside the UK fill in form HSCR-1 at a local practice.	A GP surgery that covers the area where you live – in England online through the NHS website or on a paper form at the surgery	About 15 minutes per person to fill in the form; you are usually told within 5 days of the surgery getting your details.
11	Improve your English. In England, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses up to Level 2 are fully funded for learners aged 19 or over who earn less than £26,800 a year, including the unemployed; others pay part of the cost. People on Student, Graduate or sponsored work visas such as Skilled Worker are not eligible, but their dependants are. From 26 March 2027, most routes to settlement require English at B2.	A course funded by the Adult Skills Fund (England). In Edinburgh, the University of Edinburgh runs free 'English Beginners for New Scots' courses for refugees, asylum seekers and people with humanitarian protection	Moving up from B1 to B2 takes an estimated 200 hours of learning, according to the Home Office.

Tax at a glance for 2026

Item	2026/27	What it means for you
Tax year	6 April 2026 – 5 April 2027	Income tax, National Insurance and the allowances run on this tax year, not the calendar year.
Personal Allowance	£12,570	The income you pay no tax on. It falls by £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000 and is zero from £125,140. At Budget 2025 the government set out that it will stay at £12,570 until 5 April 2031.
Basic rate – England, Wales and Northern Ireland	20%	On income from £12,571 to £50,270. Wales sets its own rates – the same as England in 2026/27 – and Welsh taxpayers have a tax code starting with C.
Higher rate – England, Wales and Northern Ireland	40%	On income from £50,271 to £125,140.
Additional rate – England, Wales and Northern Ireland	45%	On income over £125,140.
Scottish Income Tax – if you live in Scotland	19% to 48%	Starter 19% on £12,571–£16,537, basic 20% on £16,538–£29,526, intermediate 21% on £29,527–£43,662, higher 42% on £43,663–£75,000, advanced 45% on £75,001–£125,140 and top 48% above that. Savings interest and dividends are taxed at the UK rates. Scottish tax codes start with S.
Class 1 National Insurance – employee	8% and 2%	8% on pay from £242 to £967 a week (£1,048 to £4,189 a month), 2% above that. On £129 to £242 a week you usually pay nothing but still build up credits.
National Insurance – employer	15%	Paid by your employer on your earnings above £96 a week (£5,000 a year).
Workplace pension	At least 8% in total	Automatic enrolment from age 22 up to State Pension age if you earn at least £10,000 a year. Your employer pays at least 3%, usually on earnings between £6,240 and £50,270.
Marriage Allowance	£1,260	A lower-earning spouse or civil partner can transfer this much of their allowance, cutting the partner's tax by up to £252 a year. Unmarried couples who live together cannot claim.
High Income Child Benefit Charge	From £60,000	If you or your partner earn over £60,000, the higher earner pays back 1% of your Child Benefit for every £200 above it – all of it from £80,000.
Foreign income and gains (FIG) regime	First 4 tax years	After at least 10 consecutive tax years of non-UK residence, you can claim relief from UK tax on eligible foreign income and gains for your first 4 years of UK residence – on a Self Assessment return, at the cost of your tax-free allowances for that year. Foreign employment income is not covered.
Self Assessment	Register by 5 October 2026	If you must file a tax return for 2025/26 for the first time – for example as a sole trader earning more than £1,000. The online return and payment are due by 31 January 2027.

The Relocate in Europe salary calculator applies these 2026 rates to your own salary.

Emergency and health numbers

Number	For what
999	Police, fire, ambulance and coastguard in an emergency – life-threatening situations such as serious road accidents, strokes and heart attacks. Free.
112	Works from most mobile phones instead of 999 and connects you to the same services. Free.
101	Police, non-emergency. Free.
111	NHS 111 in England: urgent medical help when it is not a 999 emergency, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, free from landlines and mobiles. Ask for an interpreter if you need one. 111 online, through the NHS website or the NHS App, is for people aged 5 and over – call 111 for a child under 5. In Scotland, 111 is NHS 24; in Wales, NHS 111 Wales.
18001 111	NHS 111 by text relay, 24 hours a day.
105	Power cut in Great Britain: free, and puts you through to your electricity network operator.
0800 002 001	Northern Ireland only: the Gas Emergency Service, if you smell gas.
0808 2000 247	Refuge – the free 24-hour national domestic abuse helpline.
0808 800 5000	NSPCC helpline (child protection).
0800 1111	Childline, for children and young people.
0300 123 2040	Report Fraud – the national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre, for example for rental scams. Police advice: you, or someone you trust, should view a home in person before you sign or pay.
0800 80 70 60	Environment Agency incident hotline, 24 hours – for example large-scale fly-tipping. Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111.
0800 432 0804	Fair Work Agency: serious abuse at work or modern slavery, including if you are on a Skilled Worker visa. Free, Monday–Friday 9am–5pm.

The address book

Grouped by what you need. Numbers are written as each organisation publishes them; where it gives a separate number for callers outside the UK, we include that too. Websites are named rather than linked – search for the organisation's name. Where we could not verify a phone number, address or opening hour, the cell says "See the agency's website".

Residence and identity

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
UKVI – UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office)	Visas, eVisas, your UKVI account and share codes, extensions and settlement. An online contact tool routes you to the right team; staff cannot advise on your personal circumstances, which visa to apply for or when you will get a decision	UKVI Resolution Centre (UKVI account, eVisa, right to work or rent): 0300 790 6268; from abroad, or if 0300 numbers do not work: +44 (0)203 875 4669. Monday–Friday 8am–8pm (not bank holidays), Saturday–Sunday 9:30am–4:30pm UK time. The guide listing this line is the oldest source we used – check it before you call	UK Visas and Immigration, on the UK government website (Contact UKVI tool and webchat)	See the agency's website
EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre (Home Office)	EU Settlement Scheme questions for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members. Applying is free	Inside the UK: 0300 123 7379. Outside the UK: +44 (0)20 3080 0010. Monday–Friday 8am–8pm (not bank holidays), Saturday–Sunday 9:30am–4:30pm. Organisations helping applicants: 0300 790 0566, Monday–Friday 9am–5pm	EU Settlement Scheme, on the UK government website; UKVI webchat	Paper applications by post: EU Settlement Scheme, PO Box 2076, Liverpool L69 3PG
Home Office – Employer Enquiry helpline and Landlord's helpline	For employers and landlords checking your right to work or rent. If you have no documents or share code, a landlord in England uses the Landlord's Checking Service, which answers within 2 working days	0300 790 6268, Monday–Thursday 9am–4:45pm, Friday 9am–4:30pm	UK government website	See the agency's website
Life in the UK Test (run by PSI for the Home Office)	The test you need for settlement and British citizenship: 24 questions in 45 minutes, 75% to pass, £50 for each attempt. Book online at least 3 days ahead; under-18s and people aged 65 or over are exempt	0800 015 4245, Monday–Friday 8am–8pm	Life in the UK Test booking, on the UK government website	Over 30 test centres in the UK. You can take the test in Welsh in Wales and in Scottish Gaelic in Scotland
Electoral registration office	Registering to vote – online, in about 5 minutes. From 16 in England and Northern Ireland; from 14 in Scotland and Wales, where anyone with permission to stay can register. It also helps your credit file, because the full register is used to check credit applications	See the agency's website	Register to vote, on the UK government website	See the agency's website

Money, work and social insurance

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
HMRC – HM Revenue & Customs: Income Tax and PAYE	Tax codes, over- and underpayments, Marriage Allowance and certificates of residence. The line uses speech recognition – have your National Insurance number ready	0300 200 3300; from abroad +44 135 535 9022. Monday–Friday 8am–6pm, closed bank holidays	HMRC, on the UK government website; personal tax account and HMRC app	See the agency's website
HMRC – National Insurance	Your National Insurance record, contributions, gaps and certificates of coverage (A1). Your number is never given out by phone: it is posted, which can take up to 10 working days, and it also shows in your personal tax account or the HMRC app	0300 200 3500; textphone 0300 200 3519; from abroad +44 191 203 7010. Monday–Friday 8am–6pm	HMRC, on the UK government website; HMRC app	See the agency's website
National Insurance number application helpline	Call if you applied more than 4 weeks ago, have moved house or your details have changed since you applied. Have your application reference number ready	England, Scotland and Wales: 0800 141 2079, Monday–Friday 8am–5pm. Welsh language: 0800 141 2349, Monday–Friday 8am–6pm. Northern Ireland: 0800 587 0024, Monday–Friday 9am–4pm	Apply for a National Insurance number, on the UK government website	See the agency's website
HMRC – Self Assessment	Tax returns – for example for self-employment, foreign income or a claim under the foreign income and gains regime	0300 200 3310; from abroad +44 161 931 9070. Monday–Friday 8am–6pm	HMRC, on the UK government website	See the agency's website
HMRC – Child Benefit Office	Child Benefit: £27.05 a week for the eldest or only child and £17.90 for each additional child in 2026/27; a claim can be backdated up to 3 months. People subject to immigration control, including those with an NRPF (no recourse to public funds) condition, usually cannot claim	0300 200 3100; from abroad +44 161 210 3086. Monday–Friday 8am–6pm	HMRC, on the UK government website; HMRC app	Post: HM Revenue and Customs – Child Benefit Office, PO Box 1, Newcastle upon Tyne NE88 1AA
DWP – Department for Work and Pensions: Jobcentre Plus	New benefit claims, such as New Style Jobseeker's Allowance if you cannot claim online, and the Find a job service for England, Scotland and Wales. Universal Credit has separate contact details. Northern Ireland has its own service, JobApplyNI, and Jobs and Benefits offices	0800 055 6688 (Welsh: 0800 012 1888; Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 055 6688), Monday–Friday 8am–5pm. Existing Jobseeker's Allowance claims: 0800 169 0310	Contact Jobcentre Plus and Find a job, on the UK government website	Your local Jobcentre Plus office – find it with the office search on the UK government website
Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service)	Free advice on employment law and problems at work, for workers and employers	0300 123 1100, Monday–Friday 8am–6pm	Acas	See the agency's website
Fair Work Agency (Department for Business and Trade)	Complaints about pay and work rights – for example not being paid the National Minimum Wage (£12.71 an hour from age 21 since April 2026), working hours or employment agencies – through an online form	Serious abuse or modern slavery: 0800 432 0804, free, Monday–Friday 9am–5pm	Fair Work Agency, on the UK government website	See the agency's website
Citizens Advice (an independent charity, not a government body)	Free advice on work, housing, debt, benefits and immigration	Adviceline (England): 0800 144 8848, usually Monday–Friday 9am–5pm, free from mobiles and landlines. Debt helpline: 0800 240 4420, Monday–Friday 9am–8pm, Saturday 9.30am–1pm. Webchat	Citizens Advice	See the agency's website
Citizens Advice Consumer Service	Problems with your energy supplier, including disconnection – Ofgem, the energy regulator, does not handle individual complaints. In England, Scotland and Wales the price cap for a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit is £1,723 a year from 1 October to 31 December 2026	0808 223 1133. Scotland: Advice Direct Scotland, 0808 196 8660	Citizens Advice; Ofgem	See the agency's website
TV Licensing	A TV licence – £180 a year from 1 April 2026 – to watch or record live TV on any device or use BBC iPlayer. Not needed for on-demand-only services such as Netflix or Disney Plus	Monday–Friday 08:30–18:30: payment card or cash plan 0300 555 0286; Direct Debit or paying in full 0300 790 0368; Welsh 0300 790 6042	TV Licensing (online licence account)	Post: TV Licensing, Darlington DL98 1TL
LPS – Land & Property Services (Northern Ireland)	Domestic rates, which Northern Ireland charges instead of Council Tax, based on the capital value of your home on 1 January 2005. New owners must tell LPS immediately	0300 200 7801	nidirect (Northern Ireland government website)	See the agency's website

Health and safety

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
NHS 111 (England)	Urgent medical help when it is not a 999 emergency; interpreters on request. 111 online is for ages 5 and over	111 – free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Text relay: 18001 111	NHS website; NHS App	Phone and online service. Scotland: NHS 24 on 111. Wales: NHS 111 Wales. Northern Ireland: nidirect
GP surgery (family doctor) – NHS	Your first stop for non-emergency care. In England, everyone can register for free, without ID, proof of address or immigration status, and GP and nurse consultations are free to all. A surgery that refuses you must explain why in writing within 14 days; you can register as a temporary patient for up to 3 months	Your surgery's own number	NHS website (register with a GP surgery)	A surgery that covers your area. Northern Ireland: form HSCR-1 at a local practice; if you are refused, the Business Services Organisation can put you on a doctor's list
NHSBSA – NHS Business Services Authority: Overseas Healthcare Services	Registering an S1 if your healthcare is paid by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland – for example as a pensioner or posted worker. You may then get some or all of your Immigration Health Surcharge back	0191 218 1999; from abroad +44 191 218 1999	NHS Business Services Authority	Post: Overseas Healthcare Services, NHS Business Services Authority, Bridge House, 152 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6SN
Prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) order line – England	In England a prescription costs £9.90 per item – the government announced it stays at £9.90 in 2026/27. A PPC covers unlimited items: £32.05 for 3 months or £114.50 for 12 months. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, in Wales if your GP is in Wales, and in Northern Ireland	0300 330 1341	NHS website	See the agency's website
Utility Regulator (Northern Ireland)	Oversees electricity, gas, water and sewerage in Northern Ireland, which Ofgem does not cover	Gas Emergency Service (Northern Ireland): 0800 002 001	Utility Regulator; nidirect	See the agency's website

Moving goods, cars and pets

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
HMRC – Transfer of Residence relief and vehicle imports	Bringing belongings, vehicles and pets free of import duty and VAT when you move your main home to Great Britain, or to Northern Ireland from outside the EU (moving from the EU to Northern Ireland needs no ToR relief). Get approval first with the online form ToR1. Alcohol, tobacco and commercial vehicles are excluded. A car must be notified to HMRC within 14 days, before you can register it	See the agency's website	Transfer of Residence relief, on the UK government website	See the agency's website
DVLA – Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (Great Britain)	Driving licences and vehicles in England, Scotland and Wales: exchanging a foreign licence (form D1, £43), a first provisional licence (£34 online, £43 by post) and registering an imported vehicle (£55 first registration fee). Tell DVLA when your address changes – or risk a fine of up to £1,000	0300 790 6801, Monday–Friday 8am–7pm, Saturday 8am–2pm; also webchat, WhatsApp and email	DVLA, on the UK government website	D1 forms from Post Office branches that offer DVLA services. Post: Drivers Customer Services, DVLA, Swansea SA6 7JL
DVA – Driver and Vehicle Agency (Northern Ireland)	Driving licences in Northern Ireland. A valid EU/EEA licence can be used until it expires; exchanging an EEA or other foreign licence costs £62.50, a GB licence is exchanged free, and a first provisional licence costs £62.50	See the agency's website	nidirect (Northern Ireland government website)	See the agency's website
APHA – Animal and Plant Health Agency: Pet Travel helpline	Bringing a dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: microchip, rabies vaccination at least 21 full days before travel, a pet travel document and an approved route. Dogs need a tapeworm treatment 24 hours to 5 days before arrival, unless they come directly from Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta or Norway	03000 200 301, Monday–Friday 8:30am–5pm, closed bank holidays	Pet travel, on the UK government website	See the agency's website
DAERA – Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland)	Northern Ireland follows the EU pet travel rules (pet passport or animal health certificate, microchip, rabies vaccination and a 21-day wait). If you live in Great Britain, you need a free Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document to bring your pet	See the agency's website	DAERA; nidirect	See the agency's website
Clean Air Zones (England)	Charging zones in Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead). The online vehicle checker cannot check vehicles registered outside the UK	Support line: 0300 029 8888	Clean Air Zones, on the UK government website	See the agency's website

Education and qualifications

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
UK ENIC – the official UK body for recognising and comparing international qualifications (managed by Ecctis for the UK government)	A Statement of Comparability showing how your foreign qualification compares to UK levels – for study or jobs: £69.60 including an e-Statement, up to 15 working days once your documents and payment are complete. It does not replace a regulator's decision on a regulated profession	+44 (0)330 912 0030, Monday–Friday 9am–5pm UK time (closed on UK public holidays); live chat	UK ENIC	Apply online only – do not post documents. Office: Suffolk House, 68-70 Suffolk Road, Cheltenham GL50 2ED
Your local council – school admissions (England)	A free state school place for children aged 5 to 16. Apply through the council where you will live, even from abroad. Primary applications close on 15 January and secondary applications on 31 October; if you arrive mid-year you make an in-year application	See the agency's website	Your council's website	See the agency's website
Education Authority (Northern Ireland)	Applications for a funded pre-school place in the year before primary school; places are not first-come-first-served	See the agency's website	Education Authority; nidirect	See the agency's website
SELT (Secure English Language Test) providers	Approved English tests for visas, settlement and citizenship. In the UK: Trinity College London, IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson. Outside the UK: PSI Services (UK) Ltd, IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT and Pearson. Results are valid for 2 years	See the agency's website	Each provider's own website	An approved test centre – a test should normally be available within 28 days of booking
Regulated Professions Register (UK government)	Check whether your profession – about 200 are regulated, such as doctor or architect – needs approval from a UK regulator, which decides whether you are qualified	See the agency's website	Regulated Professions Register, on the UK government website	See the agency's website

Cities

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
City of London Corporation	The governing body of the Square Mile, the City of London. Elsewhere in London, Council Tax, schools and bins are handled by your local council	See the agency's website	City of London Corporation	See the agency's website
TfL – Transport for London	Buses, the Tube and trams. Drivers: the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges £12.50 a day for vehicles that do not meet its standards, 24 hours a day every day except Christmas Day, across all London boroughs; foreign-registered vehicles must also comply or pay, and register with EPC plc. Central London also has a Congestion Charge – check the current amount with TfL	See the agency's website	Transport for London	See the agency's website
Manchester City Council	Council services, mostly online, and the Migrant communities pages for newly arrived migrants and people seeking sanctuary – covering NRPF, permission to stay and citizenship ceremonies	Emergency social care and homelessness: 0161 234 5001, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No general switchboard number was shown on the pages we read	Manchester City Council	Post: Manchester City Council, PO Box 532, Town Hall, Manchester M60 2LA
Birmingham City Council	Council Tax, benefits, the register office and citizenship ceremonies; the online BRUM account and the Brum Bot virtual assistant; free SignLive British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting	Switchboard 0121 303 1111; Council Tax 0121 303 1113; Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support 0121 464 7000; register office 0121 675 1000; homelessness 0121 303 7410. Opening hours: See the agency's website	Birmingham City Council	The Register Office has no public counter. See the agency's website
City of Edinburgh Council	Council Tax, benefits and welfare, social care, and the Moving to Edinburgh pages for new residents	Emergencies and homelessness, 24 hours: 0131 200 2000. Council Tax, benefits and welfare: 0131 608 1111, Monday–Thursday 9am–4.30pm, Friday 9am–3pm. Social care: 0131 200 2324	City of Edinburgh Council	Headquarters: City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1YJ. Administrative headquarters: 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG

The biggest cities

London

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
9,122,909 at mid-2025 – Greater London region (ONS, the Office for National Statistics, released 29 July 2026). It fell by 0.29% in the year, the first decrease since mid-2021	Transport for London (TfL). Adult bus and tram monthly pass £94.90. A pay-as-you-go bus fare is £1.75, with unlimited bus and tram journeys within one hour of touching in (the Hopper fare). Tube, Zone 1, pay as you go: £3.10 peak, £3.00 off-peak. We could not verify the monthly Travelcard price	UCL (University College London), founded 1826 as London's first university, with more than 51,000 students from over 150 countries – among others	Heathrow – the busiest UK airport, with 84,462,273 passengers in 2025 (UK Civil Aviation Authority). Gatwick handled 42,769,164	We could not verify an official London newcomer page. For Council Tax, schools and bins, contact your local council

In Census 2021, 40.6% of London's residents were born outside the UK – the highest share of any English region. Brent (352,201 people at mid-2025) had the highest share of non-UK-born residents of any local authority in England and Wales, 56.1%, followed by Westminster at 55.6%. The City of London, the Square Mile, had only 15,631 residents. Budget for it: the average private rent in London was £2,332 a month in August 2026, and £3,690 in Kensington and Chelsea.

Manchester

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
588,256 at mid-2025 – City of Manchester local authority (ONS, released 29 July 2026)	Bee Network, run by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). Adult 28-day Bee Bus ticket £80, valid on all buses in Greater Manchester; 7-day £20; a single 'hopper' fare of £2 gives unlimited Bee Network bus changes within 60 minutes. Metrolink tram tickets: See the agency's website	The University of Manchester, founded 1824, with more than 44,000 students	Manchester Airport – 32,061,307 passengers in 2025, the third-busiest in the UK after Heathrow and Gatwick	Manchester City Council's Migrant communities pages, for newly arrived migrants and people seeking sanctuary. Manchester is a 'Council of Sanctuary'

Ancoats, just outside the city centre, is what the council calls 'the first industrial estate in the world', with massive cotton-spinning mills along the Rochdale Canal. Castlefield, on the south-west side of the centre, takes its name from the Roman fort – the 'castle in the field'. Didsbury is a suburban district 9 km south of the centre, its historic core running down to the River Mersey. The average private rent in Manchester was £1,373 a month in August 2026: £1,003 for one bedroom, £1,233 for two.

Birmingham

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
1,176,960 at mid-2025 – City of Birmingham local authority (ONS, released 29 July 2026)	Buses mainly run by National Express West Midlands in the Swift/nBus network of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM). Adult nBus ticket, valid with all nBus operators: 4 weeks £73, or £67 a month by Direct Debit (12-month minimum, Swift card only); 1 week £21	University of Birmingham, founded 1900 as England's first civic university	Birmingham Airport – 13,660,382 passengers in 2025	No dedicated new-residents page found on the council's website; its Citizenship and Council tax pages come closest. Switchboard 0121 303 1111

The Jewellery Quarter has been a conservation area since 1980. In Digbeth and Deritend, just east of the city centre, the Old Crown pub – built in the 1490s as the Guildhall of St John – is the oldest surviving building in the centre after St Martin's church, and the area includes the Custard Factory, in the former Devonshire Works. Bournville is the model village George Cadbury built for workers of the family cocoa factory, which moved there in 1879. The average private rent in Birmingham was £1,099 a month in August 2026: £830 for one bedroom, £1,003 for two. Drivers: Birmingham has a charging Clean Air Zone.

Edinburgh

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
531,370 at mid-2025 – City of Edinburgh council area, Scotland's second largest after Glasgow City with 654,330 (National Records of Scotland, published 14 July 2026)	Lothian Buses, with Edinburgh Trams. Adult Ridacard, for unlimited Lothian buses, Edinburgh Trams, NightBus and Airlink 100: 4 weeks £80, or £74 a month on an annual Direct Debit; 1 week £26.50. Adult single bus fare £2.40	The University of Edinburgh, founded 1583 by the Town Council – the sixth oldest university in the UK	Edinburgh Airport – 16,969,731 passengers in 2025. The Airlink 100 bus and Edinburgh Trams run there, both included in the Ridacard	City of Edinburgh Council's Moving to Edinburgh page: Council Tax registration, benefits, Citizens Advice, registering with a GP, NHS Lothian dental services, schools and free school meals

The Old Town and the New Town together form the 'Old and New Towns of Edinburgh' UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1995. The Old Town keeps its medieval street pattern and 17th-century town houses; the New Town is a Georgian planned town, with stone terraces and tenements overlooking communal private gardens. In Leith, the Water of Leith and Leith Links are valued for their open space and nature. Drivers: Edinburgh city centre is one of Scotland's four Low Emission Zones, enforced 24 hours a day – the first penalty is £60, reduced to £30 if you pay within 14 days.

Embassies in the UK

Your embassy issues passports, registers births and helps in an emergency. These are the embassies most people moving to the UK need – 41 countries. Addresses, phone numbers and e-mails were read on each embassy’s official website or the UK government’s London Diplomatic List on 23 September 2026. Most consular services are by appointment only – book before you go.

Good to know

Your status lives online. Update your UKVI account whenever you change passport, name, phone number, email or address – a passport not linked to your account can delay you at the border. A share code lasts 90 days, and you can make a new one at any time. An expired BRP (biometric residence permit) works only for 24 months after its printed expiry date or until 31 December 2026, whichever comes first, and only to sign in, get a share code or apply to extend; some older government pages still say 18 months.

Four nations, four sets of rules. Right-to-rent checks and the Renters' Rights Act reforms apply in England. In Wales a landlord's no-fault notice is at least six months; in Scotland a deposit is capped at two months' rent, in Northern Ireland at one month's. Scotland sets its own income tax, and Wales has a 20 mph limit in built-up areas instead of 30 mph. On an EU/EEA driving licence you can drive in Great Britain until 70 if you were under 67 when you became resident – in Northern Ireland, until it expires.

Check your NRPF condition. Most work, study and family visas rule out Universal Credit, Child Benefit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and social housing – your eVisa says whether you can access public funds. Benefits based on National Insurance contributions are not public funds, so you can still get Statutory Sick Pay (£123.25 a week in 2026/27) or statutory maternity and paternity pay if you qualify. In England, children in reception to year 2 at government-funded schools get free school meals, and families with no recourse to public funds may still be eligible.

Staying for good: law versus proposal. Today most work-visa holders can apply for ILR after 5 years, for £3,226 and after passing the Life in the UK Test. From 26 March 2027 – already in the Immigration Rules – most routes to settlement need B2 English instead of B1, even for people already on the path. The 10-year 'earned settlement' baseline is only a proposal: the consultation closed in February 2026 and the rules have not changed. Students: the Graduate visa lasts 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027, and the funds you must show rise from £1,529 to £1,570 a month in London, and from £1,171 to £1,203 elsewhere, for applications from 30 November 2026.

Budget for the big bills. The average private rent in the UK was £1,400 a month in August 2026, and the average Band D Council Tax in England is £2,392 in 2026-27. In England, Scotland and Wales the energy price cap for a typical household paying by Direct Debit is £1,723 a year from 1 October to 31 December 2026, with no VAT on household electricity in Great Britain until 31 March 2027. Registering to vote, if you are eligible, helps your credit history, because the full electoral register is used to check credit applications.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice. Numbers, prices and opening hours were checked on 23 September 2026 – check with the agency before you visit.