Your first 30 days in England

Permission to enter

• A short visit: some visa-exempt travellers need an ETA; people with a UK visa or permission to live, work or study, and British or Irish citizens, are among those exempt. An ETA does not authorise ordinary employment or living in the UK. Check ETA activities and exemptions for your situation.
• Moving to live or work: check the appropriate immigration route before travel. An eVisa is a digital record of your immigration status, accessed through your UKVI account. Check that your current passport is linked and follow the official UKVI guidance.

What to bring

• Passport, and access to your UKVI account if you have a visa
• Job offer or university letter, and the address where you’ll stay first
• Recent bank statements from home (some landlords and banks ask)
• Your driving licence, if you plan to drive
• A list of any regular medicines and their generic names

Money and data for day one

• Money for day one: compare transfer fees, exchange rates, eligibility and account protections. Wise is one option for international transfers; this is an ordinary provider link and pays us nothing.
• Data for day one: compare your existing roaming allowance with a local SIM or travel eSIM. Airalo is one option; this ordinary link pays us nothing. Check device compatibility and whether a plan includes a phone number.
• Book 2 to 4 weeks of temporary accommodation. Most landlords want to meet you or see ID in person, so renting from abroad is hard.

A UK phone number

Compare prepaid and rolling monthly options. Check the commitment, credit checks, coverage, roaming, international calls and cancellation terms; “SIM-only” does not itself mean no contract.

These are ordinary provider links and pay us nothing. Read 1pMobile’s minimum-spend terms. Compare other networks too; eligibility and contract terms vary by plan.

A bank account

• App banks such as Monzo and Revolut are popular with newcomers and quick to open. We don’t earn from them. Wise works well alongside a bank for international transfers.
• High-street banks (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest and others) are worth adding later, for example when you need a mortgage or want a branch.

Proving your status (visa holders)

You prove your right to work or rent with a share code from your UKVI account. Generate the one you’re asked for:

Reforms from 1 May 2026 concern assured private tenancies in England. Lodgers, halls and social housing have different rules: check your tenancy type.

From 1 May 2026

• Assured tenancies run on a rolling basis, for example weekly or monthly, without a fixed end date.
• Landlords can no longer evict you with a “no-fault” notice. They need a legal reason.
• A landlord can ask for at most one month’s rent in advance, and only after you’ve signed.
• Rent cannot rise in the first 12 months; thereafter, at most annually using Form 4A with two months’ notice. Above-market increases can be challenged.
• You can leave by giving two months’ notice.
• Blanket bans such as “no children” or “no benefits” are illegal.
• Landlords must advertise a specific rent and cannot accept or encourage bids above it.

Still applies: Tenant Fees Act 2019

• Deposit: a maximum of 5 weeks’ rent if the annual rent is under £50,000 (6 weeks if it’s £50,000 or more). It’s a ceiling, not a standard amount, so some landlords ask for less. Your landlord must protect it in a government-approved scheme within 30 days and tell you which one.
• Holding deposit to reserve a property: capped at 1 week’s rent.
• Right to rent check: landlords must check your immigration status (share code, or passport for British and Irish citizens).

Honest warnings

• In London and other big cities, good flats go within days. Have your documents ready before viewings.
• Budget for the first month’s rent, a deposit of up to 5 weeks’ rent and furniture if the flat is unfurnished. Try the budget calculator.

• Register with a GP (local doctor) as soon as you have somewhere to stay. Under NHS guidance you don’t need proof of address, immigration status, ID or an NHS number. Some surgeries still ask; they can refuse only for set reasons, such as a full list, and must tell you why in writing.

• Prescriptions cost £9.90 per item in England in 2026/27 (NHS prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; NI guidance). If you need several items a year, a 12-month prepayment certificate (£114.50) can save money. Paying the Immigration Health Surcharge doesn’t make prescriptions free.
• Dentists: NHS dental appointments can be hard to find. Start looking early, and expect to pay a set NHS charge.

• National Insurance (NI) number: you can start work while waiting for one if you can prove your right to work. Check whether you already have a number and apply if needed.
• Income tax: the first £12,570 a year is tax-free (2026/27). Above that, 20% basic rate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Scotland has its own bands.
• Your first payslip may use an emergency tax code until your details reach HMRC. If you pay too much, it’s usually corrected later; the HMRC app shows your tax code.

• Your UK credit history starts at zero. It affects phone contracts, credit cards and renting.
• Build it slowly: pay bills on time, keep accounts in your name and, if you’re eligible to vote, register on the electoral roll.

1. The first month is mostly admin, and that’s normal. Things that take a minute at home can take a week here.
2. Everything asks for an address. Ask your employer, university or temporary host whether you can use their address for post at first.
3. Winter is dark. In December, London gets roughly eight hours of daylight. Plan walks and sunlight; it helps.
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   A December day in London: roughly 8 hours of daylight out of 24.

4. Making friends takes time. Clubs, sports teams, language exchanges and community groups work better than waiting for work friendships.
5. Homesickness is real, often around months two to four. It usually passes.

• A deposit ties up cash and may be refundable; it is not the same as a fee.
• Avoid double-counting a holding deposit later credited to rent or the tenancy deposit.
• Add travel, immigration costs, furniture and any bills outside the living-cost allowance. Check the deposit rules.