Practical information
Below is some practical information Hays Legal has compiled for those considering a move to London.
National Insurance
National Insurance covers entitlements to benefits including free National Health Service healthcare. You will need to obtain a National Insurance number from the Department for Work & Pensions (your local DWP office will be listed in the phone book or log onto www.dwp.gov.uk.
Simply call in to make an application and don't forget to take your passport. Go early as NI numbers can take weeks, sometimes months, to process. If you are working, take a letter to that effect from your employer or employment agency. Where you secure a position before obtaining your NI Number you will be given an emergency number based on your birthday.
Healthcare
You will need to register with your local NHS doctor, who can be found in your telephone directory or through the NHS website www.nhs.uk. Visiting a doctor is free and the only charge is for medicines prescribed. In an emergency dial 999 and ask for an ambulance.
There is no such thing as free dental care in the UK, however, and even if you do find an NHS dentist you will have to pay towards any treatment that you receive, even regular check ups.
Bank Accounts
If you have had friends come to the UK to work before, you might have heard horror stories of people having to pay staggering commission and exchange rates as they suck dry their bank accounts from home whilst battling to open a UK account.
Or those who collect a series of pay cheques which they cannot bank only to find they have been working for a few weeks and haven't a penny to show for it. Opening a bank account is one of the biggest frustrations for newly arrived travellers since it is difficult to receive timely payment or to secure a lease without one.
The good news is it needn't be that traumatic. Just follow these few simple steps. Banks are concerned about security: yours and theirs. This means they will want to see various documents before opening your account.
They will want to see your passport so don't forget to take it along. If you have a British or EU passport or visa, you will probably find it easier to open an account than those on working holiday visas. In addition to your passport, take along as many of the following as you can:
- A letter of introduction/reference from your bank manager at home.
- Proof of address either in the form of a rental agreement, a bill to you at your address or a letter from someone whose name is on the lease
- A letter from your employer (if you have already found work) stating your role, duration of employment and your address
- A letter from an employment agency (if you have registered with one) stating your registration and explaining that you are actively seeking work
Keeping in touch
Phonecards or prepaid plans on your mobile phone tend to be the cheapest way to stay in touch with family and friends. Look out for advertisements for the different plans in travellers' magazines and on the Tube. There are Internet cafes throughout London and most are open late so you should have no problem catching up with people via email.
EasyEverything is a popular, larger chain and its central London branches are open 24 hours. Quiet times are usually mornings and late in the evening. For branches and more information, visit www.easyeverything.co.uk.
Free magazines
There are several free magazines aimed at travellers which are available on a weekly basis from many tube stations. Typically, they offer news and sport from home, travel stories and packages, flats to share, jobs and guides to what's on in London. The most well known of these is TNT.
