London
Preparing for your move to London
Preparing to go abroad includes securing important documents, making copies, and a lot of planning. Ideally, you should make 3 copies of your passport, visas, and other important paperwork. Keep one with you, one in an accessible, but safe place, and give one to a trusted relative of friend that can give you the information if something were to happen to you.
A checklist of other things to consider:
- Passports: check expiration date -must not expire within 6 months of your arrival. Make at least 2 copies and keep one in a safe place separate from your original passport.
- Secure a medical insurance: If your current insurance does not cover you in the UK, look into medical insurances and travel insurances to prevent unmanageable medical bills and enable entry into other countries.
- Save enough money to support your cost of living and lifestyle plus travel costs with enough of a buffer to be prepared for the unexpected.
- Bring things to facilitate transition: Think about an universal electric plug adaptor, any medications you take, or anything else to make you comfortable during the transition.
After Brexit entries to the UKNotice that, since 1st January 2021, the UK is not an EU member state anymore. Therefore, the European national identity card is no longer valid to visit the UK, yet a visa-free for short visits of up to three months has been agreed between EU countries and the UK. Passport with 6 months of validity will be required at the port of entry. Visa is now required for most of the countries of the EU/EFTA and outside it to have the right to live/move to the UK if you are employed, self-employed or registered as a job-seeker, or you want to stay in the country for more than 3 months. If you're unsure on what visa should you apply for, check online at the UK Government's website. |
Financial
On the home front, make sure all bills are paid or have a means of being paid. If you are retaining a residence while abroad, make sure the rent/mortgage is taken care of and that utilities are being paid while you are away. Insure that important institutions like your bank are able to reach you.
If you are retaining a bank in your home country, ask about fees for overseas transactions, and if you have a credit card, find out if there are additional fees or any changes you need to make with your account. Inform banking industries that you will abroad so as to not arouse suspicious activity on your account as anti-theft systems can see this activity and put a most inconvenient hold on your account.
Tax
It is best to inform tax offices of any change in residency. Some countries have reciprocal tax agreements, and others may require you to pay some form of taxes both in your home country and aboard. Most National Tax Administrations are an excellent resource for exactly what steps to take when moving away.
For more information, refer to our section on taxes.
Health
Standards of health are very high. Infectious disease, health regulations, and life expectancy are up-to-standard of the modern world.
For concerns about your health when abroad, the World Health Organization (WHO) publishes International Travel and Health which is revised annually and is available free online. Another excellent resource is MD Travel Health. It provides free, complete travel-health recommendations for every country and is updated daily.
There is no special vaccine requirement for the UK; however, you may want to check with your doctor whether your vaccinations are up to date.
Use the Healthy Travel Packing List for United Kingdom for a list of health-related items to consider packing for your trip. Talk to your doctor about which items are most important for you.
Covid-19If you are travelling to the UK during the pandemic, make sure you get updated information, since rules can change very fast. Your entrance requisites will depend on where you come from, which countries have you visited in the last 10 days, if you have passed Covid-19 during the previous 6-months or if you have already been vaccinated, etc. For updated information visit: Entering the UK during Coronavirus |
Update 15/09/2021
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