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United Kingdom · Relocation guide

Moving to the UK: visas, housing, healthcare and your first month

Your first priorities are lawful status for each person, usable immigration evidence and a realistic housing budget. Work checks, National Insurance, tax residence and healthcare are separate processes: completing one does not automatically complete the others.

Content updated 11 September 2026. Individual source-check dates are listed below.

Choose the route before committing to the move

Match the application to the job, course or family relationship. A short visit is not a general route to move permanently or take ordinary employment. British and Irish citizens and people with existing settled rights have different starting points; check each family member independently.

Use the route pages below to compare eligibility and costs. A partner’s job or university place does not guarantee dependant permission. Student dependants, in particular, are restricted to qualifying categories rather than every postgraduate course.

Choose the route before committing to the move
Your situationRoute to investigateDecision before committing
Sponsored eligible jobSkilled Worker visaApproved sponsor, eligible occupation and the salary rules for this job
Eligible health professionHealth and Care Worker visaCheck the eligible occupation, approved sponsor and route-specific conditions
Degree or other eligible studyStudent visaLicensed sponsor, finances, work conditions and separate dependant eligibility
Join a qualifying partnerFamily visa (partner/spouse)Relationship, sponsor status, financial and accommodation requirements
Qualifying nationality and ageYouth Mobility Scheme visaNationality, age and scheme conditions; not a permanent-residence grant

Make your immigration evidence usable before flying

An eVisa is the online record of status and conditions in a UKVI account. Check that the record is accessible, accurate and connected to the passport used for travel. Save the approval and account-recovery details securely; never give an employer or landlord your account password.

Follow the decision letter rather than an old relocation checklist telling every newcomer to collect a biometric residence permit. eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents, although an existing visa vignette remains valid until its expiry.

Right to work comes first; the National Insurance number is separate

Your employer must check your right to work before the job starts. The evidence route depends on your nationality and permission: not everyone uses a share code. Confirm any occupation, sponsor, hours or self-employment restrictions separately from payroll onboarding.

A National Insurance number is not work permission. If you already have one, retain it; it is not replaced when you move back or change your name. Eligible people living in the UK can apply if they need one, and may start work while waiting if they can prove their right to work. Give payroll the required starter information and check the first payslip.

Choose the nation, then check the tenancy and upfront cash

Housing, schools and health services differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Compare the actual commute, school availability and household costs before choosing a postcode. Budget immigration charges, travel, temporary accommodation, deposits, rent, utilities, local taxes or rates, transport and a reserve until income arrives. These are budget categories, not a quoted UK-wide cost.

In England, the May 2026 reforms moved most assured shorthold tenancies to rolling assured periodic tenancies. For a new tenancy within the rules, rent cannot be taken before the agreement is signed and advance rent is capped at one month. Lodgers, student halls and social housing have different rules. Do not assume an old fixed-term-tenancy guide applies.

Right-to-rent immigration checks apply in England, not Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. This check is distinct from a landlord’s affordability assessment. Ask for the tenancy terms, inventory, deposit arrangements, bill responsibilities and notice rules before paying.

Open payment access and keep a tax-residence record

Banks commonly request identity and address evidence, but accepted documents and alternatives differ. Ask for the bank’s list before applying, especially while staying in temporary accommodation. Compare account, overdraft and foreign-exchange charges; test a small transfer and retain a fallback payment method before moving the household’s funds.

UK tax residence is assessed for a tax year under the Statutory Residence Test. It is not decided by passport, visa approval or a single arrival date. Keep records of UK and overseas days, homes, work and family ties. Split-year treatment has conditions; cross-border income, assets, pensions or continuing overseas work may need advice covering both countries.

Register for care without waiting for a first tax payment

For a visa requiring the immigration health surcharge, qualifying NHS access begins when the visa starts, provided the required surcharge has been paid—not after a first National Insurance contribution. Exempt routes have their own basis. Some services can still attract charges, and GP registration alone does not establish entitlement to every hospital treatment.

In England, ordinary GP registration is free and does not require proof of immigration status, ID or address. A temporary address can be used; a parent registering a child may be asked for relationship evidence. Transfer medical and vaccination records and arrange continuity for prescriptions. Use the relevant NHS service for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland rather than applying England’s administrative rules everywhere.

Separate a child’s immigration route from school admission

In England, parents moving from overseas can apply for a state-school place before arriving. An admission authority must not make a permanent UK address or immigration documents a condition of considering the application, though school capacity and admission criteria still matter. Parents remain responsible for the child’s lawful entry and residence.

A school offer does not create immigration permission. Visitor and Student/Child Student conditions can restrict the education available under that route. Contact the local admission authority about in-year places, age group, language or additional support and transport; use the corresponding education system outside England.

Check the correct jurisdiction for driving, pets and shipments

For an overseas driving licence, use the DVLA checker for Great Britain—England, Scotland and Wales—and DVA guidance for Northern Ireland. Issuing country, residence, vehicle category and previous exchanges affect the answer. Do not assume every foreign licence has the same exchange deadline or lets you drive every vehicle.

Great Britain’s pet rules depend on the origin, animal and travel arrangements. Microchip, rabies and documentation requirements need sequencing; some journeys require extra tests or treatments. Northern Ireland has a separate process. Check the official branch before booking a pet carrier. For shipped belongings, investigate transfer-of-residence relief, restricted goods and the customs paperwork before dispatch.

Keep the move lawful as your circumstances change

Save the documents behind the move: decisions, contracts, address history and travel records. Calendar each person’s permission expiry and the conditions for renewal. A change of employer, study or relationship may need action before the change occurs.

If settlement is the long-term aim, check whether the specific route qualifies and what residence evidence it requires. A useful first-month plan gets services working; it is not a promise of permanent residence or citizenship.

Your moving checklist

Tick off the tasks that apply to you. The timing is a planning order, not a substitute for the deadlines on your permission or an official instruction.

0 of 20 tasks completed

Before you move
On arrival
Your first month
Later and before renewal

Sources and checks

The linked authorities set the rules. VisaAtlas explains how the steps fit together; planning suggestions are not a decision on your immigration status, tax residence or entitlement to services.

Plan your next step