Are you thinking to move to the UK in 2020? Great choice, it’s a very good time for European citizens to change their lives for better now, as the freedom to move to the UK is exactly the same as before Brexit, by the end of December 2020.
You probably have relatives, friends or acquaintances from your home country who have made this step before and are already successfully settled in the UK now. At Opal Transfer, we share exactly the same experiences like you: we have decided to move to the UK from Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and other similar EU countries. Some of us have become British citizens over the time, starting a family here. Others have arrived in the UK for just a few weeks and started building a better future for themselves and their families, whilst working for Opal Transfer.
Whatever your reason for immigration is, here’s some essential information for your first weeks in the United Kingdom (or even before your coming here), a good and easy-to-follow plan to help you settle more easily abroad:
Do you plan to work in the UK? The very first thing you need to do is to apply for an NI number. You can only apply once you are in the UK (and you are at least 16 years old), but it’s good to be prepared in advance and know exactly what steps to follow:
Opal tips:
You can expect to pay a rent of around £1,200 per month for a one-bedroom (two rooms) apartment in London, one of the top settlement destinations for EU expats in the UK. Elsewhere in the UK rental prices are much lower: the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom property in Edinburgh is less than £1,000; in Manchester it’s £700; in Birmingham it’s £600 and in Liverpool it can be less than £500.
You can also consider to rent a room in a shared house – for many newcomers to the UK this is a very popular and efficient way to find a much cheaper place to live. And it’s also a great opportunity to meet new people who share similar experiences. Whether you choose to rent a room, a studio or a flat, there are two options: you can rent from a real estate agency or directly from the landlord (owner).
Some of the most popular websites where you can rent a flat or a room in different cities within the UK are: Zoopla, Rightmove, Gumtree or Spareroom.
Opal tip: As soon as you find a place, it’s good to register your name with one of the utility companies (e.g.: gas, electricity, water, council tax, etc.). Once your name is on the bill, it’s easy for you to prove your address whenever you need it. It’s quite often to be asked to proof your address in the UK, including the time when you want to open a bank account with a British bank.
Opal Transfer has great news for you: you will soon be able to open a UK account with no proof of address – all you’ll need is an identity document!
All employers in the UK will ask you for a personal account opened in the UK, where they can pay your wages. With Opal Transfer you will soon be able to open a UK account very fast and easily, in only two minutes, with no proof of address. And we will prepare a letter for your employer, so they will know where they can pay you.
Your Opal Transfer personal account will work just like any other bank account in the UK: you will get your salary here and make same-day money transfers to EU countries whenever you want, using the free Opal Transfer mobile app. Moreover, you can order a physical debit card and attach it to your new current account, you can set up Direct Debits to pay your bills, mobile phone contract or gym membership. You will be able to use your contactless Opal Card powered by Mastercard whenever you commute, travel in the UK or abroad. If you need help, our customer service is open seven days a week, in your own language.
Have you already found a job in the UK before coming here? Congratulations, it’s an excellent start! And if you did not manage to get a job before moving to the UK – no worries, you have plenty of options when you come here. These days 75% of the people living in the UK have a paid job, the highest employment rate in the last 50 years. This means there are jobs available for you, in various domains, such as: farming, driving, construction, cleaning, teaching, customer service, catering, hospitality, healthcare, etc., permanent or temporary, full-time or part-time, paid monthly or weekly, with an annual salary or hourly wage. And there are many resources to help you find a job in the United Kingdom: all you need is the strong will to work and succeed in your new life abroad!
Some of the most popular general websites for jobs in the UK are: Indeed, Total Jobs, Reed, CV Library, JobSite, Monster or GuardianJobs. Also, you can find jobs in the UK on various websites in your country. Here are some examples for you:
Another option for you is to register with several recruitment agencies that work in your area and industry. Agencies are intermediary companies that advertise temporary or permanent job vacancies for other companies. They are very popular in the UK and can help you find a job more quickly – most of them work with temporary contracts.
Opal tip: Your chances to get employed get higher if you just visit some local agencies in person, when you are in the UK, and hand your CV. You can search on Google to find a simple, clear CV template adapted to the requirements of the UK labour market. It’s always good to include a simple personal statement, below your name and contact details. This statement can be a couple of sentences written in your own words, where you can present yourself, your professional experience and what you want from the next job.
It is important to get a UK phone number as soon as you arrive in the United Kingdom - a local number will save you a lot of money. There are plenty of mobile phone providers in the UK that you can choose from and most of them have international packages. Some of the most popular providers are: EE, Vodafone, O2, BT Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Sky Mobile or Lebara. If you don’t want to commit to a long mobile phone contract, you can simply get a SIM only deal which gives you a monthly allowance of minutes, texts and data.
Opal tip: Make sure you buy a plan with enough data, so that you can use the Internet from your mobile phone whenever you want to speak with your friends on WhatsApp, open Google maps to find your way in the city or send money home from your mobile app.
The National Health Services (NHS) are free for all EU citizens settled in the UK, based on your residency. Once you find a rent, you can immediately register with a local doctor’s surgery, known as the GP (General Practitioner). You just need to take your ID and a proof of address (any utility bill that shows your name and your address in the UK) with you. You can find your nearest GP here. If you want to find an affordable dentist in your area you can also use the NHS public services.
Opal tip: For anything minor, it’s faster to speak to a local pharmacist or you can find your nearest NHS Walk-in Centre, as you usually do not need to book an appointment here. If you need urgent treatment, you will need to go to your nearest Accident & Emergency (A&E), that you can find here.
There is a variety of ticket options available – it depends on when and where you want to go. For example, if you want to travel by train between two cities within the UK, it is good to book in advance in order to buy much cheaper tickets. If you travel around a big city such as London, it is good if you can avoid the rush hours in the morning and evening, so that you can get significant savings. In London, you can buy an Oyster card for £5 and top it up whenever you need; you can register your Oyster card online, for a better control over your journeys. Or you can buy a monthly pass, that covers your journey by train, tube, overground, tram or bus. The prices vary according to the zones you travel between.
Opal tip: With the upcoming contactless Opal Card you’ll be able to touch in and out whenever you need to travel by public transport – there’s no need to use a travel card, as your personal debit card will work just like a ticket.
Contact us today for more information tailored to your own needs. We can assist you in your language with helpful tips on how to move to the UK and make your life abroad easier.
Български
Česky
Latviešu
Lietuvių
Polski
Română
Slovensky
Español
Українська
Magyar
Italiano