Relocation & Moving to the UK: Expat Guides for Every Stage

Most moves take three to six months from deciding to go to being settled. From outside the UK, Skilled Worker visa decisions usually take around three weeks and family visas up to 12 weeks, with priority services available on many routes for £500 or £1,000. Finding a long-term home after you arrive usually takes another four to eight weeks.

Check your eVisa is linked to the passport you travelled on, register with a GP, open a bank account, get a UK mobile number, register for council tax and, if you have children, apply for school places through your local council. Check your UKVI account for a National Insurance number and apply for one if you do not have it.

No. BRPs are no longer issued. Your immigration status is held as an eVisa in your UKVI account, and you prove it to employers and landlords with a share code.

Usually, under Transfer of Residence relief. You must have lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months, have had the goods for at least six months, and import them within 12 months of moving. HMRC asks you to complete a ToR1 form before your goods are shipped.

For a whole household, a shared (groupage) or full sea freight container is usually cheapest. From mainland Europe, a van or lorry via the Channel Tunnel or a ferry is often cheaper and faster for smaller moves. Air freight is priced by weight and only makes sense for small, urgent items.

Almost certainly, unless you are British or Irish or already have status under the EU Settlement Scheme. EU citizens arriving now need a visa like everyone else. The most common routes are the Skilled Worker, family and Student visas. For short visits, people from visa-free countries need an ETA, which costs £20.

For one adult on a three-year Skilled Worker visa, budget roughly £9,500 to £25,500. The visa fee (£819) and Immigration Health Surcharge (£3,105) come to £3,924, and rent, deposit, shipping, temporary accommodation and a cash buffer make up the rest.

Find a practice taking new patients near where you live, using the NHS website, and register online or with the practice. You do not need proof of address or immigration status to register, and registration is free. You will be given an NHS number.

Check your UKVI account first, as some visa holders already have a number. If you do not, apply online once you are in the UK and have the right to work or study; it can take up to four weeks. You can start work before it arrives as long as you can prove your right to work.

EU and EEA licences can be used until you are 70, or for three years after becoming resident if that is longer, and can be exchanged at any time. Other foreign licences can be used for 12 months. Licences from designated countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan and South Africa can be exchanged; others, including US licences, cannot, so you will need to pass the UK theory and practical tests.