United Kingdom · Europe
Moving to London
London quick facts
Cost of living in London
Getting set up in United Kingdom
Visa, eVisa & proving your status
There is no plastic ID card and (since 2025) no BRP either — your status lives online as an eVisa, and the thing landlords and employers actually ask for is a share code. Here is how the Skilled Worker route, your UKVI account and your National Insurance number fit together.
Read the full step-by-step guideDriving in the UK & exchanging your licence
You can drive on a valid foreign licence for up to 12 months after becoming resident. Whether you then simply swap it via the DVLA or have to pass UK tests comes down to your licence's country of issue. Note London also has the ULEZ and Congestion Charge, which catch out new drivers.
Read the full step-by-step guideOpening a bank account
The classic catch-22 is real — high-street banks (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest) ask for proof of a UK address you do not yet have. Digital banks (Monzo, Starling, Revolut, Wise) open an account from your phone in minutes without one, so most newcomers start there and add a high-street account later if they want one. Your eVisa share code, BRP (if you still hold one) or visa, plus a tenancy or employer letter, smooth the high-street route.
Read the full step-by-step guideNHS & healthcare (after the IHS)
You almost certainly already paid for the NHS through the IHS on your visa, which gives you free NHS care from the day your visa starts. The single most useful thing to do is register with a local GP (free, no insurance, no proof of address needed) — that is your gateway to the whole system. Use 111 for urgent-but-not-emergency advice and 999 only for genuine emergencies. Most care is free; prescriptions in England carry a flat charge.
Read the full step-by-step guideGetting a UK SIM & mobile plan
There is no SIM-card registration in the UK — you can buy a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) SIM over the counter or order an eSIM with no ID at all. The four networks (EE, Vodafone, O2, Three) run the masts; cheaper MVNOs that piggyback on them (Giffgaff, Smarty, Lebara) are the newcomer go-to because monthly contracts need a UK bank account and a credit check you will not pass on day one. Start on PAYG, switch to a contract later if you want.
Read the full step-by-step guideIncome tax, PAYE & National Insurance
For most employees there is almost nothing to do — your employer deducts income tax and National Insurance from each payslip through PAYE before you are paid, and that is usually the end of it. You only file a Self Assessment return if you have untaxed income (self-employment, rental, high income or similar). Note two quirks: the UK tax year runs 6 April to 5 April, and whether you are taxed on worldwide income depends on tax residency under the Statutory Residence Test.
Read the full step-by-step guideEach guide has verified costs, timelines, required documents, and the non-obvious gotchas — sourced from official government pages.
Essential English phrases
What to know before you go
Take queuing seriously
ImportantThe British queue for everything and police it socially. Never push in — wait your turn, and you will be silently respected for it.
Stand on the right on escalators
CriticalOn Tube escalators, stand on the right and leave the left clear for people walking up. Blocking the left will earn you tuts and sighs.
Learn the pub round
ImportantIn a group at the pub, people take turns buying everyone's drinks ('getting a round in'). Buy yours when it's your turn — skipping your round is bad form.
Tipping is modest, not mandatory
Good to knowRestaurants often add a 12.5% optional service charge — check the bill before adding more. You do not tip in pubs (at the bar), for taxis you just round up, and tipping is far lighter than in the US.
Decode the 'sorry' culture
Good to know'Sorry' rarely means a real apology — it means excuse me, pardon, or 'you're in my way'. Mirror it: a quick 'sorry' smooths almost any small social friction.
Go contactless everywhere
ImportantLondon is near-cashless. Tap a contactless card or phone on buses and the Tube (no need for an Oyster), and almost everywhere else. Daily and weekly fare caps apply automatically.
Top industries & employers
Finance (the City & Canary Wharf)
HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, Bank of England, London Stock Exchange
One of the world's top financial centres — split between the historic Square Mile and Canary Wharf.
Fintech
Revolut, Monzo, Wise, Starling Bank, Checkout.com
Europe's leading fintech hub; a dense cluster of payments, neobank and crypto firms.
Technology
Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, DeepMind
Big-tech European HQs plus a deep startup scene around King's Cross and Old Street.
Media & creative
BBC, Sky, ITV, WPP, Framestore
Broadcasting, advertising, film/VFX and publishing — a global creative-industries capital.
Law
Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Allen & Overy, Freshfields, Slaughter and May
Home to the 'Magic Circle' — English law underpins much of global commerce and arbitration.
Life sciences
GSK, AstraZeneca, Francis Crick Institute, UCL, Imperial College
A growing research-and-pharma cluster around the 'knowledge quarter' near King's Cross.
Where to go in London
Borough Market
Food · Southwark / London Bridge
London's most famous food market — artisan produce, cheese, and packed lunch stalls under the railway arches.
Local tip: Go on a weekday lunchtime; weekends are shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists. The salt-beef and grilled-cheese queues are worth it.
Hampstead Heath
Hidden gemNature · Hampstead / North London
320 acres of wild parkland with woods, ponds and the city's best skyline view from Parliament Hill.
Local tip: Swim in the wild bathing ponds (separate men's, women's and mixed) in summer — a proper local institution.
Columbia Road Flower Market
Hidden gemNeighborhood · Bethnal Green / East London
A single street that explodes into a flower market every Sunday, lined with tiny independent shops and cafes.
Local tip: Arrive before 9am for calm, or just before 3pm closing when traders slash prices to clear stock.
South Bank
Culture · Southwark / Lambeth
A riverside walk strung with the Tate Modern, National Theatre, Southbank Centre and the London Eye.
Local tip: Walk it east-to-west at dusk; the free Tate Modern viewing levels give a cracking, ticket-free panorama.
Tower of London
Landmark · City of London / Tower Hill
A 1,000-year-old fortress on the Thames, home to the Crown Jewels and the famous ravens.
Local tip: Book online ahead and arrive at opening — the Crown Jewels queue balloons by mid-morning.
Soho
Nightlife · West End
The compact, buzzing heart of London nightlife — bars, theatres, jazz clubs and late-night eats.
Local tip: Bar-hop around Old Compton Street and Dean Street; for a sit-down meal, neighbouring Chinatown is right there.