There are different type of accommodations available in UK. You might want to book a hotel, or youth hostel for initial stay till you find proper accommodation. I have listed some hotels, and youth hostels below for your convenience. Else you can visit www.google.co.uk and search for hotels, hostels according to your convenience.
A youth hostel is cheap alternative to a hotel or B & B (Bed & Breakfast). Youth hostels usually have different type of rooms depending upon your need and budget. The cheaper rooms have more beds in them, so one has to share the room with many other, in this case the shower rooms and toilets are common. Else you can opt for en-suite single or double rooms, which have individual toilet and bathroom, attached to the room, these rooms will cost a little more than shared rooms.
To find proper accommodation, i.e. an independent house/flat, you can visit below link or search on www.google.co.uk and search for hotels, hostels according to your convenience.
You can get a furnished house or unfurnished house. To buy furniture, you can visit local charity shops, which sell used furniture in good condition for less prices, and the proceedings go to some charity. You can also visit gumtree.com to find used furniture. One more good option would be, search for free cycle [area name] in www.google.co.uk with replacing [area name] with the county you are residing in. The members on this group giveaway many things starting from kids toys to furniture, household items, bicycles (called bikes in UK) for free.
In many cities, towns, shared accommodations are available. Shared accommodations are a cheap and flexible alternative to renting a complete house or property. Especially in costly cities like London, shared houses come handy and useful. Shared accommodation might cost anywhere starting from £65-100 depending upon, no. of people, locality of the house and other things. In a shared house you get a single room or double room as per your need in a house, and the kitchen, hall, toilet, shower, garden(if available) are shared among all of the house mates.
You can find shared accommodation on below links,
Easy room mate
Gumtree
Flatshare.com
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
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Welcome!! If you are planning a trip to UK or have recently arrived in UK and dont know where to start then you have reached right place - New To UK. Here you will get answers to most of your questions, be it packing essentials for taking the flight to UK or be it getting registered with NHS or opening a bank account or getting an internet/mobile phone/telephone/ satelite tv connection.
Based on my experiences, I will try to give you guidance, suggestions, and some useful tips which will save your time & energy. In case you would like to share something on this blog, then you are more than welcome, Please post a comment or write to me at gayatri.kedar@gmail.com to contribute or give suggestions and feedback.
National Insurance
If you intend to work in UK then one of the high priority task after landing in UK would be to apply for NI i.e. National Insurance no.
For working in UK, one needs to hold a National Insurance, which is a card with unique number assigned to each holder to identify a tax-payer. This card is somewhat similar to PAN in India, just for your understanding. All the tax contributions are done using the NI number.
Your NI number is your own personal number and you keep the same one all your life, only you can use it.
Keep this number and the card safe with you as it can be used by criminals to steal your identity.
Your NI number is used as a reference number for the whole benefits and tax credits system. It's also used for:
1) making tax and National Insurance deductions through Pay As You Earn (PAYE)
2) recording your entitlement to the State Pension claiming
3) Jobseeker's Allowance
4) claiming Housing Benefit
Please note some of the above benefits might be available to only UK citizens and not applicable for the persons staying in the country on student/tier one/tier two/holiday maker visa.
You will be required to provide National Insurance number while applying or being accepted in any job, hence if you intend to work in UK and hold appropriate visa for working then you will need the NI to be accepted in a job.
To apply for National Insurance, visit nearest Jobcentre Plus, you can find your nearest Jobcentre Plus using google maps or visit www.maps.google.co.uk, and enter 'jobcentre plus near [postcode]'. Please replace [postcode] with postcode of your residence/accommodation. To know how to use google map for other locations/places please click here.
To know more about National Insurance, how to apply for one, and other information about National Insurance ->
Click here
For working in UK, one needs to hold a National Insurance, which is a card with unique number assigned to each holder to identify a tax-payer. This card is somewhat similar to PAN in India, just for your understanding. All the tax contributions are done using the NI number.
Your NI number is your own personal number and you keep the same one all your life, only you can use it.
Keep this number and the card safe with you as it can be used by criminals to steal your identity.
Your NI number is used as a reference number for the whole benefits and tax credits system. It's also used for:
1) making tax and National Insurance deductions through Pay As You Earn (PAYE)
2) recording your entitlement to the State Pension claiming
3) Jobseeker's Allowance
4) claiming Housing Benefit
Please note some of the above benefits might be available to only UK citizens and not applicable for the persons staying in the country on student/tier one/tier two/holiday maker visa.
You will be required to provide National Insurance number while applying or being accepted in any job, hence if you intend to work in UK and hold appropriate visa for working then you will need the NI to be accepted in a job.
To apply for National Insurance, visit nearest Jobcentre Plus, you can find your nearest Jobcentre Plus using google maps or visit www.maps.google.co.uk, and enter 'jobcentre plus near [postcode]'. Please replace [postcode] with postcode of your residence/accommodation. To know how to use google map for other locations/places please click here.
To know more about National Insurance, how to apply for one, and other information about National Insurance ->
Click here
Job hunting in UK
To search a job in UK, first thing would be to update your CV as per UK format. You can find sample CVs on some job sites. Ideally your CV should not be more than 2 pages, and should give fair idea about your skills, profile and knowledge. Best way is to keep it very simple with good amount of white space. I have listed job sites below so that you can register on them and upload your CV on them.
Reed
careers and jobs uk
Yahoo! HotJobs - Job Postings
The companies usually set a date for collecting CVs of all applicants. After scrutinizing CVs depending upon the job requirement and candidate profiles, they short list very few candidates (3 to 7) for first round of interviews. There are typically two steps of interviews, one is personality and second depends on your skill set. For technical people, one round would be technical and one would be personality(no necessary in same sequence). It is a good idea to wear a blazer suite for an interview.
Reed
careers and jobs uk
Yahoo! HotJobs - Job Postings
The companies usually set a date for collecting CVs of all applicants. After scrutinizing CVs depending upon the job requirement and candidate profiles, they short list very few candidates (3 to 7) for first round of interviews. There are typically two steps of interviews, one is personality and second depends on your skill set. For technical people, one round would be technical and one would be personality(no necessary in same sequence). It is a good idea to wear a blazer suite for an interview.
After Landing in UK
During the flight journey or after landing at airport, you will be provided with Immigration form. Please fill in this form carefully with all the required details. Make sure that you carry your chest X-ray in your cabin baggage which can be easily fetched during immigration process. After filling in the immigration form, stand in the appropriate queue for the immigration process. In case you are not sure which queue you should be standing in, then seek assistance from the airport officials. During Immigration process, you will be required to provide the officer with the form and your passport. You might be asked few question depending on the visa type. After this process, you will be required to enter a separate room (only if you are entering the country for the first time on a particular type of visa). In this room you will be required to provide the officer with the chest X-ray which should not be older than 7 days before your travel date. In case you are not carrying the appropriate X-ray, the immigration process might get delayed, so I would always recommend you to carry one (Only during your first journey).
After completion of immigration process, you will proceed to check-in baggage claim section.
I would recommend you to check the latest rules on respective airport website. I have listed few common airports and their websites below,
1) Heathrow Airport(London) - http://www.heathrowairport.com/
2) Gatwick Airport(London) - http://www.gatwickairport.com/
3) Stansted Airport(London) - http://www.stanstedairport.com/
4) Luton Airport(London) - http://www.london-luton.co.uk/
5) Manchester Airport - http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk
6) Birmingham Airport - www.birminghamairport.co.uk
7) Belfast Airport - www.belfastairport.com
8) Bristol Airport - www.bristolairport.co.uk
9) Norwich Airport - www.norwichairport.co.uk
10) Leeds Bradford Airport - www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk
11) Newcastle Airport - www.newcastleairport.com
12) Edinburgh Airport - www.edinburghairport.com
13) Cardiff Airport - www.cial.co.uk
14) Kent Airport - www.kentinternationalairport-manston.com
In case your airport is not listed in above list or to access more information and map, please visit - www.airport-maps.co.uk or http://www.internationalairport.co.uk/.
After completion of immigration process, you will proceed to check-in baggage claim section.
I would recommend you to check the latest rules on respective airport website. I have listed few common airports and their websites below,
1) Heathrow Airport(London) - http://www.heathrowairport.com/
2) Gatwick Airport(London) - http://www.gatwickairport.com/
3) Stansted Airport(London) - http://www.stanstedairport.com/
4) Luton Airport(London) - http://www.london-luton.co.uk/
5) Manchester Airport - http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk
6) Birmingham Airport - www.birminghamairport.co.uk
7) Belfast Airport - www.belfastairport.com
8) Bristol Airport - www.bristolairport.co.uk
9) Norwich Airport - www.norwichairport.co.uk
10) Leeds Bradford Airport - www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk
11) Newcastle Airport - www.newcastleairport.com
12) Edinburgh Airport - www.edinburghairport.com
13) Cardiff Airport - www.cial.co.uk
14) Kent Airport - www.kentinternationalairport-manston.com
In case your airport is not listed in above list or to access more information and map, please visit - www.airport-maps.co.uk or http://www.internationalairport.co.uk/.
Before Flying to UK
I will suggest few basic things to carry with you if you are flying to UK for the first time. Some of them are generic, whereas few of them are very much situation/person specific. I have tried to make the list as exhaustive as possible. Please choose items depending on your requirement. Also feel free to write to me in case you think I have missed anything.
1) Some basic utensils in case you are planning to cook or not sure if you would like or can afford eating out everyday. Though the british food is little bland, thanks to all cosmopolitan environment, you will find different cuisines. If you are going to stay in London or some big town then you will prominently find Indian/Asian restaurants and take-aways for spice lovers. If you are going to a small size town or country side then I will strongly recommend you to be prepapred to cook your own food as you might not find many multi-cultured cuisines.
For those who dont know cooking, I will suggest to take some basic lessons of cooking, at least some easy dishes. For Indians/Pakistanis learning some rice, dal and currys might help you for some days till you find an alternative.
Utensils can contain -
A Pressure cooker - a must, as it is not commonly buyable in UK, you might get one in some Asian area but quite costly.
Kadhai - Depends on personal choice
Frying pan - good to have.
1/2 dishes, bowls, glasses - Depends on personal choice. Though houses in UK have these things if you rent complete house, in shared houses you will need your own. Else you will have to rush for shopping the day you land. It is a good idea to buy cooking utensils which have handle, lid and are non-stick.
2) Ready to eat packets - Nowadays, there are lots of brands with multiple ready-to-eat/ready-to-cook dishes. It will be a good idea to carry 8-10 packets with you, so that you don't have to worry or spend too much time in grocery shopping and cooking on the day you land. It keeps you sorted till you settle down and find shops in your area. Please note that though shops in London are open longer for most of the day, shops in small towns and country side remain open only till 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. So you might have to wait till weekend to go shopping, in case you are going to be busy from next day you land in UK. On weekends, especially Sunday, the shops open late and close early (by 4 p.m. or 5 p.m.). Every grocery chain has its own website, where you can find the nearest store near your place and find the opening time of the shops. Please see Grocery stores for more details about finding grocery shops and their websites.
3) Depending on your food habits, it is a good idea to carry some basic groceries like rice, dal, noodles, spices, some sugar, ketchup/tomato sauce, coffee sachets, pickle and chutney. Also include maggi noodles packets if you like.
4) I would also suggest you to carry some basic medicines with consultation from your doctor and appropriate prescription. As healthcare in UK is very much different than other countries. UK has NHS (). Click here to know more about NHS.
5) Some books or ipod, songs loaded in your mobile phone for entertainment. You may also want to include entertaining things depending on your hobbies and interests like musical instruments, movie DVDs etc. This is a must epsecially if you are arriving in UK for the first time in any time during September to March. During this period day light is less and weather is cold and rainy, which makes life dull and boring.
6) Thermal wears, winter clothes and jackets are must if you are travelling during September and March.
7) Necessary day-to-day clothes. UK has different clothing styles depending on the season, i.e. summer, winter etc. Click here to know about dressing style according to weather in UK
'8)' Good quality trainers/Sports shoes are good to have, especially during winter months. In case you are travelling during months of March to September, then remember to carry a pair of sandals or chappals or floaters, as heat wave makes it painful to wear shoes or trainers.
9) Iron - If you are travelling on a short trip, then you might not need to carry an iron. Just a word of caution - Laundries are quite costly in this country even to get your clothes ironed. So you might want to consider carrying an iron.
10) Chest X-Ray - A must have. Make sure that you get done chest x-ray, which is no older than 7 calendar days before you fly. This is a must have at the immigration desk when you land. Not having one, might delay your immigration process.
11) In case you are going to search for a job in UK, then I will strongly recommend bringing Blazer suite with you(Tie as well for guys) for attending interviews.
Make sure that you have arranged for an accommodation and booked a taxi/bus or mode of travelling to your designation from the airport you are landing. Taking a taxi after landing might turn out to be costlier than you think. To find out more about finding accommodation in UK, click here
In case you are landing in any of the London airport then easybus could be good option for you depending on your destination. Check http://www.easybus.co.uk for more details. You can also check other airport transfer services at -
National Express
Easyjet
Alternatively, you can also book a car if you are permitted to drive in UK and comfortable with it. Some of the car rental services listed below -
Car rental
Hertz car rental
If you are planning to catch a connecting train then please visit - The trainline to find the convenient trains and book online.
1) Some basic utensils in case you are planning to cook or not sure if you would like or can afford eating out everyday. Though the british food is little bland, thanks to all cosmopolitan environment, you will find different cuisines. If you are going to stay in London or some big town then you will prominently find Indian/Asian restaurants and take-aways for spice lovers. If you are going to a small size town or country side then I will strongly recommend you to be prepapred to cook your own food as you might not find many multi-cultured cuisines.
For those who dont know cooking, I will suggest to take some basic lessons of cooking, at least some easy dishes. For Indians/Pakistanis learning some rice, dal and currys might help you for some days till you find an alternative.
Utensils can contain -
A Pressure cooker - a must, as it is not commonly buyable in UK, you might get one in some Asian area but quite costly.
Kadhai - Depends on personal choice
Frying pan - good to have.
1/2 dishes, bowls, glasses - Depends on personal choice. Though houses in UK have these things if you rent complete house, in shared houses you will need your own. Else you will have to rush for shopping the day you land. It is a good idea to buy cooking utensils which have handle, lid and are non-stick.
2) Ready to eat packets - Nowadays, there are lots of brands with multiple ready-to-eat/ready-to-cook dishes. It will be a good idea to carry 8-10 packets with you, so that you don't have to worry or spend too much time in grocery shopping and cooking on the day you land. It keeps you sorted till you settle down and find shops in your area. Please note that though shops in London are open longer for most of the day, shops in small towns and country side remain open only till 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. So you might have to wait till weekend to go shopping, in case you are going to be busy from next day you land in UK. On weekends, especially Sunday, the shops open late and close early (by 4 p.m. or 5 p.m.). Every grocery chain has its own website, where you can find the nearest store near your place and find the opening time of the shops. Please see Grocery stores for more details about finding grocery shops and their websites.
3) Depending on your food habits, it is a good idea to carry some basic groceries like rice, dal, noodles, spices, some sugar, ketchup/tomato sauce, coffee sachets, pickle and chutney. Also include maggi noodles packets if you like.
4) I would also suggest you to carry some basic medicines with consultation from your doctor and appropriate prescription. As healthcare in UK is very much different than other countries. UK has NHS (). Click here to know more about NHS.
5) Some books or ipod, songs loaded in your mobile phone for entertainment. You may also want to include entertaining things depending on your hobbies and interests like musical instruments, movie DVDs etc. This is a must epsecially if you are arriving in UK for the first time in any time during September to March. During this period day light is less and weather is cold and rainy, which makes life dull and boring.
6) Thermal wears, winter clothes and jackets are must if you are travelling during September and March.
7) Necessary day-to-day clothes. UK has different clothing styles depending on the season, i.e. summer, winter etc. Click here to know about dressing style according to weather in UK
'8)' Good quality trainers/Sports shoes are good to have, especially during winter months. In case you are travelling during months of March to September, then remember to carry a pair of sandals or chappals or floaters, as heat wave makes it painful to wear shoes or trainers.
9) Iron - If you are travelling on a short trip, then you might not need to carry an iron. Just a word of caution - Laundries are quite costly in this country even to get your clothes ironed. So you might want to consider carrying an iron.
10) Chest X-Ray - A must have. Make sure that you get done chest x-ray, which is no older than 7 calendar days before you fly. This is a must have at the immigration desk when you land. Not having one, might delay your immigration process.
11) In case you are going to search for a job in UK, then I will strongly recommend bringing Blazer suite with you(Tie as well for guys) for attending interviews.
Make sure that you have arranged for an accommodation and booked a taxi/bus or mode of travelling to your designation from the airport you are landing. Taking a taxi after landing might turn out to be costlier than you think. To find out more about finding accommodation in UK, click here
In case you are landing in any of the London airport then easybus could be good option for you depending on your destination. Check http://www.easybus.co.uk for more details. You can also check other airport transfer services at -
National Express
Easyjet
Alternatively, you can also book a car if you are permitted to drive in UK and comfortable with it. Some of the car rental services listed below -
Car rental
Hertz car rental
If you are planning to catch a connecting train then please visit - The trainline to find the convenient trains and book online.
Booking a flight to UK
There are many airlines currently running direct flights to different destinations in UK. Some of them are listed below.
British Airways
Lufthansa
Etihad Airways
Fly bmi
Brussels Airlines
Finnair
Cathay Pacific
You can also check for competitive prices of different airlines to find the one in your budget and get a good deal on your booking -
Lastminute.com
Cheapflights
Looking for Best International Flight Deals on Travelocity
Jet airways has special baggage allowance for student and migrant(Tier one) visa holders and their dependants. Please check - Jet Airways baggage allowance for more details.
British Airways
Lufthansa
Etihad Airways
Fly bmi
Brussels Airlines
Finnair
Cathay Pacific
You can also check for competitive prices of different airlines to find the one in your budget and get a good deal on your booking -
Lastminute.com
Cheapflights
Looking for Best International Flight Deals on Travelocity
Jet airways has special baggage allowance for student and migrant(Tier one) visa holders and their dependants. Please check - Jet Airways baggage allowance for more details.
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