Firstly welcome to the UK and All the best for your future endeavours. We hope you have moved in and settled into your accommodation. There are a few important things to do after moving to the UK for your study.
In case you are still in the pursuit of choosing a right University in the UK, then you should check out this post on HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT UNIVERSITY IN UK – CLICK HERE
#1 GET A UK SIM CARD
Getting a UK-based sim card is essential for connecting and communicating with friends and peer groups as international tariffs would be costly. There is a huge range of carriers such as EE, Vodafone, O2, Three, and Libra available. You can opt for pay-as-you-go which is similar to prepaid or a contract-based subscription which is similar to post-paid but you’ll be enrolled into a fixed term. You may be provided with a sim from your University, you can use it for the time being and later port it to your preferred carrier later.
#2 OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT
You need a local bank account/Debit card for your essential and prefatory shopping as international charges would be high. Getting a bank account could be a hassle and receiving your Debit card could take a long time. You could use REVOLUT instead which is one of the best digital banks in the world. Check out our post on REVOLUT REVIEW – IS THIS THE BEST BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS? – CLICK HERE.
Revolut offers quick set-up, easy international transfers and virtual cards to help you with your initial shopping payments. You can also get rewards by referring your friends. Please read our post on how to set up your Revolut.
#3 COLLECT YOUR BIOMETRIC RESIDENCE PERMIT (BRP)
The BRP is the identity card which provides proof for you to stay, study and work part-time during your stay in the UK. The BRP contains your photo and fingerprint details which can be used to access biometric information.
You can collect your BRP in the location mentioned in the letter along with your Visa after your arrival in the UK which would be either your University or the nearest Post Office. The Post office is open between 9 am and 5.30 pm on weekdays and till 12.30 pm on Saturdays, but I would recommend you go before 3 because when I went to collect BRP at 4.30 pm due to the long queue I was not allowed to stay and had to go the next day.
#4 REGISTER WITH GENERAL PRACTICE (GP)
GP is the general practitioner doctor, with whom all your medical records are kept. You would have already paid for an immigration health surcharge along with your Visa. You can access NHS services. You need to register with your GP once you are aware of the address. You can register with GP through the NHS portal.
Once you have registered you will have access to a free consultation with your GP, Free hospital treatment in case of an accident, emergency or if the GP recommends it and much more similar to that of a UK national.
#5 APPLY FOR A NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBER (NI)
A national insurance number is issued by the UK income tax department which you need to proceed while joining employment (part-time or full-time). You can apply for NI only if you have your BRP and can apply through the UK government portal. You will have to provide your passport details, your BRP, and a photo of you holding your passport. Once you have applied you receive a mail with an application reference number, and it might take up to 4 weeks to get your NI.
#6 ROAM AROUND AND GET TO KNOW PLACES
Once you have completed all the above processes, take a break and explore your university and your city, each city in the UK is unique with its own peculiarity. You can visit your University’s student guild and meet your uni-mates to discover about various societies available. You can scout around the city to know major shopping centres, dining spots and popular site seeing places. You can even visit the Lake District which is a popular vacation destination in the UK. Check out our post on TOP 6 TOWNS TO VISIT IN LAKE DISTRICT – CLICK HERE.
Please share this post with your friends and mates who are not aware of all these still. It might help them big time. If I have missed out on anything please do share it, this will help others. There will be a post on how to get a part-time job for students in the UK. Please subscribe to JUST A LIBRARY for more updates on that.
Also, please check out other articles related to STUDY ABROAD – CLICK HERE.
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