The first two days in London, in priority order: what has to happen, what should, and what can wait. Tick things off as you go.
For London
How long you are staying
Must do
EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three, and cheaper brands such as giffgaff and Voxi, sell SIM-only plans with no credit check in supermarkets and online. A UK number unlocks banking apps and most sign-ups.
An app-based bank can do it the same day from your passport. Rent, salary and bills all expect a UK sort code and account number.
Use the same contactless card or phone on the tube, buses and trains and TfL caps you automatically, daily and Monday to Sunday: for Zones 1โ2, roughly ยฃ9 a day and ยฃ45 a week. Mixing a card and a phone breaks the caps.
From your UKVI account, for your employer's right-to-work check and your landlord's right-to-rent check. Codes expire, so make a fresh one for each check.
Should do
999 or 112 for emergencies. 111 is the NHS line for urgent problems that are not emergencies in England, Scotland and Wales.
Find practices taking patients on the NHS website and register online. It is free and does not depend on your immigration status.
Online through GOV.UK, unless your eVisa record already shows one. You can start work before it arrives, but payroll needs it to tax you correctly.
Make the trip to work or school between 08:00 and 09:00 before committing to a flat. A stop further out on a fast line often beats a closer one on a slow line.
London has 32 boroughs plus the City, and the borough sets your council tax, bin days, parking permits and school admissions. Look it up from the postcode before you sign.
Tell your local council you have moved in. A single adult household gets 25 per cent off and full-time students are exempt, but both must be applied for.
Nice to do
Many embassies run a registration or alert service for nationals living abroad. Two minutes now saves a scramble in an emergency.
Watching live TV on any device, or using BBC iPlayer, needs a licence for the address. If you do neither, you can declare that online.
Free with proof of address, and many London libraries offer quiet desks and Wi-Fi: a good place to work while the flat has no broadband.
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