The UK is easy to arrive in and harder to qualify for. Once your visa is sorted, the rest is refreshingly digital: an online status, an online tax account, a GP you register with in minutes. Before that, the visa decides everything, and since Brexit your EU passport doesn’t help.
This guide covers the practical side of the first 90 days: visa, arrival, flat, health, tax registration and costs. It’s general information as of September 2026, not advice. For corporation tax, dividends and the FIG regime in more detail, see our United Kingdom country guide.
Which visa fits you#
| Route | Who it’s for | Key requirement (as of 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| EU Settlement Scheme status | EU citizens who lived in the UK before 2021 | Existing pre-settled or settled status; no new applications for most people |
| Irish citizens | Irish passport holders | No visa needed under the Common Travel Area |
| Skilled Worker | Employees with a licensed UK sponsor | Job offer at the required skill level; usually at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher |
| Global Talent | Leaders or emerging leaders in tech, science, research, arts | Endorsement by a designated body; no job offer needed |
| Innovator Founder | Founders of a new, innovative, viable and scalable business | Endorsement (£1,000, plus £500 per checkpoint meeting); visa fee £1,357 from outside the UK; English; 3 years, settlement possible after 3 |
| Company only | Founders who stay abroad | A UK company or LLP gives you no right to live or work in the UK |
On top of the visa fee comes the Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per year for adults and £776 for children and students, paid upfront for the whole visa. It buys you NHS access on the same basis as residents.
The founder route is demanding: the endorsing body checks innovation and scalability, and meets you at checkpoints during the visa. A consultancy or reseller business won’t get endorsed. If you want to keep the company but not move, our company abroad guide is the better read.
Your first 90 days#
From visa decision to council tax bill
Before you go: visa and health surcharge
Apply online, pay the visa fee and the surcharge, and give biometrics at a visa centre or via the app, depending on your nationality. Decisions from outside the UK usually take about three weeks for founder visas; Skilled Worker timelines depend on the sponsor.
Before you go: UKVI account and eVisa
Your permission is an eVisa. Set up your UKVI account, link your passport and keep it updated. You’ll generate share codes from it to prove your right to work and your right to rent.
Before you go: check the FIG test
The 4-year FIG regime needs at least ten consecutive tax years of non-residence before your first UK tax year. Plan the arrival date with the UK tax year (6 April to 5 April) in mind; see our taxes when moving abroad guide.
Week 1: temporary base, SIM and bank
Book a serviced flat for the first month. EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three are the main networks. App-based banks open accounts in days with a passport and UK address; high-street banks may want more proof.
Week 1: register with a GP
Register with a local GP practice online or in person. It’s free and doesn’t require proof of address at many practices. Your surcharge already paid for NHS treatment.
Week 1 to 2: National Insurance number
If your status didn’t come with one, apply online for a National Insurance number. You can start work before it arrives; your employer uses it for payroll.
Month 1: the long-term flat
With a share code for the right to rent, a UK bank account and an employer reference, you’re a credible tenant. See the flat section below.
Month 1: council tax and utilities
Register with your local council for council tax; if you live alone, ask for the 25% single-person discount. Set up energy, water and broadband; the landlord or letting agent tells you who supplies the building.
Month 3: HMRC and Self Assessment
Employees are taxed through PAYE. If you’re self-employed, have foreign income or want to claim the FIG regime, register for Self Assessment by 5 October after the end of your first tax year. The claim for FIG relief is made on that return.
Month 3: driving licence
Most foreign licences let you drive for 12 months after you become resident. Licences from the EU and certain designated countries can be exchanged for a UK licence; others require a UK test. Use the GOV.UK licence checker for your country.
Finding a flat#
The ONS publishes official average private rents. For August 2026 (provisional): UK £1,400, England £1,459, London £2,332, Scotland £1,013 and Wales £846 a month. The size ranges below are our estimate as of September 2026, not ONS figures.
| Area | Average rent (ONS, Aug 2026) | 1-bedroom | 2–3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (zones 1–3) | £2,332 | £1,800–2,400 | £2,300–3,300 |
| Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh | – | £1,100–1,600 | £1,400–2,100 |
| Rest of England | £1,459 (England) | £800–1,200 | £1,000–1,600 |
- Right to rent. In England, landlords must check your immigration status before the tenancy. You give them a share code from your UKVI account.
- Renters’ Rights Act. Since 1 May 2026, private tenancies in England are rolling periodic tenancies, no-fault evictions under section 21 are gone, landlords can’t accept bids above the advertised rent, and they can ask for at most one month’s rent in advance.
- Deposit. In England, capped at five weeks’ rent (for annual rent under £50,000), and it must be protected in a government-approved scheme. Other tenant fees are banned.
- Scotland and Wales. Their own tenancy laws apply. Ask what type of tenancy you’re signing.
- Scams. Never pay for a flat you haven’t seen, especially if the “landlord” is abroad. Paying holding deposits through a regulated agent is the safer way.
What it costs per month#
Estimate as of September 2026, based on ONS rents and our own ranges for the other lines; not official statistics. Single in a 1-bedroom, couple in a 2-bedroom. No car, no school fees.
| Item | Single | Couple |
|---|---|---|
| Rent (London) | £1,800–2,400 | £2,300–3,300 |
| Council tax | £110–180 | £130–220 |
| Energy and water | £120–200 | £160–260 |
| Mobile and broadband | £40–70 | £60–100 |
| Groceries | £250–400 | £450–650 |
| Transport (Tube, bus, rail) | £150–250 | £300–480 |
| Eating out and other | £300–600 | £500–900 |
| Private health insurance (optional) | £0–150 | £0–300 |
| Total, London | £2,770–4,250 | £3,900–6,210 |
| Total, Manchester, Bristol or Edinburgh | £2,070–3,450 | £3,000–5,010 |
The cheaper-city total swaps in the lower rents from the flat table and leaves the rest roughly the same. The health surcharge is paid upfront with the visa, so it isn’t in the monthly budget.
Documents to bring#
What goes in the folder
Tick them off – your progress is saved in this browser only.
The one linked to your UKVI account. If you renew it, update the account.
Your eVisa is online. Know your login and how to generate share codes.
Endorsement letter (Innovator Founder, Global Talent) or certificate of sponsorship details (Skilled Worker).
For banks and landlords without UK history: references, employment contract, payslips.
UK banks ask where your money comes from. Also useful for the FIG claim.
Marriage and birth certificates for dependants, with certified English translations.
Deregistration certificates and tax residence certificates for the last ten years, to support your FIG claim.
Original, plus a translation if it isn’t in English.
Common traps#
Where UK moves go wrong
Assuming the EU passport still works.
Visits yes, living and working no. Without settled status or an Irish passport, you need a visa.
Missing the FIG window.
The regime needs ten full tax years of non-residence and runs for your first four tax years only. You claim it year by year on Self Assessment; not claiming means worldwide tax.
Forgetting the lost allowances.
Claiming FIG costs you the personal allowance and the capital gains annual exemption for that year.
Running the company from London.
A foreign company managed in the UK becomes UK resident, and FIG won’t cover its dividends.
Paying more than the law allows.
More than one month’s rent in advance or a deposit above five weeks is a red flag in England.
Ignoring the old country.
The Statutory Residence Test decides UK residence; your old country decides with its own rules. Both can claim you in the same year.
Taxes and days#
The Statutory Residence Test decides whether you’re UK resident: 183 days always make you resident, fewer than 46 days (as a newcomer) never do, and in between your UK ties count. Once resident, you pay 20–45% on income and 10.75–39.35% on dividends, unless the FIG regime shelters your foreign income and gains. Inheritance tax follows residence too: after ten years in the UK, your worldwide estate is in scope. Our tax residency guide explains the tie-breakers, and leaving Germany covers the German side.
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Want visa, FIG and exit planned together? Book a strategy session, or compare the UK with other options in the Jurisdiction Finder.
FAQ#
Do EU citizens need a visa to move to the UK?
Yes, unless you have EU Settlement Scheme status or an Irish passport. Visits don’t need a visa, but living and working does.
Can I get a visa by setting up a UK company?
No. A company gives you no right to live or work in the UK. You need a route such as Skilled Worker, Innovator Founder or Global Talent.
What is the 4-year FIG regime?
If you were non-UK resident for at least ten tax years, you can claim exemption on foreign income and gains for your first four tax years of UK residence. You claim on your Self Assessment return and lose the personal allowance for each year you claim.
Do I pay for the NHS?
Visa holders pay the Immigration Health Surcharge upfront, £1,035 per adult per year in 2026. After that you use the NHS like a resident, though prescriptions and dental care in England have charges.
How do I prove my right to rent or work?
With a share code from your UKVI account. The landlord or employer checks your eVisa online; there’s no physical card any more.
When can I settle in the UK?
Innovator Founder and Global Talent holders can apply after three years (some Global Talent routes after five). Most other routes take longer, and the government plans to lengthen the standard wait.
Sources#
- GOV.UK – Skilled Worker visa: your job and salary
- GOV.UK – Innovator Founder visa
- GOV.UK – Global Talent visa
- GOV.UK – Immigration Health Surcharge: how much you pay
- GOV.UK – eVisas and UKVI accounts
- GOV.UK – check if you can claim the 4-year FIG regime
- HMRC – Statutory Residence Test (RDR3)
- GOV.UK – register for Self Assessment
- GOV.UK – apply for a National Insurance number
- ONS – private rent and house prices, UK (latest)
- GOV.UK – Renters’ Rights Act overview for tenants
- GOV.UK – tenancy deposit protection
- GOV.UK – driving in Great Britain on a non-GB licence
