Yay you made it!
Long flights are exhausting and you’re probably wondering how to get to your hostel or friends couch by now for a rest and get yourself ready for a busy first few days. You may have a million little questions to ask, why not join our Kiwis in London Chat page and check out the FAQs!
You’ll be wanting to set yourself up with the following:
Bank Account
National Insurance Number
Registering with a Doctor
Getting a Job
Find a Flat
Sending home ££
Insurance!
The bank thing is pretty obvious, and in the UK it’s got a reputation to be quite tricky. You will need a proof of address to open an account for most accounts too!
A National Insurance number is like your IRD number in NZ. However without one you can be charged more tax. Follow the instructions at this link to get it sorted quickly. You CAN work without a NI number, but your employer will want to see one sooner rather than later.
If you would like a little help setting up, then you can always pay a little and get some help!
BritBound is here to help set you up as get you into their social events which are great for making new friends.
Registering with a Doctor is quite straight forward. But be a patient patient! Some might not be taking new patients. Your doctor is allocated to your postcode or area in London. We also have the ability to choose which GP we’d like and who has the highest rating too! Go to NHS Choices and enter your postcode. Have a look at your options, contact the GP that you like and ask how you need to register. This will usually mean you bringing down your passport, your BRP and proof of address.
NHS Services are ALL free from when you arrive in the UK aside from prescriptions that are heavily subsidised.
Females, the contraceptive pill is also free.
If you want to see a dentist, go to this NHS Choices page and follow the same instructions as the GPs. Dentistry is heavily subsidised here, it’s great. Click here for the latest charges
Time to find a flat!
You can find all that here in our flatting link
Get a job!
We talk about this a lot but we do have an amazing job set up on our Facebook page, there are 3 ways to use the page for jobs:
* Read our Mentions tab In here companies and agencies post every day seeking people to employ. Have a good scroll down the visitors posts for a few days and get a feel for what is out there and reply to them direct.
* Read our Main page. This is where we have posted job vacancies from companies who have asked us to help. Once again have a good look at what we have written and take your opportunity and apply back. We advertise some amazing companies who love Kiwis a lot!
* Use our Job Contact list. We have a huge alphabetical list of agencies who are seeking Kiwis and Aussies all the time. Scroll through the early categories for agencies that recruit for a number of jobs as well as the sections that suit your chosen profession. Apply away!
If you want a bit of help getting that CV prepared, have a wee look at this!
Sending money home
Might sound a bit crazy to think about this now, but when the exchange rates get pretty sweet, it can get over $2 for every £1 and if you have a spare few quid in your pocket and want to boost your Kiwi savings, or start something to come home to (to help kill the FOMO) then we recommend you register with Halo Financial They will make sure you get the best possible rates out there and work with you, rather than hoping that an app with zero customer service will help you. Plus, a Kiwi is their business dev manager and will give you the type of customer service that we’re all used to back home!
Job sorted! A room to stay in, done! Lets get social! (and Kiwis in London are famous for getting social)
Travel Insurance
Want to start the travels right away? Let’s goooo!
There are eligibility rules about getting a UK based travel insurance policies until you have lived here for 6 months and have a GP. We LOVE SafetyWing They are easy and very affordable. Grab a Nomad policy from them and you can hit the road right away on that long awaited Euro trip. They are used by a growing number of Kiwis and Aussies who love the flexibility it offers. And many choose to continue using them after you become eligible for UK based insurance.