Moving to London from Australia

Danieka Strathdee
Feb 8, 2023
1 min read

Updated: May 4, 2023

Moving to London/UK can be daunting, there's so much to organise and on top of that you are uprooting your life and connections. Here's what I have learned going through the process, including applying for your Visa, healthcare, super, ATO, student loans, banking, and much more.

How to move to London! Everything you need to prepare (the set-up)

I am writing this having spent the greater part of 2022 researching moving tips and watching videos from people that have gone through the process. It's a lot to take in let's be real, I struggled to find a simple guide in one place that more or less captured the key information on moving to London from Australia.

I made the decision to move to the UK in 2022 and handed in my notice to finish work in mid-December, before moving overseas in January 2023. Here is what I have learnt so far, including week one arrival tips!

Moving from Australia to London

Let's break this down. Essentially we are talking about roughly six different categories to work through as part of your move. This blog will go through the below in more detail:

Admin (visa options, booking airline tickets, and banking/planning your finances and budget)
Familiarising yourself with different areas and neighbourhoods of London – shortlisting and/or booking in housing options
Securing a job, or finding some recruiters (if that's what you want!)
Pack and move
Registering with local authorities upon arrival
I've arrived! What's first?

1. Admin (visa options, booking airline tickets, and banking/planning your finances and budget)

VISA OPTIONS

There are several visa options, including a visitor visa or an Australia visa that allows you to live and work in the UK, including the Tier 2 General visa for skilled workers and the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme (this is what I'm on). Make sure to research the entry requirements and eligibility criteria for each visa, and complete your visa application well in advance of your intended move date.

Helpful links:

UK visa website (entry requirements FAQs and more)

Check if you need a visa

Visa fees

AIRLINE TICKET

You're going, let's lock it in! Airline tickets have the nasty habit of increasing in cost the closer you get to your departure date, so once you are confirmed book it in! Search on sites like Skyscanner and filter by month to find the optimal time for the cheapest ticket. Avoid school holiday months that are more expensive.

BANKING

Yes, you can set up a UK bank account before arriving in the country as an Australian. Some UK banks offer the option of opening a bank account remotely, allowing you to start the process online and complete it once you arrive in the country. However, the requirements and process for opening a bank account from abroad may vary between banks and you may be required to provide proof of identification, residency, and other documents to complete the process. It's best to check with the specific bank you are interested in to confirm their process and requirements.

Using an international banking card as an option

If you don't want to set-up a UK bank account right away, there are other options for you such as Wise, which I use to make payments and transfer money into different currencies. It acts like a bank account, and you can send and receive in 49 currencies.

Use this link for a fee-free transfer of up to A$1,000.

A note to notify your Aussie bank about your move as well. Some banks like Bankwest also allow you to use their card in the UK without any foreign transaction fees so check with your bank first.

BUDGET

Lastly, living in London can be expensive, so it's important to plan your finances and budget accordingly – aim for about A$10,000 in savings before you come. Take into account the cost of living, housing, transportation, food, insurance, and other expenses. I would recommend you open a UK bank account or use a site like Wise to convert some money before you move to have some aside, keep an eye on when the currency is good to optimise your money transfer into pounds!

NOTIFYING THE AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE (ATO) OF YOUR INTENDED MOVE (STUDENT LOANS)

Make sure you notify the ATO by completing an 'Overseas Travel Notification' – especially if you have student loans. For any loans, make compulsory repayments or pay an overseas levy towards your debt if you earn over the minimum repayment threshold.

Helpful links:

YOUR AUSSIE PHONE – DISCONNECTING AND TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION

My best tip to pass on to you here is to write a list of every service that is linked to your Aussie number and change it over to a family member's/or friend's number before your Aussie number is disconnected. This will avoid huge problems if you are trying to log in to your accounts later and it's linked to a disconnected mobile for two-factor authentication. Alternatively, go through the process of connecting key services to apps like 'Authenticator' so you can get the two-factor authentication code from an app instead of via text.

2. Familiarising yourself with different areas and neighbourhoods of London – shortlisting and/or booking in housing options

Start your housing search as early as possible. There are several options, including renting a flat, house-sharing or staying in a serviced apartment. Make sure to research and compare different options before making a decision. If you are worried about securing a rental right away (which can be tough), book yourself some accommodation in London with free cancellation eg, through Booking.com for peace of mind – you can always cancel it once you've locked something else in. Booking a few months in advance will mean cheaper rates too. Use sites like Shopback (when using Booking.com) to get between 5-11% back on your booking as well.

Renting in London – helpful sites

3. Securing a job, or finding some recruiters (if that's what you want!)

Finding employment in London before you move is helpful if you don't just plan on travelling or working online. Depending on your skill set, there are lots of roles or recruiters you can contact, some examples are:

Remote work
The Guardian Jobs in Central Government
Civil Service Jobs and Central Government Jobs
Recruiters eg, Ranstad, EMR, CV Library
Casual event work in London eg, Breezycrew

4. Pack and move

You heard it! Time to pack up. The best thing I can advise is to start the cleanse early and channel your inner Marie Kondo. Clothing markets in your local area are your best friends if you want to try to flip some of your clothes before moving. London is a different climate to Australia and you can't take too much on the plane so be practical about the essentials (your good jeans, a decent jacket etc.)

5. Registering with local authorities upon arrival

Upon your arrival, register with the local authorities and obtain a National Insurance Number (NIN). This will allow you to start working, access healthcare and other services. Your NIN is pretty straightforward but you do need a local address for them to send mail to, and they say it can take up to four weeks to arrive.

Once you have your NIN, you can then apply as an overseas voter (make sure you do this so you don't get fined back in Australia.

6. I've arrived in the UK! What's first?

I write this week one into my arrival in London! Some of the key things you need to do beyond having a blast and checking out the key sites are:

Picking up your biometric residence permit (BRP), note they have the tendency to not be at the post office! I've tried to collect mine twice and it hasn't been at the post office. From what I understand through speaking to the postal workers, they usually receive one delivery of the BRPs a week on a Tuesday around 12pm. I have heard from friends that they have experienced the same where they can't find their BRP, so definitely check at your arranged collection point and if it's not there make a complaint online asap at the address on your Visa letter received.

Set up a sim with a UK phone provider: There are lots to choose from, I opted for 'EE' on their pay-as-you-go plan for flexibility while I am travelling. Some other good providers I hear are: