After you come to UK, there is a list of things you need to do in the shortest time possible.
1. Open a bank account
The most commonly used banks in the UK are: Natwest, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds TSB, Halifax, Abbey National and Cooperative Bank. You may ask the welfare officer at your school for advice or check with the friends around you to find out their own experiences. To open a bank account, as an international student you should have the following documents ready to show the bank.
 Your passport or other official identity proof
Proof of UK address. New arrival students may ask their school to issue a letter confirming that you are studying there and stating your address.
Proof of your student status. You can show your student card to banks or, get a official letter from your school stating you have registered with the school as a full time student.
The banks may also ask you proof of home country address, your source of income, or credit record depends on circumstances.
For non-EU students, most commonly you will be initially issued with a debit card (Switch, Delta or Solo) with cash withdraw limit of ¡Ì250/day. You can apply credit cards (e.g.Master, Visa etc.) after you live in the country for half a year.
2. Register with a doctor
If you are a full time student with a visa which lasts for six months or more, you are entitled to have free treatment from the NHS (the main organisation which provides health care in the UK) from the start of your stay in this country. To be able to obtain free NHS treatment, you need to register with a doctor. Please visit: www.nhs.uk to find out your nearest GP. You should then apply for a medical card, which contains your NHS number.
When you register with a doctor, you should ask for details of when the doctor's surgery is open, how to make an appointment, and what to do if you need to contact your GP when the surgery is closed. Please note that even if you can have free treatment for the NHS, you will sometimes still need to pay some prescription charges for medicines, and for dental and optical chek-ups or treatment.
3. Buy a mobile phone
The main mobile telephone networks in the UK are: O2, Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile, and Virgin Mobile etc. You have two types of pricing system (tariff) to choose from: Pre-pay (also known as pay as you go) or to sign a contract.
Pay as you go is the most common way to pay for mobile phone calls and is the cheapest if you do not use the phone much. You can buy voucher cards from a newsagent, or pay by credit cards, or ask for money to be added to your account (a top up) automatically.
If you use mobile phone a lot and have a UK bank account, it is more convenient and cost effective to sign a contract with a service provider. You will pay a fixed monthly bill and make calls within the agreed talking minutes for free. Compare with pay as you go, the cost-per-minute of a contract phone may be much lower.
4. For help in finding accommodation, please click here to get more information.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this website is for general guidance ONLY.
We are not responsible for any loss or expense which results from relying on this information.
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