Vets’s Guide to Moving to the UK: General Life and Work in Britain

This article is Part 1 of the series: The Vet’s Guide to Moving to the UK. To see all posts, click here.

Are you thinking of relocating to Britain to work or volunteer as a veterinary professional?

There are a lot of advantages to doing so, but as with any international move, there’s a few things you’ll need to have in place before you’re ready to live and work in the UK.

This post will cover all the basics of relocating as a vet, including:

1. Visas and work permits
2. Biometric Residence Permit
3. National Insurance Number
4. National Health Service
5. Driving in the UK
6. Money Matters- banks and currency conversion
7. Communication and Mobile Phones

Feel free to scroll down to what you need, or to read the vet and vet nurse specific info jump to Part 2: Veterinary Work Specifics.

I’ll do my best to keep all the information up to date, but please remember this guide is written from my own personal experience. I am not an immigration specialist, and you must check with all relevant government departments to ensure you are complying with UK laws before making any major decisions.

If you’re thinking of starting work as a locum once you arrive, make sure you also check out my Guide to Getting Started as a Locum Vet in the UK.

1. Visas and Work Permits

It may sound obvious, but the first step in considering your move to the UK is to ensure that you are legally able to live and work there.

If you have a current UK passport- you’re cruising! As a British national, you are safe to stay as long as you like in the UK, and able to work once you’ve sorted out the paperwork detailed below. You may be eligible to apply for a passport if you have a British parent, or were born in certain British territories- find more information on the official UK Government website, or check you eligibility with this quiz.

If not, you’ll need to visit the Gov UK website to see which category of visa you may be eligible to apply for. Many young travellers are eligible for Youth Mobility Scheme (Working Holiday) Visa, which allows you to live and work in the UK for two full years provided you’re aged between 18 and 30, and are of a certain nationality, including Australian, Canadian, Japanese or from New Zealand.

Otherwise, its also possible to live and work in the UK on a Tier 2 Work Permit, which involves being sponsored by your UK employer. If you’re European, its still a bit unclear on how this will work after Brexit, comes into effect in 2021, so keep an eye on the news for updates.

And if that’s still no good, I guess you could just marry a Brit!

2. Biometric Residence Permit

If you arrive in the UK on a visa or work permit, you’ll need to pick up your Biometric Residence Permit from a pre-arranged post office once you’ve arrived in the country. The details will be provided when you receive your visa. It might come with a National Insurance Number already printed on the back- in which case you can skip the next step.

If you’re a UK passport holder, you won’t need one of these.

3. National Insurance Number (NiNo)

In order to work in the UK, you need a national insurance number– its kind of the equivalent of an Australian Medicare number, or a US social security number.

You can apply for a NiNo once you arrive in the UK, and you’ll be asked to come to an interview to check your documents before you have one issued. Some workers are eligible to start work without a NiNo, but you’ll need to check the website to see if you’re one of them.

4. The National Health Service (NHS)

No matter what the media says, the British NHS is a wonderful thing, and most foreign visa and work permit holders are eligible for FREE medical treatment during the time that they reside in the UK! The free treatment covers accidents and emergencies, general GP appointments, family planning services, as well as many other conditions.

As soon as you have an address, you should find a suitable nearby practice and register yourself. You’ll then receive an NHS number, which is important to help the hospital determine if you are eligible for free treatment in an emergency.

And while we’re at it, save these important UK medical numbers in your phone:

• Dial 999 for medical emergencies, police and fire services.
• Dial 111 for urgent medical advice from a trained NHS staff member

5. Driving in the UK

In the UK, cars drive on the left. This is great news for Australians, but may not be so helpful if you’re from other parts of the world.

Distances are usually given in miles, so speed signs are in miles per hour. Cars are usually manual transmission, and the windscreen wipers are on the right bumper stick- the opposite to Australia.

The UK allows visitors to drive vehicles on most foreign licenses for a moderate amount of time- for Australians, this means you can drive on your Aussie licence for 12 months before you need a local license. If you’re not from Australia, use this tool to find out the rules for your license. The road rules are similar to those of most developed nations- but you can brush up here.

One thing that I did struggle with is that many roads do not have a specific speed limit written on a sign, but instead display an ‘unrestricted’ sign. This means you can go as fast as you like provided you are within the legal limits for your type of vehicle on the specific type of road that you’re driving on. Confused? Me too, so check out this table to work out how fast you can actually go in an ‘unrestricted’ zone.

Also, read the rules on driving on single track roads with passing places. These narrow roads will be more common that you might think, especially if you’re planning to go in mixed practice. And if you’re from a warm climate, read up on vehicle care when the temperature drops below zero- you’ll need to know a little about anti-freeze, winter tyres, how to recognise black ice on the road, and the best methods to to scrape ice off your windscreen (hint: don’t listen to the farm-hands when they suggest pouring boiling water on your windscreen).

It is fairly common for veterinary practices (especially mixed practices) to have vehicles available for their employees. Make sure you discuss this with potential workplaces. Or if you decide to buy your own vehicle, keep in mind that third party insurance is compulsory in the UK. It may be surprisingly expensive for drivers on foreign licenses (like me- eek!). Owned vehicles also need a regular MOT (like an annual service) and annual vehicle tax to be paid- you can check this out for the specific vehicle you’re thinking of buying on this website.

6. Money Matters

When you first move to the UK, you will need some pounds to get your started. I find that most bank cards work in most ATMs worldwide these days, so you shouldn’t get into too much strife if emergency funds are needed.

But keep in mind that using a foreign bank card is unlikely to be the cheapest way to access your money. You may prefer to use a pre-loaded travel card in the short term. For me, I still swear by my Australian citi-bank debit card– there’s no fees for withdrawing from my Australian account in local currency anywhere in the world- and I haven’t found such a good deal anywhere else.

You’ll also need to open a local bank account to receive your UK salary in pounds. These days, this is often done online, but as a foreign national please make sure to read the fine print, as you may be required to visit a branch in person. I also know some foreigner workers have had issues opening an account without a guaranteed salary going in, or without a verified permanent address, so be sure to investigate which banks require which documentation (and get ready to be infuriated by British bureaucracy).

Choosing a bank is up to you- but consider that many banks do have partnerships with foreign financial institutions, so you might be able to open an account that’s linked with your bank at home. As a traveller, make sure your bank has a robust online banking system so you can access your money wherever you are, and that you won’t get locked out when you eventually leave the country.

Finally, if you need to transfer large sums of money between bank accounts in different countries, I’ve found transferwise to be a reliable way to do so. The fees are lower than direct bank transfers, and my funds have always arrived within 1 working day. Check out their website here.

7. Mobile Phones and Communication

For long stays in the UK, you’re best to get a UK sim card with a plan for data and phone calls. There are a heap of options to compare, so do some googling to find what suits you best. UK sim cards should work in foreign phones, provided you’ve had your handset unlocked from your original home network. Also consider that some of the discount providers don’t have extensive coverage in rural areas- you may need to stick with the big players like EE and BT if you’re working in rural Scotland or Northern Ireland. Check with your co-workers to see which provider is best in your area, or try out this handy map which lets you see the mobile coverage for different providers.

Also keep in mind that many UK mobile phone plans currently (at least until brexit) work automatically within all EU countries for no extra cost- if you’re planning on hopping the channel to Europe this is a great bonus to look out for.

Otherwise, the UK is pretty well connected, with mobile data easily accessible in all but the smallest and most remote villages, and plenty of wifi hotspots in coffee shops, restaurants, shopping centres and vet clinics.

Further Information

And that’s the basics covered! If you have any questions, please get in touch! Or if you’re planning on working as a vet or vet nurse when you arrive in the UK, continue onto Part 2: Veterinary Work Specifics. You’ll also find the rest of my posts about working in Britain here.

Read about the experiences of other vets who have migrated to new countries on the Global Vet Interviews Page, including the interview with Emma, an Australian Vet in Scotland!