Moving to the UK as an Expat: The Complete Guide

Published on January 17, 2026 and written by Cyril Jarnias

Moving to the UK means both changing countries and changing your pace of life. From the dynamism of London, the elegance of Edinburgh, the industrial and creative vibe of Manchester, to the coastal charm of Brighton, the country offers a mosaic of living environments, price levels, and cultural atmospheres. But for an expatriation project to turn into a successful move, you need to anticipate much more than just the choice of city.

Understanding the UK and its major cities

The United Kingdom is composed of four constituent nations – England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – and has 75 officially recognized cities. These include 54 cities in England, 8 in Scotland, 7 in Wales, and 6 in Northern Ireland. The country is simultaneously highly urbanized and very green: no point is more than 70 miles from the sea, and a dense network of public footpaths provides access to the countryside.

Very varied expatriate profiles

Motivations for settling in the UK differ: career opportunities, studies, retirement, family life, or the desire to live in an English-speaking country. However, certain criteria consistently come up:

– For families: school quality, safety, access to the NHS, green spaces, housing costs.

– For young professionals and singles: employment, salaries, nightlife, cultural scene, student presence.

– For retirees: cost of living, healthcare accessibility, tranquility, safety.

– For skilled professionals: job density in their sector, salary levels, transportation.

The country remains attractive despite a cost of living ranked “medium to high” globally and still noticeable inflation, driven particularly by housing and energy.

Quick overview of some major destinations

To give a sense of scale, here is a table of several major urban areas with population, average rent, and estimated monthly cost (housing included) for a single person, based on 2025 estimates from various sources.

City	Population (urban area)	Average Monthly Rent*	Estimated Total Monthly Cost**
London	9,840,740	£2,260	£3,200 – £3,400
Manchester	2,832,580	£1,300	£1,500 – £2,700
Birmingham	2,704,620	£1,075	£1,350 – £1,700
Edinburgh	563,534	£1,405	£1,800 – £2,800+
Glasgow	1,718,940	£1,202	£1,100 – £1,600
Cardiff	495,378	£815	£1,100 – £1,600
Belfast	651,982	£865	£1,000 – £1,400
Leeds	445,260	£829	£1,300 – £1,600
Norwich	173,870	£1,139	£1,290 – £1,700
Oxford	142,420	£1,911	£1,500 – £2,500

* Average monthly rent for a typical unit (often 1 bedroom).
** Range including routine expenses (excluding income tax).

London, a magnet for talent but an expensive city

London remains the quintessential British metropolis: political, financial, and cultural capital, it hosts the headquarters of major companies in finance, tech, media, law, and the medical sector. Nearly 37% of its inhabitants were born abroad, and 10 of its 33 boroughs have a majority non-white population. The city is thus one of the most multicultural territories in Europe.

Salaries there are the highest in the country, with an average weekly income of about £697. This salary generosity is largely absorbed by a very high cost of living: average rent around £2,260 per month, average purchase prices exceeding £706,000, and price per square meter in the city center around £13,351.

Major regional metropolises: Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds…

Outside London, several large urban areas offer a good compromise between career opportunities and reasonable costs.

“Secondary” capitals and human-scale cities

The capitals of the other nations of the UK also constitute attractive landing spots.

– Edinburgh concentrates history, Scottish political institutions, and a knowledge economy (finance, research, universities). It is regularly ranked among the best cities in the world to live in, with nearly half its surface area recorded as green space and very high average weekly incomes (about £578). Rents, however, remain substantial, especially in the city center.

– Cardiff, the Welsh capital, combines a dynamic cultural center (performance halls, galleries, national stadium) with much more affordable rents than London, with rents up to 60% lower than in the British capital.

– Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, has profoundly changed its image: long marked by political tensions, it is now known for its friendliness, relative safety, and a lower cost of living than in most cities in Great Britain. It hosts over 1,000 foreign companies.

Other cities like Glasgow (arts, universities, affordable housing), Liverpool (home of the Beatles, second-best city for singles in a 2017 study), Newcastle (strong local identity, accessible rents, some of the cheapest childcare in the country), or Norwich (regularly praised quality of life) complete this landscape.

Immigration, visas, and entry authorizations

Since Brexit, the UK applies a unified immigration system: EU citizens are now subject to rules similar to those for the rest of the world, unless they benefit from a special status (settled or pre-settled status via the EU Settlement Scheme).

Who needs a visa, who needs an ETA?

Two main categories exist: “visa nationals”, who must obtain a visa before traveling, and “non‑visa nationals”, who can come for a short stay without a visa but must, since 2025, obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

British and Irish citizens are exempt. Legal residents of Ireland, for certain journeys within the Common Travel Area, may also be exempt.

Many countries – including India, China, or a long list of African, Asian, and Latin American states – remain “visa nationals”: their nationals must apply for an appropriate visa before any travel, even for a short stay or simple transit.

Main types of visas for settling

For a medium or long-term expatriation project, the main categories are:

Most of these visas require:

– An online application on the official government website.

– A biometric appointment at a visa center or verification via a mobile app.

– Payment of visa fees (amount varies greatly by category, often several hundred pounds).

– Payment of the health surcharge (Immigration Health Surcharge, IHS), which grants access to the NHS for the entire visa duration.

The health surcharge: a cost to factor in

For the majority of non-European applicants coming for more than six months, the IHS is due:

– About £1,035 per year for most adults.

– About £776 per year for students and those under 18.

Some categories are exempt (certain state agents, military personnel, refugees, holders of an S1 form covered by another country, Irish citizens, etc.), and a partial refund mechanism exists for a few specific profiles, notably certain European students.

Toward permanent status and citizenship

Generally, continuous residence of about five years under an eligible visa allows applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), equivalent to permanent residence. This step requires proving:

– The duration of legal residence.

– Passing the “Life in the UK” test.

– A minimum level of English.

– The absence of a problematic criminal record.

After one year of ILR (or immediately for spouses of British citizens, under conditions), it is possible to apply for naturalization and thus a British passport.

Finding housing: rental market, procedures, and pitfalls to avoid

For most expatriates, private renting is the most realistic starting option. The British rental market is highly regulated but demanding, especially for newcomers without a credit history or local guarantors.

Understanding the basics of the lease

The most common contract form is the Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST), which applies in most private rentals when the property is the tenant’s main residence and the landlord does not live on-site.

– Minimum duration: 6 months, often set at 6 or 12 months.

– At the end of the fixed period, the lease can be renewed or turn into a “rolling tenancy” (monthly renewal without an end date).

– To leave the property, the tenant must notify the landlord in writing, typically with one month’s notice.

– Leaving before the end of the fixed term usually requires negotiating an agreement (replacement by another tenant, limited break fees covering the landlord’s actual costs).

Housing budget: rent, deposit, Council Tax

Your housing budget must include more than the listed rent. In practice, anticipate:

– First month’s rent paid in advance.

– Security deposit, generally capped at 5 weeks’ rent (6 weeks if the annual rent exceeds £50,000). This deposit must be placed by the landlord in a government-approved protection scheme, with written notification within 30 days.

– Possibly a holding deposit (reservation fee) limited to one week’s rent, refunded if the rental proceeds or if the landlord backs out.

– The Council Tax, an annual local tax funding municipal services (waste collection, libraries, etc.). Depending on the area and the property’s “band,” it often ranges between £1,000 and £2,500 per year, with an average for Band D around £1,770–£2,280.

Housing costs by region

Disparities are considerable between London, the South East, and the North or peripheral nations. A quick comparative table helps visualize these differences for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center.

City / Region	1-Bed Rent City Center (approx.)	Comment
London	£1,750 – £3,000	National peak, very high pressure
Sheffield	£750 – £950	One of the most affordable major cities
Manchester / Liverpool	£700 – £1,200	More expensive than the North East, but manageable
Cardiff / Edinburgh	£700 – £1,200	Capital but costs lower than London
Small town / outskirts	£650 – £900	2–5 miles from center: significant savings

Rents rise quickly in city centers, but drop significantly in the outskirts or small towns. In some regions of the North or Wales, it’s still possible to rent a three-bedroom house for less than £1,000 per month, while the same type exceeds £3,500 easily in London.

Procedures, documents, and safety

Before signing, landlords or agencies almost always conduct:

– A right to rent check in England: passport, visa, immigration status.

– A credit check (local credit history) – problematic for a new arrival.

– References (employer, previous landlord) and proof of income (payslips, contract, bank statements).

Without a UK history, it is common for you to be asked for:

– A guarantor residing in the UK (an employer may sometimes agree to play this role).

– Or, failing that, several months of rent in advance.

– Favor major portals (Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket), known agencies, or reputable platforms for shared accommodation (SpareRoom).

– Never pay money to visit a property.

– Be wary of abnormally cheap offers, landlords supposedly abroad asking for a wire transfer before viewing, or suspicious ads on social media.

– Never sign without having visited (physically or via a serious virtual tour) and obtained a copy of the draft contract.

Safety and mandatory standards

The regulatory framework requires landlords to provide:

– At least one smoke alarm on each habitable floor.

– Carbon monoxide detectors in each room with a solid fuel appliance (stove, fireplace, sometimes certain heaters).

– An annual Gas Safety Certificate.

– An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a rating of at least E for most rentals.

– An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) every 5 years.

In case of uninhabitable property (mold, leaks, defective heating, dangerous installations), the tenant can contact the local council, which has sanctioning powers (fines can reach £30,000 in some cases).

Cost of living and expatriate budget

The UK ranks in the upper tier of developed countries for cost of living. The Numbeo 2025 index gives the country a score of 70.5, higher than France (65.3), Ireland (62.8), or Germany (61.6). London is particularly expensive, but life is significantly more affordable in many regional cities.

Common household expenses

According to statistics, a British household spends on average about £567.70 per week, with housing as the top expense, followed by transport. Grocery shopping represents about £62 per week.

For an expatriate, a realistic monthly budget should include:

Regional disparities are very marked: in the North East, real estate is much more affordable; in the South East, land pressure leading to a shortage of affordable housing significantly drives up rents and purchase prices.

Examples of monthly budgets by city

Several studies have created typical baskets for a single person, rent included, in some cities considered relatively affordable:

City	Rent (approx.)	Utilities	Transport	Groceries	Approx. Total
Sheffield	£750–900	£150	£60	£200	≈ £1,160–1,310
Newcastle upon Tyne	£800	£140	£65	£190	≈ £1,195
Liverpool	£850	£145	£70	£200	≈ £1,265
Cardiff	£900	£150	£55	£200	≈ £1,305
Belfast	£800	£140	£55	£190	≈ £1,185

Conversely, a single person living in a one-bedroom apartment in central London can easily exceed £1,600 in monthly expenses, rent included, or much more in central neighborhoods. It’s estimated that a single person needs about £35,000 gross annually to live comfortably in central London, versus just over £20,000 in a regional city.

Transport: car or public transit?

In cities, public transit is often less costly and more practical than a car. In London, a monthly pass covering tube, bus, and urban trains in zones 1–2 costs around £150–£200, with much higher fares if distant zones are added. In cities like Manchester, Glasgow, or Liverpool, bus/tram passes remain significantly lower.

Driving is expensive.

Motorist

– Fuel: often between £1.50 and £1.80 per liter (average prices around £1.34 early 2025).

– More expensive insurance for new arrivals.

– Difficult and costly parking in city centers (up to the equivalent of several pounds per hour).

– Urban toll (“congestion charge”) in London can reach about £25–£30 per day.

However, a car often remains essential in rural areas or regions poorly served by trains.

Healthcare: How the NHS works for an expatriate

The National Health Service (NHS) is one of the major assets of life in the UK. It is a publicly funded healthcare system, free at the point of use for “ordinary” residents. It is administered separately in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with minor differences (notably on prescriptions or dental care).

Registering with a general practitioner

To fully access the system, it is recommended to register upon arrival with a General Practitioner (GP), a local family doctor who will be your first contact for non-urgent care and will refer you to specialists if needed.

Emergency care (call 999, A&E services) is free for all, including visitors not eligible for the NHS. Non-urgent advice numbers (111 in England) and walk-in centers complement the system.

What’s free, what’s chargeable

For an expatriate who has paid the health surcharge or has ordinary resident status, the following are in principle free:

Remain chargeable, even for residents:

– Prescriptions in England (about £9.90 per medication in 2025, free in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland).

– Most dental care under the NHS, organized in “bands” (tens to hundreds of pounds depending on the procedure, with separate fee scales in each nation).

– Eye tests and glasses (free for certain groups).

– Certain specialized services or non-covered treatments.

Many expatriates rely exclusively on the NHS for daily care and sometimes take out supplementary private insurance to reduce waiting times for certain specialists or obtain superior hotel amenities. Private health insurance premiums average around £60–£150 per month for an adult, more for a family.

Opening a bank account and managing your money

Having a UK bank account facilitates practically everything: salary deposit, paying rent and bills, obtaining a phone contract or credit agreement. Without a local account, you face higher foreign exchange and transaction fees on foreign cards, often around 3%.

Types of accounts

Several main categories exist:

Deposits are protected up to £85,000 per person per institution by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

Opening conditions for an expatriate

Banks must comply with anti-money laundering rules, which implies:

– Identity verification (passport, ID card, driver’s license).

– Proof of address (recent utility bill, bank statement, tenancy agreement, employer letter, university letter, etc.).

– Sometimes proof of income (payslips, employment contract).

– For US citizens, providing the Social Security number and filling out a FATCA compliance form.

– Use a letter from the university (for students) or employer confirming the address.

– Have the address changed with a bank in your home country to the new UK address, then use the statement as proof.

– Turn to online banks or fintechs (Monzo, Starling, Revolut, Wise, etc.) whose proof of address requirements are sometimes more flexible.

Opening an account can be done entirely online for some digital banks, sometimes in minutes, while major traditional banks may take several days or even weeks to finalize checks.

Working in the UK: culture, labor law, and professional integration

The UK remains one of the most attractive job markets in Europe, particularly in the health, engineering, technology, finance, or research sectors. About 21% of the workforce consists of foreign-born workers.

British work culture

The professional culture emphasizes:

– Punctuality: arriving late to a meeting is poorly perceived.

– Politeness and respect for hierarchies, even though management styles are modernizing.

– Communication often direct on objectives, but wrapped in polite phrasing.

– Dress codes more or less formal depending on the sector, still quite conservative in finance or law.

Labor law and salaries

Salaried workers are subject to the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system: income tax and National Insurance contributions are deducted directly from the monthly or weekly salary. Tax rates vary by income bracket, from about 20% to 45% for income tax, plus social contributions of around 8–12%.

British salaries are generally above the OECD average, but drop significantly outside London and the South East. For example:

– In London, a software developer earns on average around £42,900 gross per year, a financial analyst about £40,000, a teacher around £25,500.

– In Edinburgh, the same positions often show lower salaries, around £29,000–41,000 depending on the role.

– In Cardiff, average salaries for these professions are yet another step lower.

The UK has implemented a national minimum wage and strong labor rights: paid leave, protections against unfair dismissal, automatic employer enrollment in a pension scheme (auto-enrolment), etc.

National Insurance Number

To work and contribute correctly, you must have a National Insurance number:

– It serves to track your contributions and social rights (pension, certain benefits).

– You can start working without it, provided you have the right to work, but you will be potentially taxed at the emergency rate until the number is provided.

– The application is made exclusively online via the official website (gov.uk), free of charge.

– You will be asked for proof of identity (passport, BRP, ID card), and, depending on the case, digital photos of these documents.

– Once the application is processed and identity verified, the number is sent by mail within a few weeks.

This number is unique and follows you your whole life, even if you change your name or address.

Taxation: Tax residence, new regimes for expatriates

British taxation is primarily based on the concept of tax residence, determined by the Statutory Residence Test. This is a set of rules combining number of days spent in the country, family ties, available accommodation, employment, etc.

Tax resident or not?

Simplified:

– If you spend 183 days or more in the UK in a tax year (from April 6 to April 5 following), you are almost always considered a tax resident.

– You can also be resident if your “only” home is in the UK or if you work full-time in the country.

– Conversely, if you spend very few days in the territory (less than 16 in some cases) or work full-time abroad, you may remain non‑resident.

When automatic tests are inconclusive, a “sufficient ties” test is applied (family on site, available accommodation, number of days in previous years, etc.).

New regime for foreign income and gains

Since April 2025, the UK has profoundly reformed the taxation of new arrivals by gradually phasing out the central role of the domicile concept and instituting a Foreign Income and Gains (FIG) regime.

To benefit, you must:

– Not have been a UK tax resident in the 10 tax years preceding arrival.

– Elect this regime for each of the first four tax years of residence.

During this four-year period:

– You can choose not to be taxed in the UK on your foreign-sourced income and gains.

– You can even repatriate these funds to the UK without triggering local taxation.

– In return, you lose for that year your personal income tax allowance and your annual capital gains tax allowance.

Inheritance and wealth tax

The UK inheritance tax (IHT) has also been reoriented towards a long-term residence criterion:

– You become liable for UK inheritance tax on your worldwide estate after at least 10 years of residence in the last 20 years.

– Everyone, resident or not, remains taxable on their assets located in the UK.

– If you leave the country, a “tail” of taxation lasting several years (3 to 10) may continue to subject your worldwide assets to UK tax based on your past residence duration.

For an expatriate, these rules make it even more crucial to plan early and obtain specialized advice, especially if you have assets in several countries or are also subject to the taxation of a country like the United States (which taxes based on citizenship).

Daily life and cultural integration

Succeeding in your move isn’t just about numbers: living in the UK is also about learning to navigate specific social codes, a language with multiple accents, and sometimes disconcerting humor.

Social codes, politeness, and humor

British society places great importance on:

– Politeness: “please”, “thank you”, and “sorry” punctuate interactions.

– Respecting the queue (queuing): cutting in line is a major faux pas.

– Punctuality: whether for a professional meeting or dinner at a friend’s house.

– Personal space: people stand a bit farther apart than in some Latin countries, and avoid quick physical displays of affection.

First-level interactions often revolve around neutral topics (weather, transport, sports). A phrase like “You all right?” is a simple greeting, not a real question about your health.

Local humor is fueled by: cultural quirks, dialects, traditions, and everyday situations that resonate with residents’ experiences.

Learning to read these nuances avoids taking as a frontal attack what is actually a good-natured joke.

Diversity and community life

The UK is now one of the most diverse countries in Europe. London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leicester, Sheffield, Aberdeen, among others, host significant immigrant communities. In some neighborhoods, you go from an Afro-Caribbean market to a South Asian quarter, then to a street full of European cafes in just a few blocks.

This diversity is reflected:

– In the cuisine: curry, kebab, dim sum, sushi, fish and chips… The country’s most consumed dish is often described as chicken tikka masala, a symbol of the fusion between British traditions and influences from the Indian subcontinent.

– In festivals: the Notting Hill Carnival celebrates Caribbean cultures, while events like the Glastonbury Festival or major football matches bring together crowds from all backgrounds.

Managing culture shock

Even when you master English, living in the UK involves a cultural adjustment phase. Specialists often describe several phases: honeymoon, frustration, adjustment, then acceptance. Everyone goes through them at their own pace, some even skipping stages.

Common difficulties include:

– The feeling of not understanding certain insinuations or cultural references.

– The apparent reserve of the British, which can give an impression of social distance.

– Homesickness, especially during major holidays.

To mitigate these effects:

– Stay in touch with friends and family via technology, while building local connections.

– Keep some rituals from your home country (food, celebrations) and adopt new ones (Sunday roast, afternoon tea, local festivals).

– Seek support if needed (associations, mental health services like Mind, counselors).

Conclusion: prepare, budget, open up

Settling in the UK as an expatriate means accepting a demanding equation: sometimes high costs, strict immigration bureaucracy, a language you think you master before confronting local accents, and a tight housing market in some regions. But it also means enjoying:

– A strong public healthcare system, despite its pressures.

– A dynamic job market, eager for international skills.

– A rich, multicultural, and often very welcoming cultural environment.

– A country where no place is far from the sea or from spectacular landscapes.

By combining rigorous administrative preparation (visa, IHS, bank account, housing), a realistic understanding of the cost of living, and genuine curiosity for the local culture, expatriation to the UK can become a deeply enriching experience, both professionally and personally. The initial planning effort is significant, but it is largely compensated by the quality of life, opportunities, and diversity the country can offer to new arrivals.