Moving to the UK: money checklist for your first months

Some jobs depend on others, so the order matters. A bank account lets you be paid, and a National Insurance number and the right tax code mean your pay is taxed correctly. Not every item applies to everyone.

Start by asking the bank what evidence it accepts. Under the Money Laundering Regulations banks must identify and verify customers, and the Immigration Act 2014 makes them check that you're not in the UK without permission you need. The regulations don't list specific documents, and the FCA's Financial Crime Guide describes catering for customers who lack common forms of ID as good practice. If you don't yet have a utility bill or UK statement, ask which alternatives the bank takes.

If you're turned down, the Payment Accounts Regulations 2015 help. HM Treasury has designated the nine largest personal current account providers, and they must offer a basic bank account to anyone legally resident in the UK who has no UK account with the same basic features, or who isn't eligible for the bank's other accounts. The law says people with no fixed address and asylum seekers count as legally resident. You can pay in, withdraw cash, pay by card, direct debit and standing order and make transfers, with no overdraft and no fees for these in sterling, including for a failed payment.

The bank must open or refuse the account within 10 business days of your completed application. It can refuse only on the grounds in the regulations, such as where opening it would break money-laundering or fraud law, and must tell you in writing why (unless the law prevents it) and how to complain, including to the Financial Ombudsman Service. HM Treasury's basic bank accounts page names the nine providers. Later, our guide to switching bank account explains moving on.

No. You can start work before your National Insurance number arrives if you can prove your right to work, which people who aren't British or Irish usually do with a share code or their immigration documents. Your eVisa may already show an NI number. If not, apply online once you're in the UK; it can take up to 4 weeks after you've proved your identity. See our National Insurance guide. If you're job hunting with a degree from abroad, our partner site CourseToJob Global has a guide to getting an overseas degree recognised*.

Your employer needs a P45 from a previous UK job or, if you don't have one, a starter declaration. If this is your first job since 6 April 2026 and you haven't had taxable benefits or a pension, HMRC's employer guidance says to use code 1257L on the normal cumulative basis. If you give no declaration, the employer uses 0T on a 'month 1' basis, with no tax-free allowance at all. HMRC usually updates an emergency code once it has your details, which can take up to 35 days, and you can claim back tax you've overpaid. Codes start with S in Scotland and C in Wales; tax codes explained has more.

Worked example: your first payday, in late October 2026, is £2,400 for a month's work in England. That's tax month 7 of 2026/27, and the table shows the Income Tax under each code at the 20% basic rate. National Insurance is the same whatever the code: 8% of pay above £1,048, so (£2,400 − £1,048) × 8% = £108.16. Payroll software uses HMRC's tables, so real figures can differ by pennies, and Scotland's Income Tax rates are different.

UK lenders use files held by credit reference agencies. The ICO says these are built mainly from how you've managed UK credit, utility and service accounts, plus public records such as the electoral roll, and are also used to check identity and where you live. Because they're built from UK records, you arrive with little or nothing on them.

Things that add to your file are registering to vote at your address if you're eligible, running your bank account well, paying bills by direct debit, and repaying any credit you take on time. You can ask each of the three main agencies for your statutory credit report free of charge, and ask a lender that turns you down to explain the main reason. See how to check your credit score free and improve your credit score.

Who can join the electoral register depends on where you live. In England and Northern Ireland, besides British and Irish citizens, it's Commonwealth citizens with permission to be in the UK, citizens of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain, and other EU citizens who have had permission since 31 December 2020 without a break. In Scotland and Wales, any foreign national with permission to enter or stay can register.

In England, Scotland and Wales you usually pay council tax if you're 18 or over. A full bill assumes two adults, so if you live alone you get 25% off, but you must apply. Full-time students and some others aren't counted. Northern Ireland has domestic rates instead, and landlords are responsible for rates on many rented homes, including houses in multiple occupation and homes valued at £150,000 or less.

Most visa applicants pay the immigration health surcharge with their application: £1,035 a year, or £776 for students, their dependants, Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders and under-18s. Health and Care Worker visa holders and some others are exempt. You can use the NHS free of charge from the date your visa starts, but may still pay for things such as prescriptions, dental treatment and eye tests. In England, everyone can register with a GP surgery for free, and most surgeries let you register online.

Many visas carry a no recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition, and your eVisa shows your rights, including whether you can claim benefits. The condition means you can't claim most benefits, tax credits or housing help paid by the state. The Home Office list includes Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Child Benefit, Housing Benefit, Personal Independence Payment, Carer's Allowance, social housing and homelessness help, Council Tax Reduction and Social Security Scotland benefits such as Scottish Child Payment.

Benefits based on National Insurance contributions aren't public funds. If you've paid enough contributions you can claim New Style Jobseeker's Allowance, New Style Employment and Support Allowance, Statutory Sick Pay, Maternity Allowance and statutory maternity and paternity pay. NHS treatment isn't on the list either.

If your finances change, some people can apply to have the condition lifted, including those with permission based on family or private life and British National (Overseas) visa holders; most others can apply only if their circumstances are particularly compelling. If you're unsure whether something counts, the Home Office says to ask the department that pays it before you claim.

Scammers target newcomers because official processes are unfamiliar. If you've lost money, contact your bank straight away. Outside Scotland, report fraud to Report Fraud (which replaced Action Fraud) on 0300 123 2040; in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. Forward suspicious texts to 7726 and suspicious emails to [email protected]. Our scams hub has more.