Moving to UK from Europe? Help needed....

[WH431]

Dear Fellows,

i am looking forward to move to London from Germany in a couple of months. Regarding that i have a few questions and will highly appreciate any tips or shared expetriences of someone who has moved the Household from continental Europe to UK:

1) FORMAL REGISTRATION..:
Where will i need to register myself after getting to UK?and What forms will i need to fill in? (I am an EU/German national)

2) TRASNPORTING/ MOVING BELONGINGS:
If any of you has gone thru similiar experience. What is the best option of transporting Household stuff (Books, TV,PC,Fridge...) BUT no furniture from Germany to another EU country like UK?
Is it worth spending money on transport or buying it all new in UK would be better (UK is expensive though)..

3) HOUSE RENTING:
What is the best way to look for a House for rent (2 Bedroom) in West London area? the main criteria is that it should be near motorway and also accesible by public Transport. I am of South-Asian descent, so would like to stay in a Asian area.
--> Are the rented Houses in UK generally furnished or unfurnished?
--> What sort of rent should i expect for 2 Bedroom House?

4) DRIVING LICENSE:
How long does it normally takes for a fresher to get a UK driving license? I havent got a german driving license and will have to start from begining.I am thinking of doing some intensive course..

Once again many many Thanks to anyone replying. Have a nice weekend.

WH

[philgeorge999]

1) No you don't need to register at all. We don't have identity cards or any form of national registration. However you will be expected to contact:
- A doctor, if you wish to use the National Health Service
- The local National Insurance interview centre, so you can get a National Insurance Number (needed for you to work, though they can usually give you a temporary one initially)
- Your local council so you can be registered for Council Tax.

If you want to find a job, just bring your EU passport.

2) It depends on how much stuff you have, and how expensive it would be to buy. Consumer electronics in the UK are about the same price as in Germany these days. The cheapest option would probably be for you to hire a van yourself in the UK (I know someone who'll rent out vans for £50 a day), and drive over to Germany to pick up your stuff. The only other sensible option from Germany is a removals firm, though don't be surprised if you're charged £1000 for this!

3) www.loot.com (for renting direct from landlords) , www.vebra.com or www.findaproperty.com (for renting via agencies). Or just look in the windows of estate agents in the local area. Your first priority should be to identify the area you'd like to live in. Hounslow and Southall are particularly 'south asian' though most of the areas around Heathrow have large asian populations. Hounslow is the better of the two for public transport, as it's on the tube.

--> Are the rented Houses in UK generally furnished or unfurnished?

It varies. About 70% unfurnished, 30% furnished in my experience. But again it depends on the target market in the area you're looking in.

--> What sort of rent should i expect for 2 Bedroom House?

It depends very much on the area!! It would normally be around £1000 per month for a reasonable 2-bed house in an ok-ish area. But you can pay anything between £500 and £50,000 per month depending on your choices!

4) I'd reckon on 3-4 months minimum. A couple of weeks to get a provisional license, a month's notice to book the theory test and then another month's notice to book a practical test. Plus driving experience. Be prepared to pay £30 an hour for lessons!

[JAJ]

Dear Fellows,

i am looking forward to move to London from Germany in a couple of months. Regarding that i have a few questions and will highly appreciate any tips or shared expetriences of someone who has moved the Household from continental Europe to UK:

1) FORMAL REGISTRATION..:
Where will i need to register myself after getting to UK?and What forms will i need to fill in? (I am an EU/German national)

It's probably a good idea to get an EEA residence permit after you arrive. This will make it easier to get UK permanent residence (Indefinite Leave to Remain) after four years. the four years may be increased to five.

Holding ILR gives some advantages over EEA status. For example, children born to you in the UK would then be British citizens (or eligible for British citizenship, if born before you get ILR).

ILR is also a prerequisite for naturalisation as a British citizen. As a German citizen you would lose your German citizenship unless you obtained permission in advance from the German government to become British.

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk has information.

2) TRASNPORTING/ MOVING BELONGINGS:
If any of you has gone thru similiar experience. What is the best option of transporting Household stuff (Books, TV,PC,Fridge...) BUT no furniture from Germany to another EU country like UK?
Is it worth spending money on transport or buying it all new in UK would be better (UK is expensive though)..

Usually it's worth shipping things other than:
- junk
- items which will not work in the UK (check if the TV is compatible with UK standards).

If you don't have enough to fill a full container, see if you can use a shared container. It's slower but cheaper.

The electricity supply voltage in the UK is similar to Germany. You will need adaptors for the plugs but these are quite cheap.

4) DRIVING LICENSE:
How long does it normally takes for a fresher to get a UK driving license? I havent got a german driving license and will have to start from begining.I am thinking of doing some intensive course..

Start point is http://www.dvla.gov.uk

[Marie B]

you can pay anything between £500 and £50,000 per month

I don't know of any two bedroom houses anywhere around the London area for as little as £500 per month, £1000 - £1200 is probably a more realistic figure. You'd have trouble finding a studio flat for £500p/m. I live in North West London and pay £650 per month for a studio flat, the cheapest one-bed flat round here will set you back about £750 exclusive of bills / council tax. Southall and Hounslow are slightly cheaper. Local papers are a good source of private rental properties.

The average person with no driving experience would probably need about 20-30 lessons. There are quite a few intensive courses that you do in a week and if you fail the test they will pay for you to re-take it til you pass. This time of year is not the best to learn to drive, its wet, lots of leaves on the roads, dark at 4pm.

Good Luck with your move!

[WH431]

Hey Dear Fellas,

heartly Thanks for ur Tips and Advise. I did ve a look at properties in Southall area and they seemed pretty reasonable (700-1000 Pounds/Months). However i just looked for Southall and didnt look at Hunslow or Uxbridge areas.

FOR IDENTIFYING AREA (as suggested by Phil):
****************************************
Q. I have never lived in London before, so cant make the judgment without help of someone already living there. Which one of these 3 areas(Southall, Hunslow, Uxbridge) will be better to live in, considering less criminality, Faster Access to London/Motorway and ofcourse rent?



@ JAJ:

It's probably a good idea to get an EEA residence permit after you arrive. This will make it easier to get UK permanent residence (Indefinite Leave to Remain) after four years. the four years may be increased to five.

Holding ILR gives some advantages over EEA status. For example, children born to you in the UK would then be British citizens (or eligible for British citizenship, if born before you get ILR).

--> My spouse is British citizen, so i guess our children should automatically be UK national irrespective of what nationality i hold at that time. As for ILR for myself, i hope i should be able to get it a bit sooner than 4 yrs. Since i am married to a UK national for abt 3.5 yrs now.

@Philipgeorge:

2) It depends on how much stuff you have, and how expensive it would be to buy. Consumer electronics in the UK are about the same price as in Germany these days. The cheapest option would probably be for you to hire a van yourself in the UK (I know someone who'll rent out vans for £50 a day), and drive over to Germany to pick up your stuff. The only other sensible option from Germany is a removals firm, though don't be surprised if you're charged £1000 for this!

--> I thought of that but the problem is that all major Car rentals in Germany (like Sixt, Europcar etc) do not allow u to take the Van to UK. Also even if they do, and i will take the Van to Uk with me and will give it uo there, than they charge 800-900 Euros for bringing it back to Germany.
--> Secondly It will be nice of you, if you could share where i can find a reasonable Van for rent (as u mentioned).


Another thing, Do anyone knows how much (in percent) is the Tax for a married person in UK? ( I am hoping to get some Tax relief, since the taxes are horrifyngly High in Germany)????

once again Thanx for your time and help..

regards

WH

[philgeorge999]

>Q. I have never lived in London before, so cant make the judgment
>without help of someone already living there. Which one of these 3
>areas(Southall, Hunslow, Uxbridge) will be better to live in, considering
>less criminality, Faster Access to London/Motorway and ofcourse rent?

They are all very similar areas. You won't have much to choose between them! Southall is the most Indian of the lot though. But if you look at www.upmystreet.com this will give you crime statistics and a description of the type of person who lives in the area. The housing websites I sent you will give you an idea of the comparative living costs. For access to the motorway I suggest looking at a map e.g. www.streetmap.co.uk

>--> Secondly It will be nice of you, if you could share where i can find a
>reasonable Van for rent (as u mentioned).

Sure. Send me a private message and I'll reply with details. He'll only rent to a UK driving license holder.