Things to do before travel and on reaching UK first time

Hi All,

With all your great support i got T1G visa on 1st Oct from Delhi, India.
I am planning to move to UK on 14th Nov. As the dates are nearing there are lot of questions coming up. I tried finding answers but if someone who just got there could confirm it will be great.

1. Cash :
I will get some of my money exchanged into GBP from HDFC Bank. Do you suggest somewhere else to get better rates?

2. Chest X Ray:
I have read many posts about Chest X Ray, do we still need it? Any other report is also needed?

3. Bank Account :
I am trying to find out more on this. I saw on HSBC Website they have a Passport Account with 8 GBP per month fees. I tried talking to Barclays but no response on that. HSBC one can be opened from India iteself.
Any other better option?

4. Police Registration :
Do we need to get ourself in Police once reach?

5. NHS Registration :
How would i register to NHS? Is all treatment under NHS free of cost or do i need to take some kind of medical insurance?

6. Other Stuff :
A friend of mine living in UK told me to bring a 'Pressure Cooker' if i want to cook for myself. According to him i wont get one in UK. Is it really the case? Moreover, i want to know what things are cheap in UK as compared to India so that i don't carry them with me. Such as Clothing, Quilt, Shoes, Spices

7. Airline :
Which is the best airline to travel to UK? This is in terms of the baggage size and allowed number of baggage and its weight.
I want to take my guitar with me, i just hope i can

Thanks,

rathore4u wrote:4. Police Registration :
Do we need to get ourself in Police once reach?

No, unless the visa that will be put into your passport on entry will contain a requirement for that.

rathore4u wrote:5. NHS Registration :
How would i register to NHS? Is all treatment under NHS free of cost or do i need to take some kind of medical insurance?

Go to the local GP's practice and fill a form.
NHS treatment is free.

rathore4u wrote:6. Other Stuff :
A friend of mine living in UK told me to bring a 'Pressure Cooker' if i want to cook for myself. According to him i wont get one in UK. Is it really the case? Moreover, i want to know what things are cheap in UK as compared to India so that i don't carry them with me. Such as Clothing, Quilt, Shoes, Spices

No, you can get a pressure cooker in UK - they are not particularly popular with locals, but you definitely can buy one.
As for prices - nothing is cheap in UK. This is not a complaint, just a fact of life.

rathore4u wrote:1. Cash :
I will get some of my money exchanged into GBP from HDFC Bank. Do you suggest somewhere else to get better rates?

Enquiring with other banks should tell you which one offers the best rate. See also Foreign exchange from India to uk.

rathore4u wrote:2. Chest X Ray:
I have read many posts about Chest X Ray, do we still need it? Any other report is also needed?

See Health (TB) screening. First time traveller to the UK? No harm in carrying a chest X-ray in your handbag if you are a citizen of a country in the Indian subcontinent (other than the countries listed in the link above, for whom the report is mandatory). Your choice!

rathore4u wrote:3. Bank Account :
I am trying to find out more on this. I saw on HSBC Website they have a Passport Account with 8 GBP per month fees. I tried talking to Barclays but no response on that. HSBC one can be opened from India iteself.
Any other better option?

To open a regular bank account in the UK (unlike the HSBC passport thing), you will need to provide address proof (e.g.- tenancy agreement) and a copy of passport & visa pages. Sort out a place to live, then it's not a big deal.

rathore4u wrote:4. Police Registration :
Do we need to get ourself in Police once reach?

As a Indian national, you are not required to register with police.

rathore4u wrote:5. NHS Registration :
How would i register to NHS? Is all treatment under NHS free of cost or do i need to take some kind of medical insurance?

Yes, you will be eligible to use NHS. Register with a General Practitioner near your residence as soon as you arrive in UK.

rathore4u wrote:6. Other Stuff :
A friend of mine living in UK told me to bring a 'Pressure Cooker' if i want to cook for myself. According to him i wont get one in UK. Is it really the case? Moreover, i want to know what things are cheap in UK as compared to India so that i don't carry them with me. Such as Clothing, Quilt, Shoes, Spices

You do get pressure cookers in UK but they are expensive as compared to prices in India, just as everything else in your list will be more expensive if you compare with price in India.

rathore4u wrote:7. Airline :
Which is the best airline to travel to UK? This is in terms of the baggage size and allowed number of baggage and its weight.
I want to take my guitar with me, i just hope i can

Check on travel websites and you'll know what allowance(s) the various airlines are currently offering. Usually it is 20-23Kg in economy class but there may be offers (additional baggage allowance) going around.


regards

I don't know about relative prices, but I have a pressure cooker, as does my mother. They aren't strange things to have, or hard to buy.

Having been to India myself, the only things I found cheaper to buy in the UK were high factor sun cream and cosmetics for very pale skinned people. Everything else is a lot cheaper in India!

Thanks wunder, sushdmehta and avjones.