If you’re a US citizen applying for a UK student visa, check out the complete visa application guide here: UK Student Visa Application: Everything You Need to Know.
Are you a US citizen moving to London? Congratulations! You’re making the best decision ever. London is magical, cozy, vibrant, beautiful— it’s so many things rolled into one city. Moving to London was the most magnificently transformative experience of my life. And I am sure it will be the same for you.
Life in the UK compared to the US is different in many ways. Of course, there is the shared language which makes the transition a lot easier. However, there are a few quirky traits to London life that take some getting used to.
Simply put, there are very London-y things about London that you won’t fully grasp until you’re living there full-time.
In this post, I’ll share straightforward need-to-know tips, along with some things nobody tells you online. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Cheers xx
Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
If you’re living in the UK for longer than 6 months, you’re obligated to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge as part of your visa application.
This is a mandatory fee for the National Health Service (NHS). Once you pay, you’ll have full access to health insurance while living in the UK.
There are a lot of costs associated with the visa application, so it may seem frustrating to pay for another expense. But health insurance is important. And if you get sick while abroad, you won’t have to worry about the high out-of-pocket costs for a doctor’s visit (looking at you, American health insurance).
The NHS fee is about £470 ($590) for one year.
Open a bank account
Having your finances in order is obviously important when you move abroad.
If you’re living in London long-term, you’re most likely going to work for a UK company; therefore, you need a UK bank account to deposit those paychecks into. With digital banking, it’s a seamless application process that takes minutes and doesn’t require waiting in lines at the bank.
All you need to open your account is a valid passport, a UK address, and your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). More BRP information is available here: UK Student Visa Application: Everything You Need to Know.
Personally, I recommend using Starling Bank as your digital bank. Another popular digital bank is Monzo, which comes highly recommended. Both Starling and Monzo offer similar services, so the choice comes down to personal preference and interface.
Money transfer apps
Social life = eventually owing someone money.
Splitting the bill at a restaurant? Paying a friend back for your train ticket? Asking for reimbursement on the Airbnb deposit you put on your credit card? You need a money transfer app.
The UK does not have the same money transfer apps as the US. Apps like Venmo and Zelle are popular throughout the US. However, they don’t work in London.
I recommend using Revolut as your primary money transfer app.
What’s cool about Revolut is it’s an all-in-one app for converting currency and money transfers. Best of all, Revolut allows you to open a debit card and transfer US dollars as Pounds straight into your Revolut account. It’s seriously a game-changer.
You still need to file US taxes while living in the UK
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But, yes. You need to pay US taxes while living and working in the UK. No matter where you live in the world, US citizens are not exempt from their taxes back at home. This bit of news stings, but it must be done.
Don’t bother bringing appliances with high voltage
Your favorite hair dryer and flat iron probably won’t work in the UK. You might think your hair dryer is broken because it won’t blow so much as a puff. That’s because your US appliances aren’t made with the same voltage as ones in the UK. So, you’ll need to purchase new appliances with the correct UK plug ASAP.
Purchase a travel adapter kit
This travel adapter kit is a Godsent. It allows you to use your US electronics in the UK and comes with adapters for many different countries. You can use this adapter while traveling all around Europe, Asia, and even Australia. This product is a game changer for world travelers.
Bank holidays
In the UK, federal holidays are very different because there are fewer holidays securing days off from work. For example, you won’t have long weekends in honor of Veterans Day, Memorial Day, etc.
But, the UK does celebrate bank holidays. Some traditional ones include Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Easter Monday. In addition, there are bank holidays called Spring bank holiday, Early May bank holiday, and Summer bank holiday. These days off typically fall on a Monday, so you have a nice long weekend to escape the city or just enjoy beautiful London.
Traveling out of London is easy and it’s amaaaaazing
One of the best parts of living in London is your ability to travel all around Europe at a much lower cost than in the States. Coming from the US, hopping on a £40 flight to a different country seems unfathomable.
And the time! In the US, it can take 10 hours to drive through just one state. When flying out of London, you can travel to many countries in half that time. You can hop on the Eurostar to Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels. Or fly to Lisbon in under 3 hours and Florence in 2 hours. It’s seriously such a dream.
You’ll want to hop on a flight every long weekend if you can.
Public transportation is great
The efficiency of public transport in this country is not what we are used to in the US.
If a train is scheduled to leave at 12:00 pm, your a** better be on that train by 11:59. If you’re not… the train is leaving without you. In London, the Underground (also called the Tube) is known for its timeliness. Tubes come every few minutes and are pristine. I actually enjoy riding the Tube because it doesn’t smell atrocious and there aren’t any rats threatening my sanity.
Not to mention that on a train, you can get around the UK and incredible countries like France or Holland. You just can’t beat it.
Tube Strikes
Remember when I said the London Underground is great and practically perfect? Well, there are some caveats to that.
Every so often, there are Tube strikes, which means public transportation is severely limited for the day. Tube strikes are necessary because workers deserve proper working conditions and to be compensated fairly! So, strike on.
However, I mention this because we are not used to public transportation strikes in the States. I was pretty confused for the first time when Tube stations were apocalyptic and Uber rides were £40. On strike days, pre-planning is essential because it’s very difficult to get around the city. Think about taking a walk or renting a bike if you have somewhere to be. Getting around is especially tricky if you’re landing in a London airport and planning to take public transport into the city on a strike day.
