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Why move to England in the first place?
Consider this before you go
But be aware that every country has its downside too:
But you've made up your mind - you want to do this! So here's all you'll need to know about moving over the ocean to the UK.
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Here is a brief summary of the more popular options. Please note that regulations are constantly changing and it?s a good idea to check up before you go.
A working holiday visa is available to citizens of Commonwealth countries between the ages of 17 and 27, and is valid for two years. During this time, you are allowed to work in a temporary or part-time capacity, and it?s expected that the work will be incidental to your holiday.
If you have a parent or grandparent who was born in the United Kingdom, it?s possible to obtain an ancestry visa. This allows you to live and work in Britain for up to four years, and after this time you may apply for indefinite leave to remain, commonly known as full residency. However, you can?t be out of the country for more than three months in order to qualify.
The United Kingdom has recently introduced the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP). According to the British Home Office, this is to allow ?individuals with exceptional personal skills and experience to come to the United Kingdom to seek and take work or self-employment?. The Home Office says its intention with the HSMP is to provide a migration route for the UK to obtain the skills and experience it needs to compete in the global economy.
The HSMP works on a point system. In order to be accepted, you must obtain at least 75 points. Points are awarded on the basis of your educational qualifications, work experience, achievements in your chosen field, and past earnings.
If you already have a job offer from a British firm and you do not have the right to work in the UK, your employer can apply for a work permit for you. Once you have a work permit, however, you will not automatically be allowed to remain in the country. This decision will be made by an immigration officer at the Home Office.
Actuaries, teachers, engineers and healthcare professionals may find the visa process relatively smooth, as Britain is experiencing a shortage in these fields.
For all you ever wanted to know about UK visas and more, take a look at the following websites:
This is the official site for information on UK visas.
Run by expats themselves, this site offers information specifically for South Africans.
Clive Allen, a British national who moved back to the UK a few years ago and a former resident of South Africa, suggests using a local moving company. If the quotation seems excessive, consider selling some of your furniture and appliances and replacing them in the UK.
Clive was able to pay for all the shipping costs in rands, which he said was a considerable advantage. ?Any settlement in sterling would have been very expensive,? he said. He points out that offloading and delivery fees are ?considerably higher? in the UK compared to South Africa.
?Overall the biggest problem is what to take with and what to get rid of,? said expat Hilton Gray. ?Leave behind appliances, unless they are new. Keep all your hardwood furniture ? it?s expensive to replace in the UK.?
Be careful about taking electrical appliances, as South African current differs to that of the UK. It?s probably easiest to buy smaller items such as hairdryers once you?re there, in any case. Check up on larger, expensive items before you go.
Some airlines will allow you to take extra luggage (sometimes up to 40kg) if you pay more for your ticket. If you?re planning to just take a suitcase and start afresh, this option is worth considering. Ask your airline first, as regulations are constantly changing. This way, you also avoid inconvenient excess baggage charges.
This is probably one of the most traumatic aspects of moving. Pets have to be quarantined for at least six months, which costs around #180 per animal per month.
?There is no real way out of this, I?m afraid. Unless you are made of money you are going to find it difficult to bring them with,? said Hilton. He also pointed out that houses and gardens are much smaller in the UK. ?You will find it difficult to keep a big dog. The authorities here are also a lot stricter on things like barking dogs and wandering cats,? he warned.
If you need more information on quarantine procedures, take a look at this website:
www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/index.htm
It?s relatively easy to find rental accommodation, especially in London. However, be prepared to fork out. The average price for a room with a double bed is #400, advises expat Lee-Ann Johnstone. A three-bedroom flat in London can cost anything from #1200 upwards, according to Lee-Ann. Outside of London, costs come down a lot.
Hilton describes accommodation as a ?shocker?. ?Just plain mindbogglingly expensive,? he said. If you?re looking to buy, the average price of a house in the UK is around #130 000, he said, although the market appears to be slowing down.
Houses and flats tend to be much smaller, as mentioned above, so you will be paying a lot even for a small room. Space is at a premium, and street parking is the norm, according to Clive, unless you are prepared to pay a lot more.
Hilton?s advice is to take the South African contact details of your bank, employer, and landlord, as you will be asked for references. ?They do phone South Africa and check!? he said.
Most estate agents will also have a rental portfolio and many have websites. It is possible to contact some letting agents from South Africa, but you can also go and see one when you arrive. Once you have decided on a flat or house, the agent will contact your references and run a credit check.
When renting, you will need your first month?s rent upfront in addition to a deposit which could be the equivalent of a month or six week?s rent. The agent will also charge a ?finder?s fee? of about #150 - #200. Gas, water, and electricity accounts should also be organised for you, but this doesn?t always happen, in which case, simply phone up the company concerned.
In general, expenses are highest in the south of England and London, moderate in the Midlands, and lower in the north.
In London, many South Africans live in Acton, Shepherd?s Bush, Earls Court, Wimbledon, and the southwestern areas.
If you have small children, Hilton warns day care is prohibitively expensive. Apart from the cost, finding reliable childcare if you have children under four can be a real headache.
Government primary and secondary education is free, but the standard of state schools will vary. Getting your child into a decent school has a lot to do with where you live, as admission policies are strongly influenced by catchment area. Inner-city London schools tend to be far worse than those in the outer boroughs.
Don?t rely on out-of-date information, but ask local people for their opinions, read the ?good school? guides and inspection reports (www.ofted.gov.uk), and don?t forget to check the exam results.
England and Scotland run different education systems, but you?ll find core subjects will be English, maths and science.
While the UK economy has slowed down recently, particularly in IT, there are still jobs around for those willing to look. While you?re waiting for something better to come up, you?ll probably be able to find menial work to tide you over.
?Finding a job from SA before you leave is virtually impossible,? said expat Lee-Anne, unless you are highly skilled and working through an agency, she added. ?They want to ?see? you and they want a copy of your passport and visas ? they don?t fool around over here.?
She said temp work can be very difficult to find, unless you have excellent secretarial skills.
?I would give myself a rough estimate of one to two months to find a decent job,? she advised.
However, teachers and healthcare professionals are still very much in demand and will find it easier to get work.
Many people use recruitment agencies, of which there are thousands. Jobs are also posted in newspapers and on the internet, so don?t limit yourself to the agency.
However Hilton has a warning for the unwary.
?Some of them (agencies) are real sharks, and will try to shove you into the first job that comes along.? he said. ?Be sensible. If you know you are worth a certain amount ? and there are salary checkers on a number of websites ? don?t just settle for the first thing that comes along.?
Opening a bank account can be a tremendous hassle for expats, but is, unfortunately, one of those things it?s very difficult to do without.
?Always get a referance from your bank manager in SA in writing, stating that you are a good account holder,? said Lee-Anne. ?Take all your information with you ? passport, bank details in South Africa, proof of current address in the UK. Most banks won?t open a bank account for you unless you are working and have proof of employment.?
Clive said he favours building societies over banks, as from his perspective, they receive less negative publicity. ?High street banks are continually being mentioned in the national press for questionable customer service.?
On the other hand, Lee-Anne recommended Barclays for its client focus.
Moving to another country is a stressful, if exciting, experience in anyone?s book. You have to arrange accommodation, find a job, open a bank account, and successfully negotiate a maze of paperwork in order to do this. So you?ll be pleased to know that getting your UK driver?s licence can be done with the minimum of fuss. Best of all, there?s no retesting required.
?The UK has virtually identical road markings to South Africa, and of course we drive on the same side of the road,? said Hilton happily. ?Your South African driver?s licence can be swapped hassle-free for a UK licence. It take one trip to your local traffic department and you get your licence about a week later in the post.?
Lee-Anne said she found she didn?t really need a car. ?Public transport is very cramped but good enough to use.?
If you do buy a car, you will need to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) on it annually. If your car doesn?t display a current tax disc, it could be clamped or impounded.
Once your car is older than three years, it will also need to have a current MOT test, which ensures that the car meets minimum roadworthy and environmental standards.
Britain has a comprehensive National Health Service (NHS) scheme. In order to use it, you need to register at a health centre in your area. In lieu of payment, a percentage of your salary is deducted every month as a tax. This is called National Insurance, or NI, which is usually around 9 percent of your salary.
However, the NHS suffers from a lack of doctors and nurses. Waiting times can be long and some procedures considered routine in South Africa are not usually performed in the UK.
?It?s probably one of the biggest downfalls of the UK,? said Hilton. ?They are trying to sort it out at the moment but it will take time.?
Once you are working, you will need to fill in a National Insurance form, which notifies the tax authorities that you are employed. Until you receive your NI number, you will be taxed at the emergency rate of 22 percent.
The good part is that once your NI number arrives and you are allocated a tax code for your salary bracket, you are refunded the excess tax with interest. However the interval between applying for and receiving your NI number can be anything between 6 weeks and 8 months, or even longer, warned Lee-Anne.
?The best thing of all ? you don?t ever need to fill in income tax forms,? she said. ?It works on a self-assessment basis unless you have a lot of perks, then it gets a bit more complicated.?
Hilton pointed out that comparing prices can be misleading, as when you convert the price into rands everything appears outrageously expensive. ?The trick is not to do this,? he said, ?because you earn a lot more in pounds. First look at what you would earn if you moved to the UK, don?t just convert your SA salary. Then start working out your monthly budget.?
Of course the converse is also true. Don?t convert a potential salary directly into rands without taking into account the higher cost of living in the UK.
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