Your first 30 days in the UK: the checklist

Most of the settling-in problems international students hit are ordering problems: you cannot open a bank account without a phone number, cannot get paid without an account, cannot get a National Insurance number without an address. This is the order that works.

Before you land

• UKVI account created and eVisa visible. Since 2025 there is no card; the eVisa is your status. Test that you can generate a share code.
• Accommodation confirmed with a move-in date, and the address saved. You will type it into six forms in the first week.
• Enough money on a card for two weeks: rent deposit if not already paid, food, a SIM, transport.
• Prescription medication for six to eight weeks with the prescription.

Day 1 to 3: the things that unlock everything else

1. UK SIM. A pay-as-you-go SIM from a supermarket or the partner deals in the AnyRoot app takes ten minutes and gives you the UK number the bank and the GP need.
2. University enrolment. Complete online enrolment and collect your student ID; this is what generates your bank letter and council tax certificate.
3. Bank account. Open a digital account in the app the same day. The bank account guide covers documents.
4. Tell your family you arrived, and put the university's 24-hour security number in your phone.

Week 1

5. Register with a GP. No proof of address needed. Your NHS number arrives by post or text. See the GP guide.
6. Council tax exemption. Full-time students do not pay council tax, but your council does not know you are a student until you tell it. Download the council tax exemption certificate from your student portal and upload it to the council's website. Do this even in university halls; some councils still send a bill.
7. Police registration. Abolished in August 2022; if an older guide tells you to register, ignore it.
8. Transport. A 16-25 Railcard (or 26-30) cuts rail fares by a third and pays for itself in two trips. In London, link it to an Oyster card for off-peak Tube discounts.

Week 2

9. National Insurance number. Apply online on GOV.UK once you have a UK address; you will be asked to prove identity through the ID app or a video call. It takes up to four weeks, but you can start a job before it arrives. Some students already have one printed on their visa decision letter: check before applying.
10. Part-time work search. Term-time limit is 20 hours a week at degree level (10 hours below degree). Universities' own job shops and campus jobs are the fastest route.
11. TV licence. If you watch live TV or BBC iPlayer on any device, you need a licence (£174.50 a year). Streaming services do not need one. In halls, one licence per room, not per building.

Weeks 3 and 4

12. Register to vote if you are a Commonwealth or Irish citizen; it also helps your credit file.
13. Contents insurance. Halls usually include basic cover; private rentals do not.
14. Dentist. Register with an NHS dentist now, while you do not need one; waiting lists are long.
15. Check your eVisa shows the right course end date and conditions. Errors are easier to fix in month one than month ten.

What to keep where

Your passport, eVisa share codes, NI number, NHS number, tenancy agreement and bank details will be asked for repeatedly. The AnyRoot app's UK essentials locker stores them encrypted with copy-to-clipboard, so a landlord's form at 11 pm does not mean digging through email.