Search Q&A
Moving to London/England/UK
Hi,
We are a Belgian family living in Brussels. We husband works here and I am a house-wife.
We are planning to move to London/England/UK. But to make it smooth, I would like to move first, most likely with the child, and my husband will join later after he finds a good job in UK.
Do Belgians need to register in the town hall (like communes in Belgium) in UK?
Can I move and register in the town hall. What will I need, for example, a housing rental contract? My husband will continue to support me.
Hope I be able to enroll my son at a secondary school in UK.
With regards to insurance, we have Mutuelle and other insurances in Belgian which are also valid in UK. But as I know medical is free in UK for those having UK address.
Thanks in advance.
Um -- Unless you have a highly paid job in the UK -- I personally can't see the sense.
I am from the UK and moved here a while back
Healthcare in teh UK is no where near as good as here in Belgium - Ive experienced both teh Uk and Belgian systems.
Housing is astronomicaly priced in the UK -- both to buy and rent. - internet search estate agents and teh areas you are interested in for an idea
Public transport is exceedingly expensive also
I visit the UK often - as have family still there -- every visit I make convinces me I made teh right decision
You don't need to register with a council unless you want to join a massive waiting list for accomodation.
Uk is a great place to visit -- but to live on a normal income......
Enrollment at a good school often means you have to live in the "catchment" area for that school. So when looking for somewhere to live - consider the schools nearby as well.
There is no "registration" in the UK. So proving that you're there legally is difficult. You'll see what I mean when you walk into a bank and try to open a bank account.
You will only be entitled to emergency treatment on the NHS. Good healthcare depends on what's wrong with you and where you live.
Schools should prove a nightmare. You tend to need to live in the right catchment area in the right local authority to get into a decent school.
Moving without a job is stupid. London is huge, and living in the wrong place means 4 hours of commuting each day.
Other areas of the UK offer far more attractive and affordable places to bring up a family.
1) You don't need to register anywhere.
2) you may have trouble finding a "good" school. The "better" schools are typically in catchment areas that are more expensive. Assuming that you have money, that shouldn't be too hard.
3) Once you have moved to the U.K. and can show that you are "permanently resident" (which is not difficult) you have free and full medical cover under the NHS.
4) Fortunately, I don't require much medical help, however, of my personal experience of the Belgian vs UK medical systems, I would move back to the UK tomorrow if I had the money to live in a "nice" area. Here the health system is geared to gaining the maximum out of the patient from whatever is legally possible via the mutuelle. In the U.K. the system doesn't have a profit motive and is more patient focused.
I think you are approaching this in the wrong order. First your husband should get a job in the UK - before he gives up his job here. Then based on where his job is located you look for accommodation/schools. Living in London has become exhorbitant. Good Luck and do plenty of research before committing to anything.
Hi PG
There is no official place to register in the UK like there is in Belgium. What you will need to make your life easier is a National Insurance number which will make health care, working etc easier to access. See the link. It should prove to be a simple formality for you. https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number
As an EU citizen with residency in the UK, you will be entitled to full health care with the NHS. Not just emergency treatment! Registering with a local GP once you have a National Insurance number and address in the UK will be simple.
In order to rent a property, a letting agent would probably insist on 6 months rent in advance if you did not have a good UK income. You may want to reconsider your choice of London unless you have deep pockets. Not only is London very expensive but the competition for property both to rent and buy is huge. You may struggle to rent somewhere in London because you are in competition with high wage earners. You can look at this website to give you an idea of prices http://www.rightmove.co.uk.
Being on the electoral roll will make your life easier. You may find it difficult to open a bank account if you are not. Although you may find one that will give you a basic account. When you find somewhere to live, contact the relevant local council and register for council tax. Once you have that bill in your name it will be a helpful proof of residency.
Schools are arranged on a catchment basis. Visit http://www.ofsted.gov.uk. They inspect schools and produce reports on them. Typically in and around London and the South East the catchment areas for good schools are very expensive.
Depending on what your husband does for a living and availability of jobs, you might find other cities and areas of the UK much easier to move to. The UK is full of busy, vibrant and cosmopolitan cities.
I think you are approaching this in the wrong order. First your husband should get a job in the UK - before he gives up his job here. Then based on where his job is located you look for accommodation/schools. Living in London has become exhorbitant. Good Luck and do plenty of research before committing to anything.
I think you are approaching this in the wrong order. First your husband should get a job in the UK - before he gives up his job here. Then based on where his job is located you look for accommodation/schools. Living in London has become exhorbitant. Good Luck and do plenty of research before committing to anything.
Maybe because I don't live in Brussels -- but - the health system in Belgium is way ahead of teh UK in my experience. (and my families experience.
Just go onto Uk news websites and do some searches -- Waiting times etc -- identical operations -- My wife had one here - saw consultant (waited 2 days to see him) hour long appt - Operation the following week -- stayed in hospital a week) Sister in law in UK -- Months waiting - then a day operation (as in discharged same day with abdominal drip still attached).
As an EU citizen you are entitled to the same medical services as anyone else in teh UK -)- That doesn't mean it is as good. -- GP appts you have to fight past teh receptionist and you will be lucky to get 5 mins with the GP.
The other option is to go private insurance which if you are high income is an option -- There are several suppliers) however unlikley to cover existing problems. (BUPA - HSA PPP etc)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10246145/NHS-waiting-lists-...
http://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/help-and-advice/school-admissions/288/...
As others a bit more positive than me have said -- Do the research first -- and get a job there first. People in teh UK are really friendly -- best neighbours and friends I had were in the UK.
I have to say that I agree with Luke though I, too, don't live in Brussels.
I am chronically sick and I assure you that it would cost more to park the car at a UK hospital than I pay for treatment here.
I simply don't understand ANON who says that the U.K. system doesn't have a profit motive. How can you know? The figures aren't published when everything is free. And, if the UK system is so good, why is private medicine - BUPA etc - so popular there whereas here it is virtually unknown. And private medicine certainly has a profit motive!
My late wife had cancer; her brother, a UK medical professional, is adamant that there is no way that she would have survived for so long over there on the NHS as she did here.
