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Ah, paperwork, the necessary evil of the 21st century. I honestly don’t know a single living soul who would be into dealing with the dreaded papers. Contact us to learn more about rental flats in london

And yet there’s no getting around it, especially when it comes to some of the most important decisions of our life such as moving to a different city.

Well, if there’s no avoiding the chore, it’s best if one deals with it as quickly as possible. Just imagine you are ripping off a Band-Aid. A very boring Band-Aid that needs to be verified by a minimum of three departments.

Paperwork for US residents

Congratulations to all citizens of the United States – your relocation to London is a breeze if compared to moving here from any other country.

All you’ll need is your passport and a Visa. Typically Americans apply for work and family Visas that don’t require too much paperwork. In the first case, all you’ll need is proof that you have family members residing in the UK.

The second case is a bit trickier, but still nothing too complex to follow. You need to secure a job and get proof that you will be earning an appropriate salary from your employer.

One more thing worth noticing is that you might be asked to show proof of the fact that you have enough money to support yourself for the time from your first arrival to the point of receiving your first paycheck. Nothing too big is needed here. A statement from your bank should do the trick just fine.

Paperwork for EU residents

This one is a tricky subject to talk about. For now, you don’t need any paperwork other than your passport to move her from any EU resident country.

That said, things might change dramatically after the UK goes through with Brexit.

We are sure that you’ll need as many papers as our American friends (or maybe less) so Brexit won’t really be that big of a deal to you, but as of now, nothing can be said for certain.

Not to teach you how to live your life, but maybe it’s best to move now if you are considering a relocation to London as an option for the nearest future?

Paperwork for Commonwealth residents

Now we are getting to the hard stuff – relocation from people residing outside the US and EU. We won’t be able to give you a comprehensive list of documents you’ll need. Not because the list itself is too long, but because it simply doesn’t exist.

The rules of applying for a Visa are different for every country from the Commonwealth. They depend on the policies your homeland supports; it’s financial and political affairs with the UK and a whole plethora of other factors.

If you are considering a relocation to London it’s best if you check your specific requirements on gov.uk. They have comprehensive lists of paperwork every resident of the commonwealth might need to apply for a long-term Visa.

That said, there are still ways of living in the UK without any restrictions. You won’t need to dive deeply into paperwork if:

  • You are married to someone who had the right to live in the UK before January 1st, 1983. That said, you still have to be married to that person, and you must have remained a Commonwealth citizen since.
  • If you have proof that you were a member of the commonwealth on the 31st of December, 1982.
  • If your parents were either born or permanently residing in the UK at the moment of your birth or adoption.

It’s not that big of a list to pick options from, right? But hey, something is better than nothing!

Once you are in

Sadly, your paperwork struggles don’t mysteriously disaster once you cross the border. You’ll still need to set up a few things once you are in the UK, such as:

  • Your National insurance Number.
  • An English Bank Account.

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