Is A Relocation Service Worth The Money Moving To London From Us
London is domicile to more than 3 meg foreign-born residents, making it one of the most multicultural cities in the earth. Betwixt its rich history, diverse cuisine, and piece of cake access to the Continent, moving to London from the Usa brought plenty of excitement to my life.
As an American living in London, I've plant the city to exist the perfect balance between the new and the familiar. But don't let our countries' shared history fool you.
In that location are plenty of ways that Americans volition demand to accommodate to living in the Britain, for better or worse.
If you're deciding whether to move abroad and are considering The Large Smoke, hither'south what you lot should know before moving to London from the United states of america.
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RELATED: 24 Pros and Cons of Living in London
You can't move to London from the US without a visa
When I get-go published this post, I never imagined I'd need to say this. Simply in case you didn't know: a United states of america citizen cannot live in the U.k. without a visa.
Whatever American moving to London will need to obtain a visa–usually from within the United states of america–which tin can take weeks to months depending on the circumstances.
It's illegal to work in the United kingdom on a tourist visa (including every bit a digital nomad), or even go chore hunting, and getting defenseless will probable result in both deportation and a permament ban.
The United kingdom has become increasingly strict almost immigration now that Brexit has passed. Information technology's a notoriously hard country to movement to as an American. But there are options if yous're willing to put in the effort.
How to move to London: the main pathways
From wedlock to master's degrees, Americans moving to London have a few pathways to go hither. These are the most common ways to become a UK resident visa every bit an American:
- Marry a United kingdom citizen
- Attend college or university in the Uk
- Get hired and sponsored by a UK company
- Transfer to a United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland office within your current company
- Possess infrequent talent or promise in a desirable field
This is not an exhaustive listing of United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland visa opportunities. I highly recommend reading the UK goverment folio on visas and immigration to fully empathize your options and the requirements for each visa type.
Some visas, like the Tier four Student Visa or Tier 2 Intra-Visitor Transfer Visa, have no path to citizenship, so do your research.
Check out my in-depth guide on how to move to the UK for more than information!
Your healthcare will exist (sort of) costless
Compared to the nightmare that is the American healthcare system, the UK's National Health Insurance (NHS) is a dream.
I'd argue it'southward one of the best things about living in Enland. The system isn't perfect, simply it does provide healthcare to all residents, regardless of their employment status.
Near all medical services and treatments are free, with the exception of certain things like prescriptions and dental procedures. And even those are far cheaper than what you'd typically pay in the US with an boilerplate employer insurance program.
But as they say, nothing in life is truly gratis. Most people who motion to the UK will need to pay the immigration health surcharge when making their visa application.
The amount you lot have to pay depends on your visa type and your length of stay. If y'all're not coming to the U.k. as a student, you'll pay £200 for every yr of your visa.
This is a picayune more than what I would pay in a typical year in the U.s.a., but I had a pretty generous insurance plan and was in good health.
You lot'll as well exist funding the NHS through your taxes. The amount of coin yous'll pay in UK taxes will likely be much higher than what you paid in the US.
Despite the lower take-home pay, I'd rather live in a country where people aren't filing for bankruptcy because their child was diagnosed with cancer.
That beingness said, many people (including myself) pay for private health insurance. This gives me admission to faster appointments, a wider range of specialists, and even healthcare coverage when I'one thousand back in the US.
How to Notice the Best International Health Insurance for You lot
Fifty-fifty in countries with universal health care, ownership an international health insurance plan makes sense for a lot of expats (particularly Americans).
Only between deductible rules and coverage areas, information technology's hard to know which plan is right for you.
Luckily, the brokers at International Citizens Insurance can help you find the right plan for your specific situation. They will practice the research, compare plans, and review options with yous. A skillful broker volition salve you then much time, and all-time of all, there is no toll to yous!
With International Citizens Insurance, y'all'll have your choice of plans from the best international health insurance companies (Cigna, GeoBlue, Aetna, etc.). A dedicated agent volition answer all of your questions, walk yous through the terms and coverage, and brand adjustments so that you terminate upwardly with a plan and premium that works for you.
Request a free international insurance quote today!
You lot'll spend a lot less on your cell phone programme
According to Coin Savings Pro, the boilerplate American's cell phone bill is $lxxx/month. Although I was paying closer to $45/month with my Project Fi plan, that's still more than double what I'k paying in the UK!
Currently, I'm on an O2 pay-as-you-go tariff, which is £fifteen/calendar month for grand texts, 500 minutes, and 15GB of data with rollover. I tin can also use my mobile information in a number of European countries at no cost, dissimilar US carriers that charge daily fees.
With so much contest in the U.k. cellular market place, prices are kept very low. And being on a month-to-month payment plan means I can easily switch carriers if I find there'south a meliorate bargain. The amount of money I save on my cell phone bill makes the cost of living increase less of a burden.
Your taxes will become complicated when living in London equally an American
Spoiler alert: all Usa citizens are obligated to file a US tax return no matter where they live. If you thought sometime Uncle Sam couldn't reach into your wallet from across the swimming, you were mistaken!
If y'all're moving to London from the United states, I take some skillful news and some bad news.
The good news is that the United states and UK have a tax treaty that allows y'all to deduct your Great britain taxes from what y'all'd owe in the US.
In that location are exceptions to this of form, considering nothing about U.s. taxes is ever simple. Usa expats earning investment income, for example, volition owe tax on the profits.
The bad news is that there are additional Usa revenue enhancement forms for citizens living abroad, including the FBAR for foreign bank accounts. It tin go very complicated very chop-chop.
Depending on your financial situation, you may end upwardly paying several 1000 dollars (aye, yous read that right!) to a professional to ensure your taxes are washed right. Nosotros hired a dual Great britain / Usa expat tax firm to handle our US returns, and information technology price around $2,000.
Some solar day, I'll write a detailed post on expat taxes. In the meantime, get-go saving for that tax preparation bill.
How to Hands Transfer Money Between US and UK Accounts
One of the most common questions I get asked is how to motility coin between US and Britain bank accounts without paying a fortune in fees. Luckily, there'south an easy and inexpensive solution:
Sign up for a Wise business relationship!
I first used Wise (formerly TransferWise) when we needed to pay our London flat deposit, and it was SO much simpler and toll-effective than doing an international wire transfer from my bank. Today, I regularly use Wise to send money from my UK bank account to my U.s. accounts.
And because I wanted access to a United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland bank account right away, I opened a Wise Multi Currency Business relationship. It lets me send and receive money in over different forty currencies, and even comes with a multi-currency debit card! You can start paying for things in pounds before you fifty-fifty get in in the UK.
Open a Wise business relationship today to get real exchange rates, speedy transfers, and ultra-low fees.
Salvage me for afterwards!
Y'all'll need to acquire new words for familiar things
Anybody knows almost "fries". Simply for Americans that haven't traveled away, await to encounter many different and sometimes confusing terms for familiar things.
I've fifty-fifty written an unabridged mail service on British vs American words and slang to assistance yous overcome the language barrier.
Hither are just a few to proceed in mind at London's grocery stores and in daily life:
- Chips are steak fries, but non all fries are chips. If you see "chips" on a menu, they'll be sparse-cut like what you'd get at McDonalds.
- Crisps are (American) chips, and y'all'll notice fun flavors like prawn and sweet chili on grocery shop shelves.
- Courgettes are zucchini. Because French words audio fancy.
- Rocket is arugula, and you'll notice information technology in all sorts of salads and brunch dishes.
- Trousers are pants, but pants are underwear. Don't embarrass yourself at the dry cleaner like I did my first week here.
- Thanks ways thanks, only just in a casual way. You say "thank you" when someone brings you a beer, but non when you're being served tea at The Aqua Shard. Unless you want the waiter to laugh at you. Non that I would know…
RELATED: Cheap Eats in London: A Upkeep Travel Guide
Your utilities will be billed very differently
Dorsum to the serious stuff. In most US cities, you pay monthly bills for your water, gas, and electricity to the lone providers of those utilities in your area.
If you're fortunate enough to accept a pick in providers, the amount you'll save on your bill rarely offsets the hassle of switching.
In London, there are tons of options for utility providers and payment schedules. There's even a handy website called uSwitch that lets y'all compare prices and suppliers for your accost.
For electrical and gas, most providers permit you pay monthly, quarterly, or annually. If you pay monthly or quarterly, the amount will exist based on the estimated average for the yr, divided by the number of payments.
Depending on how your house/apartment is set up, you may need to submit a gas and electric meter reading every couple of months. Places equipped with a Smart Reader are billed past usage, like a typical US residence.
For water, you'll probable exist served by Thames Water. If your place has a water meter, you'll be billed twice a twelvemonth.
Flats/houses without h2o meters, like ours, are billed annually. However, yous are not required to pay in a lump sum (though we chose to do so for convenience). Thames Water allows yous to pay in installments, as frequently as once a calendar week.
Although the price of gas and electricity is more expensive in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland than the Usa, the milder weather means less energy goes towards heating and cooling. Overall, our utility bills are cheaper here than when we lived in a similar-sized flat in Philadelphia.
What about moving to London with pets?
Moving to the Britain with pets was past far the most stressful part of our relocation. It's also the topic I get asked about most often, which isn't surprising!
Between the paperwork requirements, logistics, and lack of pet-friendly landlords, information technology's incredibly difficult to DIY. Not to mention that a single mistake can lead to an expensive quarantine or denied entry.
I highly recommend working with a pet relocation specialist similar Pets Lets.
Their experienced agents know how to choose a expert location and space for not only a pet, but also your other needs such every bit schooling and commuting. Plus, they can recommend amazing areas to live that non-locals rarely know well-nigh.
Pets Lets' local U.k. agents are experts at finding pet-friendly rentals and negotiating contracts. They'll as well connect you with a transportation company to safely bring your dear hirsuite friends into the land.
Book your Pets Lets consultation today!
Your identify probably won't have air-conditioning or a dryer
The other reason you'll likely salvage on gas and electric is the lack of air conditioning (a.m.a. "air con") and dryers in the UK. The summers are generally mild, making air con unnecessary.
Unfortunately, every summer since 2018 has come with multiple heatwaves and 90+ degree days. I make several trips to Sainsbury'southward just so I tin stand up in the frozen food aisle…
During those few hot days, I deeply regret moving to London from the US. But then things cool down and it's right back to comfy and cool weather.
If you have seasonal allergies or other needs that call for Air conditioning, I recommend getting a portable unit.
Dryers are also a rarity in U.k., specially in London where space is at a premium. Get yourself a expert clothes drying rack and plan your washing accordingly. No one wants to put on wet socks considering someone forgot most laundry day.
RELATED: The Essential Moving Away Packing Checklist
You'll be hard-pressed to observe drip coffee
Ah, java. Is in that location anything more American than going to a diner and getting unlimited refills of that steamy, watered-down goodness? My married man says of the few things he misses about the US, drip coffee is number one.
Finding drip java in London is nigh impossible.
If you walk into a cafe and ask for java, one of 2 things will happen. Either the person behind the counter will blankly stare at you for a moment before request "…what kind?". Or, they'll hear your accent and presume you want an Americano.
For the uninitiated, an Americano is just a watered down espresso. Allegedly, it was invented by American Yard.I.'south during Globe War II, considering they wanted something that tasted closer to the coffee back abode.
Unfortunately, the price of an Americano in most London cafes does not reverberate that it's 50% water.
Word on the street is that Nordic Bakery (near Piccadilly Circus) and TAP Java (multiple locations) serve great drip coffee, then consider giving them a try if you lot demand that American coffee gustatory modality.
Thankfully, filter coffee is a chop-chop growing trend, and the taste is pretty similar to onetime-fashioned drip java! Many independent cafes offer filter coffee brewed in a pour-over pot such as a Chemex.
RELATED: Moving to England From The USA: 10 Tips for Americans
Last Thoughts on Moving to London from the U.s.a.
Expat life ever has its challenges, and moving to London from the U.s.a. is no exception. Notwithstanding, if yous move hither with a little advanced research and an open heed, y'all'll exist fix to tackle these differences.
If you haven't visited the city (which you should absolutely do earlier you find a apartment in London), my flexible London itinerary is a great resource for planning your trip.
I've likewise written a detailed moving to London checklist for expats that will assistance guide you through the whole procedure.
This is by no ways an exhaustive list of everything yous should know earlier moving to London. Stay tuned for more relocation and expat tips, and consider joining my Patreon grouping for more than resources!
Want more travel + relocation tips?
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Is A Relocation Service Worth The Money Moving To London From Us,
Source: https://theportablewife.com/living-abroad/moving-to-london/moving-to-london-from-us-7-things/
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