July 29, 2026
Your first 90 days working in the UK: the practical checklist
National Insurance number, immigration status proof, bank account, GP registration, tax code, rent references. The admin that decides whether your move feels smooth or chaotic.
In your first 90 days in the UK, sort your immigration status proof, National Insurance number, bank account, GP registration and tax code, in that order. Housing is the hardest part because of reference requirements, so start it before you land.
Your first 90 days working in the UK
The visa is the hard part. The three months after landing are the part nobody prepares for, and they are where most people burn money and patience. Here is the order that works.
Week one
Confirm your immigration status proof. Most people now use a digital immigration status rather than a physical card. Set up your account, generate a share code and save it. Employers, landlords and banks will all ask for one.
Register your address with your employer. Payroll cannot pay you properly without it.
Get a UK SIM. Almost every account verification depends on a UK number. Do this on day one, not week three.
Open a bank account. Digital banks approve in a day with a passport and address. Traditional banks want proof of address, which you may not have yet, so start digital and add a high street account later if you need one.
Weeks two to four
Apply for your National Insurance number. You can legally start work before it arrives, but chase it, because payroll gets messy without it and you may be overtaxed.
Check your tax code. Emergency tax codes are common in the first month or two. If you have been overtaxed you get it back, but it is easier to fix early through your employer than to wait.
Register with a GP. Do this before you need one. Registration can take a couple of weeks and you have already paid the immigration health surcharge, so use it.
Understand your pension enrolment. Auto enrolment usually starts after a qualifying period. Check the employer contribution rate. Opting out is almost always a mistake.
Housing, start before you arrive
This is the part that catches most people. UK letting agents typically want UK references, proof of income and sometimes a UK guarantor. A new arrival has none of those.
Realistic options: pay several months upfront, use a rent guarantor service, take a room in a shared house first where requirements are lighter, or ask your employer for a relocation letter confirming salary and permanent employment. That letter solves more problems than people expect, and most employers will write it if you ask.
Book four to eight weeks of temporary accommodation and do the viewings in person. Signing a twelve month lease on photos is how people end up commuting ninety minutes each way.
Month two and three, at work
The admin is only half of it. The part that determines whether the move succeeds is how you land in the team.
Ask about the norms, not just the tasks. Meeting culture, how disagreement is expressed, whether people work late. UK workplace communication is often more indirect than people expect, and "that is interesting, let us park it" rarely means what it sounds like.
Write down what you deliver. Keep a running list from week one. Your first review will come faster than you think and nobody else is tracking it.
Build outside your team. Referrals and internal moves come from weak ties. Coffee with three people in other teams in the first month pays off for years.
What to sort before the 90 days end
Your NI number arrived and appears on your payslip. Your tax code is correct. You are registered with a GP and a dentist. You have a permanent address and a tenancy in your own name. Your pension is active. Your bank has been open long enough to serve as proof of address.
If the job search is still ongoing
If you are in the UK on a route that lets you look for work, or your first role is not the right one, do not let the admin swallow the search. Our UK CV templates get the document right, and a free 30 minute consultation will tell you whether the strategy is the problem or the paperwork is.
Also worth reading: planning your life before moving abroad, which covers the decisions people wish they had made before booking flights.
Written by
Hugo Faria
I've worked with companies like LinkedIn, Indeed and global SaaS organizations, understanding how modern hiring, ATS systems and recruiter processes really work. I've helped 500+ professionals improve their CVs, LinkedIn profiles and job search strategies across Ireland, the UK and Europe. I combined that experience with AI to build something different: A system that doesn't just improve your CV, but gives you a clear strategy to land a job.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first when I move to the UK for work?
Set up your digital immigration status and share code, get a UK SIM, open a digital bank account and give your address to payroll. Everything else depends on those four.
How long does a National Insurance number take?
It commonly takes a few weeks. You can legally start work before it arrives, but chase it, because payroll issues and emergency tax codes are common without it.
Why is renting in the UK hard for new arrivals?
Letting agents often require UK references, proof of income and sometimes a guarantor. New arrivals usually solve it with several months paid upfront, a guarantor service, a shared house first, or an employer relocation letter.
Do I need to register with a GP straight away?
Register early rather than when you are ill. Registration can take a couple of weeks and you have already paid the immigration health surcharge, so there is no reason to delay.
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