28 guides · 12 topics

How to do things in the UK

Each guide answers one real question — the sort people type into a search box at 11pm when a bill arrives, a tenancy ends, a licence expires or a text message asks for a code. Every fact is cited to the department, regulator or statute that owns it; every judgement is labelled as our own.

Arriving & settling in

The first ninety days: visas and eVisas, a National Insurance number, a bank account, a GP, a phone and somewhere to live.

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How to open a UK bank accountHigh street banks want proof of address that a new arrival cannot produce. App-based banks regulated by the same authority gener…7 min6 sources

Moving to the UK — your first 30 days, in the right orderSix things unlock everything else: an address, a phone number, a bank account, a National Insurance number, a GP and a GOV.UK On…8 min8 sources

UK visas explained: which one do I need?A points-based system where the route follows the purpose: work, study, family or investment. What sponsorship actually means, t…10 min9 sources

Government services & ID

GOV.UK One Login, passports, driving licences, birth certificates, council services and voter ID — and the fact that Britain has no ID card.

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How to apply for a UK passportOnline is cheaper and faster than paper. Digital photos fail more often than anything else, the countersignatory rules trip up f…8 min7 sources

How to set up GOV.UK One LoginOne Login is the single sign-on gradually replacing dozens of separate government accounts. This explains how to create one, how…6 min5 sources

Money, tax & National Insurance

PAYE and tax codes, Self Assessment, National Insurance, ISAs, student loans and Universal Credit — what you owe, what you are owed, and when.

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How to check your tax code is rightWrong tax codes are the most common way people in the UK overpay tax, and HMRC does not always spot it. This decodes what each l…7 min7 sources

How to file a Self Assessment tax returnOnline returns are due by 31 January, and registering late is the mistake that costs most first-time filers. This covers who mus…8 min8 sources

How to get a National Insurance numberA National Insurance number is free, permanent and issued by HMRC. You can start work without one. This covers who needs to appl…7 min6 sources

National Insurance explainedA second income tax with a contributory record attached. What the classes mean, why 35 qualifying years matters more than the am…9 min7 sources

Work & employment

The National Living Wage, holiday entitlement, notice, redundancy, statutory sick pay, right to work and the tribunal deadline that catches people out.

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How to check you are being paid correctlyThe National Living Wage is a legal minimum with no exceptions for probation, training or willingness to work for less. This sho…7 min7 sources

Your rights if you are made redundantRedundancy has to be genuine, consulted on properly and selected fairly — and there is a hard three-month deadline to challenge …8 min7 sources

Housing & renting

Deposit protection, right to rent, repairs, rent increases, evictions, council tax and the schemes that actually help first-time buyers.

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Evictions and your rights as a tenantOnly a court can evict you, and only a bailiff can carry it out. What a valid notice must contain, why an invalid one buys you m…10 min8 sources

How to get your tenancy deposit backYour deposit must be held in a government-approved protection scheme, and the landlord has to justify keeping any of it. This ex…8 min6 sources

How to rent in England — what to check before you signLetting fees are banned, deposits are capped, and the landlord must give you specific documents before a tenancy can be validly …7 min7 sources

Driving & transport

Provisional licences, theory and practical tests, MOTs, vehicle tax, insurance, ULEZ and clean air zones, and railcards.

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Driving in the UK on a foreign licenceYou can generally drive on a foreign licence for 12 months from becoming resident. What happens next depends entirely on which c…7 min7 sources

How to get a UK driving licenceProvisional licence, theory test, practical test — and a practical test waiting list that is the real constraint. This covers th…7 min6 sources

NHS & health

Registering with a GP, NHS 111, prescriptions, dentists, A&E versus urgent care, mental health referrals and the immigration health surcharge.

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How to find an NHS dentistThere is no registration and no catchment area — any practice with NHS capacity can see you. The problem is capacity, not eligib…8 min7 sources

How to register with a GPYou do not need proof of address, immigration status or an NHS number to register with a GP, and a practice cannot refuse you fo…7 min6 sources

NHS 111, 999 or A&E — which do you actually need?The NHS has more urgent care routes than most people know about, and choosing the wrong one costs hours. This explains what each…7 min6 sources

Bills & utilities

The energy price cap, switching, standing charges, broadband social tariffs, water, the TV licence and what to do when a bill is wrong.

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How to cut your energy billThe price cap does not cap your bill, standing charges are unavoidable, and the biggest savings come from heating rather than fr…7 min7 sources

What to do if you can't pay a billEnergy suppliers, banks, councils and water companies all have obligations to help. Free debt advice is available from charities…8 min6 sources

Education & study

School admissions and appeals, GCSEs and A-levels, UCAS, student finance, apprenticeships and student visas.

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How to apply for a school place in EnglandApplications go through your local council, not the school, and the deadlines are hard. This covers the national offer dates, ho…7 min5 sources

Consumer rights & complaints

The Consumer Rights Act, Section 75 and chargebacks, and the free ombudsman that exists for almost every industry.

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How to complain and actually winBritain has a free ombudsman for almost every industry, and they work for one structural reason: they cost the business money an…7 min6 sources

Your refund rights under the Consumer Rights ActYou have 30 days to reject faulty goods outright for a full refund, and rights that last up to six years after that. This explai…8 min6 sources

Scams, safety & emergencies

Recognising and reporting fraud, Action Fraud and the 159 line, identity theft, flooding, and the numbers that matter in an emergency.

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How to report a scam in the UK — and try to get your money backDial 159 first — it connects you securely to your own bank and cannot be spoofed. This is the correct order after that: Action F…8 min7 sources

What to do if your identity is stolenIdentity theft is a cascade of problems, and the order of response matters. Cifas protective registration first, then Action Fra…7 min6 sources

Travel & things to do

What each nation and region is genuinely worth visiting for, national parks, rail travel and the practical side of getting around Britain.

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How to travel Britain by trainThe same journey can cost four times as much depending on when you buy and how you split it. Advance fares, split ticketing, rai…9 min7 sources

The best things to do in BritainBritain is small enough to cross in a day and dense enough to spend a lifetime on, which makes the real skill knowing what to sk…8 min7 sources