Establishing your life in the UK

Hi all,
I'm moving over tomorrow (!!!!!) so I just have some more questions about establishing my life there. We are going to be staying at the place my husband lives in with  his 2 flatmates for two weeks and on October 31st move into our own place. This concerns me with starting to set up my bank account, register with a GP, and everything else because I won't be able to put my name on a bill until we move. That will be 2 weeks after I arrive. Is there anything I CAN do while we wait to move to help me get started? I really don't want to be in limbo (still) once I get over there! Any help or suggestions welcome.

In my experience (and everyone's seems to be different), you will not be able to open a bank account OR register with a GP without proof of address. 

I was able to register with an NHS dentist for some reason before I had any other proof of address and I used the paperwork I was given from the dentist to open my bank account, and then used the bank account stuff to register with the GP.

Good luck to you!

Hi:
Just went into Lloyd's TSB this morning to ask what I needed to open an account. At first they said, just a passport was fine - but when I came back with my passport they required proof of address. Since my husband has an account with this bank, he can 'introduce me' to the bank and verify my address. This seems rather easy (meeting up during his lunch break).

I didn't realize you needed proof of address to register with your GP. Guess my husband might have to 'introduce me' there as well.

I didn't realize you needed proof of address to register with your GP. Guess my husband might have to 'introduce me' there as well.

Nah, I actually opened my account with Lloyd's for the express purpose of having proof of address to register with the GP. They'll send you your PIN or some other welcome mail in the next day or two - just pop down to the GP then.

And somehow I highly doubt that anyone else in the UK wanted to watch Anne of Green Gables that week.   

This is why I own Anne of Green Gables on DVD and hacked Tim's DVD player to play it

Hi:
Just went into Lloyd's TSB this morning to ask what I needed to open an account. At first they said, just a passport was fine - but when I came back with my passport they required proof of address. Since my husband has an account with this bank, he can 'introduce me' to the bank and verify my address. This seems rather easy (meeting up during his lunch break).

I didn't realize you needed proof of address to register with your GP. Guess my husband might have to 'introduce me' there as well.

Another option that might work is when you get added to your husband's council tax (if he pays one, and it's in his name). At least in my case, it was one of the first things we sorted out when I moved over, and they sent him out an amended council tax statement which had both of our names and our address on it--I then used it to register with a GP. I got that before any sort of bank paperwork, so it's another avenue that might be available depending on if the council will send out a new statement or not.

Thanks for the info everyone.

I met my husband during his lunch today with the specific purpose of going to Lloyd's to open an account. And then they tell us we need to make an appointment? Okay, it's the center of London, but really... so now we'll try the local branch near home if they are open on Saturday...

You can expect to have to make an appointment at any branch, especially on a Saturday.

This is why I own Anne of Green Gables on DVD and hacked Tim's DVD player to play it

HA!  I know and we were going to go to PEI this autumn.  Thank God we didn't make it.   

Hi:
Just went into Lloyd's TSB this morning to ask what I needed to open an account. At first they said, just a passport was fine - but when I came back with my passport they required proof of address. Since my husband has an account with this bank, he can 'introduce me' to the bank and verify my address. This seems rather easy (meeting up during his lunch break).

I didn't realize you needed proof of address to register with your GP. Guess my husband might have to 'introduce me' there as well.

My husband added me to his Barclays account to get me started. It took probably 30 - 45 minutes and both of us present with a folder full of paperwork (marriage record, passports, etc.)

As for the GP, I arrived with the same folder of paperwork prepared for an inquisition; turns out they didn't ask for anything! I just filled out the forms and that was it. They didn't even ask for my passport or ID. Guess it's dependent upon the surgery. 

Not to sound like a complete idiot, but we are planning to add me to hubby's account (it just seems a lot easier until (if) I get a job since I don't have an income anyway).  Is that as simple as just walking in and adding me onto the account?  Even the simplest of things seem to be over-dramatic when it comes to UK/US marriages.  Also, we won't be moving into our house until about a week after we get there.  Is it going to be an issue to put the bills in both our names from the beginning?

We were able to walk in and speak with a bank officer, but it was a small local branch. If it's in a larger city you'll probably need an appointment.

Otherwise, it was much the same as when I added hubby to my account here. Hand them some documents for them to copy, sign some things and you're done!

Hubby dealt with adding me to the council tax & utilities. The utility issue is completely different to the way things are done here. You don't pay large deposits to have things turned on, it just transfers from owner/tenant to owner/tenant. So he'll probably just have to ring up BT or whoever and add you. I didn't have to do anything or provide any documentation for him to add me to those.

Not to sound like a complete idiot, but we are planning to add me to hubby's account (it just seems a lot easier until (if) I get a job since I don't have an income anyway).  Is that as simple as just walking in and adding me onto the account?  Even the simplest of things seem to be over-dramatic when it comes to UK/US marriages.  Also, we won't be moving into our house until about a week after we get there.  Is it going to be an issue to put the bills in both our names from the beginning?

It took 5 minutes to add me on to the hubster's account. We just walked in. He has had the same checking account for 20 years and knew everyone at the bank, so all I had to do was show my passport / visa and I was on his account. I also got a credit card on his account. I don't think you will have any problems there. We may have had to show a letter I received at our address, though. But once you call up to make your appointment for the National Insurance Number, you should get a letter through the post a few days later. So I would do that first so you will have proof of address for anything else you need.

Sadly, since I have no credit of my own (but I thought I would since he has great credit and I'm his spouse) I couldn't get a mobile phone when I applied a few months ago, but when we filled in the app with all his details it went right through. 

I was reminded of this post I started a long time ago and wanted to add for anyone who it may benefit, that one other thing you should do is change your address with the IRS.  You can use form 8822 to do so.  http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8822.pdf

Lovefilm also kept sending me the same copy of a disk I reported faulty. 

And when ordering box sets there seems no way to get them to send you the first disk in set first.  I marked one has high priority and two and three as low and I still got 2 first.  I suppose I could have removed them from the list altogether.  And somehow I highly doubt that anyone else in the UK wanted to watch Anne of Green Gables that week.   

I love that series!! (books and movies)