Casseroled

I am a Canadian/British citizen (born in Canada, British by decent) and I hold valid up to date passports for BOTH countries. I am moving to Edinburgh in September 2022 to attend college fulltime. I already have a permanent place to live arranged. I am planning on remaining permanently after graduation. I have never lived in the UK before. I am hoping for advice on applying for a NINo, how to register with the NHS, how to transfer my driver license, and how my taxes will work. Anything else I should be aware of before or after arriving?

Advice or direction would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

BritInParis

You’ll need to wait until you arrive. Once you do you can apply for your National Insurance Number here.

Register with a local GP and you’ll be automatically issued an NHS number if you don’t have one.

You can drive for up to twelve months on your Canadian driving licence before you need to exchange it. Bear in mind you’ll be limited to automatic cars only if you passed your Canadian driving test in an automatic so if you would like to drive manuals you can use this time to pass your UK driving test instead.

If you’re in salaried employment then your all taxes/NICs will be deducted through payroll (PAYE). As a student you’ll be exempt from Council Tax but you’ll need a TV licence if you’ll have a TV. You don’t have to register to vote but it’s a good idea to start building your credit history.

If you’re going to be a student then make sure you take advantage of the various discounts available to you.