First steps
 

It's time to come back.

I'm currently sorting out a temporary job to go to and plan to rent for a short while until I find an area I want to live in and a home to buy.

Can anyone tell me what my first steps should be when i arrive home? Should I inform any authorities before I get back or wait until I start work? Will I be able to rent a flat (or work) if I'm not registered anywhere as a resident? Is there anything else I need to consider?

I'm British (and have been travelling with work and living in Greece for over 20 years) so don't foresee any problems with becoming a resident again.

Grateful for any replies, comments and suggestions.

Re: First steps
 

Do you have an NI number?

Most things pretty much take care of themselves, or are done after you arrive in the UK, such as registering with a doctor, opening a bank account, etc.

Re: First steps
 

If they were born and lived a while in the UK, they'll have an NIN even if they don't know it.

Re: First steps
 

My wife didn’t know her NIN before we came back but found it easily enough through the following website

https://www.gov.uk/lost-national-insurance-number

You are considered resident the day you arrive if you intend to stay. We arrived last year after 29 years away and moved into a rented house while we looked to buy. We had secured the lease from the USA before we left the USA.

The first things we did was :

go to our closest NHS surgery and register. Passport was the only required document but I’ve read here that the documentation needed varies a lot between NHS Trusts. (A passport does not prove you are resident).

Register to vote.

Apply for a British picture driving licence, exchanging our old green paper licence.

Go into the local branch of our bank and do a change of address as soon as we had letters from the council and water company to our new rented house. We had kept our old UK bank account.

Re: First steps
 

Yes Pulaski I do have a NIN. I also have my last P45 somewhere although I don't know if that's even recognised anymore. I also paid voluntary NI contributions to top up my pension and I still have a bank account so I am "known" by the British authorities.

Thanks for those first steps durham lad. It's good to know you secured the lease on a home before you actually got back.

I suppose it's an age thing but strange that I'm so nervous about going back. When I left (in my twenties) I never made any plans, just upped and left!

Re: First steps
 

You should be in good shape for coming back if you still have your UK bank account. When securing a lease be prepared to put up 6 months advance rent as you won’t have a recent UK credit history.

When our son started work a month ago he was asked to provide a P45 which he didn’t have since he had never worked in the UK before but that wasn’t an issue. He was given a week one tax code that assumed he had been earning at the same level since the first week of the tax year. (He is paying too much tax now but will either get that adjusted in April or he could call HMRC and explain).

Re: First steps
 

My P45 probably dates back to around 1980 so no doubt I would be on emergency tax too. Perhaps that's a good reason to go early in the year?

Re: First steps
 

Your P45 will be irrelevant. Your NIN will mean that you won't be on emergency tax.

Re: First steps
 

The only thing of interest your P45 will provide is your NIN.

Re: First steps
 

Did you make it back home?

Re: First steps
 

Hi Durham_Lad, did you use any type of relocation service to secure that lease while still in the US? Thanks.

Re: First steps
 

We used Rightmove to search for rental properties in the town we wanted to move to and then had friends view the properties on our behalf and report back. The agency that managed the lease used an online company to run background checks on us. We had to pay 6 months rent in advance.

Re: First steps
 

Have you consider applying for Greek citizenship before returning to the UK? Have an EU citizenship post Brexit can be useful.

Re: First steps
 

Yes, that's probably sensible. I will look into it thanks.