Living and Working in the UK FAQ

Social Work England (SWE) is the regulatory body that you must be registered with to work as a social worker in England.  There are equivalent bodies in other parts of the UK.  

Take a look at my post about registering with Social Work England as an internationally qualified social worker.  I’ve included tips and advice from international social workers who have had their Social Work England registrations approved.

The Social Work England (SWE) website says for international applicants, “we aim to complete an initial assessment of your application in 60 working days”. A decision will not be made at that point, it is only an initial assessment where you are allocated a case officer and they consider if you have submitted the required documents.  I have worked with international social workers who have had to wait 9 months or more for their applications to be approved.  Have a look at my post about how long it takes to register with Social Work England for more information.

Do yourself a favour and start your application as soon as you start planning your move to the UK!

YES!   A lot of councils are struggling to fill social work jobs and are looking at international recruitment to help fill the gaps.  Some councils offer sponsorship and/or relocation packages for social workers moving to the UK.

Most social work roles in the UK fall under children’s services or adult social care and are statutory roles.  However, there are some specific social work roles in youth justice, schools, mental health, disabilities, and hospitals.  Have a look here for more information about what social workers in the UK do.

It can sometimes be tricky to work out how your experience translates to a UK role.  I can help with this.  

This depends on your experience, whether you are working with adults or children, and where in the country you work.  

For permanent positions, you can probably expect to get paid between £30,000 and £45,000.  If you live and work in London, you will get an additional “allowance” called London weighting which is an extra few thousand pounds to help with the cost of living in London.  

For locum/agency/temporary roles, pay varies greatly across the country.  Agency social workers in London will be paid up to £37/hour with managers being paid up to £44.50/hour. 

The easiest way is to find a trusted and reputable social work recruitment agency.  They will help you find the right job for you.  This might be a temporary contract or something permanent with a relocation package. 

Here is more information about how to find a good social work recruitment agency in the UK.

You might hear the term ASYE when looking at social work jobs in the UK. It stands for the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment and is a 12‑month programme designed to support newly qualified social workers in their first year of practice. It gives extra supervision, protected time, and a structured framework to help build confidence.

It’s mainly for social workers who have just qualified. If you already have experience overseas, it’s unlikely you will be required to do the ASYE, although some employers may still offer elements of the support if they think it would be helpful.

To work as a social worker in the UK, you will need a DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service check). This is similar to a criminal record check and is arranged by your employer once you have a job offer or recruitment agency when you register with them.

I strongly recommend getting a police check from any country you have lived in for more than 12 months (eg an Australian Federal Police check). Employers often ask for these as part of their safer recruitment process.

If you are getting a police check from the country you are currently living in, make sure it is dated no more than 3 months before you plan to leave. Older checks may not be accepted.

No, not if you live in London or another big city.  

I worked in London as a social worker for over 10 years and did not own a car in that time.  Most of the time, public transport is a good option and can even be quicker.  Also, I liked to use my time between visits to reflect and prepare.  But there were definitely been times when I’ve wished I had a car.  Like when attending meetings or doing visits that take twice as long on public transport or when it is raining and cold and I was waiting for a bus.  There have also been times when I have had to rely on colleagues with cars to assist me, such as when moving a child to a placement. 

I have recently moved to Manchester and although I don’t yet have a car, I will almost certainly get one. My job is more difficult without a car as public transport isn’t as frequent as London and the geographical area we cover is larger.

If you work as a social worker outside of a big city, then a car would almost certainly be necessary.  

Not an answer to a question but a bit of helpful information.  As a social worker you are eligible to apply for a Blue Light Card.  This card provides discounts to many public sector workers.  It costs £4.99 for 2 years and you get online and instore discounts at loads of restaurants, retail shops, theme parks, etc. 

Yes.  Unless you have a British passport, you will need a visa to work in the UK.  

The type of visa you are eligible for depends on your age, nationality and whether you have family from the UK.  If you are from Australia or New Zealand and under 35, you will probably be eligible for the youth mobility visa.  If you have a grandparent born in the UK, you might be eligible for an ancestry visa.   

Depending on your profession, you might be eligible for sponsorship from an employer.  Social workers and teachers are in high demand in the UK which increases your chances of sponsorship. 

A national insurance number (NIN) is a unique number for you which is to make sure your national insurance contributions and tax are recorded against your name only. For Australian’s, it is a bit like a tax file number.

You can only apply for a national insurance number once you get to the UK. 

You can work without a national insurance number, but you will be taxed at a higher “emergency rate” which you can claim back later.

You can drive on a foreign licence for up to 12 months. For some countries (including Australia and New Zealand) you can exchange your licence for a UK one but only within the first 5 years you live in the UK.

Don’t make the same mistake I did and let my Australian licence expire before exchanging it.  It was a bit of hassle to renew my Aussie licence just to send it off to get a UK one.  

Opening a bank account used to be really hard to do when you first arrived in the UK as you needed things like a proof of address and proof of employment.   It seems that now some of the “high street” banks including Lloyds, HSBC, Halifax and Barclays will allow you to open a bank account with only your BRP (biometrics residence permit) but this does vary from branch to branch so you might need to try a few.  The increase in online banks also seems to make things easier with banks like Monzo, Revolut and Starling being possible options. 

You need to register with a GP surgery and will only be able to register with one that accepts your postcode.  It is a good idea to do this before you need a doctor because it can take time to register.  You will need ID and proof of address.  If you need an urgent appointment you can go to a walk in centre, A&E or call 111 (non emergency medical advice). 

You will get an NHS number when you register with a GP.  This is not the same as a National Insurance Number.

Dentists in the UK can be NHS (public) or private. Even with an NHS dentist you still pay a fee, but it’s much cheaper than going privately. NHS dentists can be difficult to get into, and waiting lists are common. You also need to be registered with a practice before you can book routine appointments.

It’s a good idea to register with a dentist soon after you arrive rather than waiting until you have a problem. If you need urgent dental care, you can call 111 and they will direct you to a local urgent care. 

Most people don’t. The National Health Service (NHS) covers GP visits, hospital care, and emergency treatment for UK residents and visitors from countries with reciprocal arrangements.  Some people choose private insurance for faster specialist appointments or dental/optical extras, but it’s not required.

Most people pay tax through PAYE (Pay As You Earn), where tax and national insurance are automatically taken from your salary. Your tax code determines how much you pay. If you’re on the wrong tax code, you might be taxed too much, but you can claim it back later.  Most people in the UK don’t need to do a tax return. 

It is not mandatory to pay into a pension in the UK. However, you will usually be automatically enrolled when you start a job which you can opt out of. Have a look at my post about pensions for things to consider when deciding whether to pay into a UK pension.

This is the local tax you pay to your council to cover services like rubbish collection, libraries, street lighting, and local policing. The amount depends on where you live, the “band” your property falls into and how lives in your home. It is similar to council rates in Australia exept it is the tenant rather than the landowner who pays it.  So if you are renting you will be responsible for paying council tax for your property. 

Bank holidays are public holidays in the UK. They’re called “bank holidays” because when they were formalised in 1871, banks were legally required to close on those days. As well as the big ones like New Year’s Day, Easter, Christmas and Boxing Day, there are also a few uniquely British ones: the Early May bank holiday, the Spring bank holiday (also in May), and the Summer bank holiday.

A TV licence is a legal requirement if you watch live TV or use BBC iPlayer. It costs around £159 per year. You don’t need one if you only use streaming services like Netflix or Prime.  If you don’t have a TV licence when required you risk prosecution and a fine up to £1000. 

The UK weather is generally mild (compared to places like Canada), but it can be very unpredictable. Winters are cold, dark, and damp, while summers are usually warm and can occasionally get hot, though there are no guarantees. When temperatures do reach around 30°C, it feels much hotter than you might expect because homes and public transport aren’t designed for the heat. It rains often, usually light rain rather than big storms. A good coat, waterproof shoes, and plenty of layers will make day‑to‑day life much easier.

Budget airlines like Ryanair, EasyJet, and Wizz Air offer very cheap flights if you book early or travel mid‑week. For UK travel, look at coach companies (National Express, Megabus) or book trains in advance using apps like Trainline or Split My Fare. Hostels, budget hotels, and overnight buses can also keep costs down.

Within London, the tube and buses allow you to use “contactless”/”payWave” so you no longer need to have an Oyster card (London’s public transport payment card).   Sometimes national rail trains that start in London stop a few times within the “Oyster” network but further out they are outside of London zones and you will need to have a separate train ticket.   Don’t get caught out or you risk a fine.

This is a big question and depends on many things.   London is broken up into zones based on the public transport map with zone 1 being most central.   In my view, zones 2-4 make great options to live.   Generally, the further out you are, the cheaper it is but this is not always the case. 

There is a bit of a north/south of the river argument with many preferring one over the other.

Including Aussies in London/UK and Kiwis in London have lots of information and are a great place to ask questions or for advice.  There is a Kiwis in London chat page which has an extensive FAQ.

Money Saving Expert has lots of helpful and up to date information about all things money.  This includes the best sim cards and internet deals, saving and pension advice, entitlements for flight delays, retail sales, and lots more.