Settling In Before You Arrive: The Three Tasks Worth Doing Online First

The first month in the UK is busy. Between enrolment, freshers' week, finding your way around and starting classes, admin tends to pile up — and some of it can't wait. The good news is that three of the most important preparation tasks can be done, or at least started, online before you even land.

1. Check your documents before you fly

Your visa is approved — but are the details on your eVisa, passport, CAS and flight booking all consistent? Is the right passport linked to your UKVI account? Are your originals in your hand luggage?

These checks take an hour and prevent the most stressful kinds of arrival problems. A mismatch discovered at home can be fixed by email; the same mismatch discovered at check-in can mean a missed flight.

Our pre-departure document check guide walks through the full checklist.

2. Know exactly how to handle bank, NI and GP

In your first weeks you'll want to:

• Open a UK bank account — to receive wages, pay rent and avoid international fees.
• Apply for a National Insurance number — if you plan to work.
• Register with a GP — so you can access NHS care when you need it.

Each involves forms, proof of address and choices (which bank? which practice?). Knowing the order and requirements in advance means you can tackle them in days rather than weeks. Our bank, NI and GP walkthrough guide explains each step.

3. Arrive with a UK-ready CV

Whether you want part-time work in your first term or a placement later, your CV needs to fit UK conventions: no photo or personal details, achievement-focused bullet points, British spelling, and a clear two-page limit.

Part-time vacancies near universities can fill quickly at the start of the academic year, and students with a ready CV can apply straight away. See our CV and LinkedIn rewrite guide for what to change.

Why these three together

These tasks connect. A bank account needs your documents in order. A job needs a CV, a bank account for wages and an NI number. Tackling them as a set, in the right order, avoids the frustrating loop of "I can't do X until I've done Y".

How the Arrive UK Settle-in Online bundle helps

The Settle-in Online bundle (£79) combines three of our online add-ons into one package — no need to attend anywhere:

• Pre-departure visa & document check (normally £29): we review your documents for consistency and send a written summary of anything to fix.
• Bank, NI & GP online walkthrough (normally £25): a guided video session taking you through each application step by step.
• CV + LinkedIn rewrite (normally £49): a fully rewritten UK-format CV plus suggested LinkedIn wording.

Bought separately, these cost £103, so the bundle saves you £24. You can book it before you travel and complete each part at the right moment — the document check before departure, the walkthrough in your first week and the CV whenever you're ready to start applying.

We're not a law firm or financial adviser; where you need regulated advice, we'll tell you. See all our online services.