First Weeks in the UK: Arrival Checklist for Indian Students (2026)
Updated August 2026 · Not legal or immigration advice — gov.uk and your university's visa compliance team are the authority
The UK is administratively the most paperwork-heavy arrival among the major destinations, and almost all of that paperwork happens in your first three weeks. It is also the destination where two straightforward entitlements — a council tax exemption and a discounted railcard — go unclaimed by students every single year, quietly costing them more than most of the savings they work hard for.
This is the order that works. Immigration specifics are orientation only and the UK has been changing how status is evidenced, so check gov.uk and your university's international student team for what applies to your visa rather than following a friend's experience from two years ago.
The first fortnight, in order
| When | Do | Why this order |
|---|---|---|
| Before you fly | Set up your UKVI account and know how to access your immigration status online; carry your CAS, offer letter and finance documents | Your status is what proves your right to study, work and rent |
| Day 1–2 | UK SIM — the low-cost providers are far cheaper than the big networks | Needed for bank verification and every application below |
| Day 1–3 | Transit: contactless or an Oyster card in London, local passes elsewhere | You will be moving constantly during enrolment week |
| Week 1 | University enrolment — do not delay it | Your sponsor reports enrolment; it also unlocks the letters you need below |
| Week 1 | Open a bank account — app-based banks are usually fastest for new arrivals | Traditional banks often want proof of address you do not have yet |
| Week 1 | Register with a local GP practice | Do it while healthy; registering when ill is the worst time to discover the process |
| Week 1–2 | Apply for your National Insurance number if you plan to work | Payroll needs it; you can usually start work while it is processing |
| Week 1–2 | Claim your council tax exemption and buy a railcard | Both are money you are otherwise simply giving away |
| Week 2–4 | View housing for next year later, not now | The panic-signing season starts early; do not join it in week two |
Digital status and share codes
The UK has been moving from physical residence cards to digital immigration status, and that changes the mechanics of everyday life: instead of showing a card, you generate a time-limited share code online that an employer or landlord uses to verify your right to work or rent. Check gov.uk for exactly what applies to your visa, and set up your UKVI account access before you need it.
Two habits prevent most of the pain. Keep access to the account itself — the email address and phone number attached to it, and the recovery options — because losing access at the moment an employer asks for a code is a genuinely bad week. And generate share codes fresh when asked rather than reusing an old one, since they expire.
The NHS, the surcharge, and registering with a GP
- You will generally have paid the immigration health surcharge as part of your visa application, which is what gives you NHS access — it is not an insurance policy you claim against, and there is nothing further to buy for basic care.
- Register with a GP practice near where you live in your first weeks. Registration is free, and it is the gateway to almost all non-emergency care.
- For minor problems, a pharmacy is the fastest route and pharmacists can advise directly. For urgent-but-not-emergency situations, NHS 111 gives advice by phone or online. Emergency departments and 999 are for emergencies.
- Prescription charges differ across the UK — England charges a flat fee per item while the devolved nations have different arrangements — so check the position where you actually live.
- Dental and optical care are not free in the way GP appointments are; students often find NHS dental places scarce, so deal with anything outstanding before you fly.
The two exemptions students leave unclaimed
- Council tax is the big one. A full-time student household is generally exempt, but you must prove it — councils send bills to addresses, not to circumstances.
- If you live with anyone who is not a full-time student, the position gets more complicated rather than simply cancelling; check with the council rather than ignoring the letters.
- Never ignore a council tax letter. Sorting it out is routine paperwork; ignoring it turns into recovery action that is not.
| What | Roughly what it saves | How to claim |
|---|---|---|
| Council tax exemption | The entire council tax bill for a full-time student household | Get a student certificate from your university and submit it to the local council — this is not automatic |
| Railcard for 16–25s (and mature students) | A third off most rail fares | Buy online or at a station; it pays for itself in about two intercity journeys |
| Student travel discounts in London | A substantial cut on travelcards | Apply through the transport authority with your enrolment details |
| Student discount schemes | Varies, widely accepted in shops and online | Free or cheap to join; retailers expect students to ask |
Housing, deposits and the guarantor problem
- University halls for the first year remove nearly every problem below. If you can get a place, take it and search the private market from inside the country with time to spare.
- A tenancy deposit in England, Wales and Scotland must generally be protected in a government-approved scheme, and you should receive the scheme details. Ask which scheme, and keep the confirmation — it is your recourse at the end.
- Expect the guarantor question. Many landlords want a UK-based guarantor, which international students rarely have; the usual routes are a paid guarantor service or paying several months up front. Budget for it rather than being surprised by it.
- You will be asked to prove your right to rent, generally via a share code — another reason to have your account access working before you view anything.
- Never transfer money for a property you have not seen, and be sceptical of listings priced noticeably below the local market with a landlord conveniently abroad.
- Check whether bills are included. "£600 including everything" and "£600 plus bills" are very different numbers in a British winter.
The one-year master's compression nobody prepares for
The UK's one-year master's is the shortest of the major destinations, and its shape catches students out. There is no long summer break to recover in — the dissertation occupies it, and your university may well count that period as term time, which has consequences for how much you may work.
What that means practically: the graduate job hunt cannot wait until after the course. Large UK employers recruit graduate intakes many months ahead, and by the time a dissertation is submitted, that cycle has largely closed. Join societies and the careers service in your first month rather than your last, and treat the first term as the time to build the network you will need in the third.
The scams that target new students
- Calls claiming to be from the Home Office, the police or a tax authority, saying your visa or documents have a problem and demanding immediate payment. Government departments do not work this way. Hang up and call back on a number you looked up yourself.
- Anyone demanding payment in gift cards, cryptocurrency or transfers to a personal account is running a scam, without exception.
- Fake accommodation listings and "pay the deposit today to hold it" pressure — the deposit disappears with the listing.
- Job offers requiring an upfront fee for training, uniforms or checks. Legitimate employers do not charge you to start.
- Money-mule recruitment dressed up as a part-time job — "receive money in your account and forward it". It is money laundering, students are prosecuted for it, and it ends visas.
- If a call frightens you, that is the tell. Tell your university's international student team; they have seen every version of it.
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Practise an interview freeFrequently asked questions
Do I still get a physical residence card in the UK?
The UK has been moving to digital immigration status rather than physical cards, so most students now prove their status online and generate share codes for employers and landlords. What applies to your specific visa is on gov.uk, and your university's international team deals with this daily — check both rather than relying on an older student's experience.
Do I need a National Insurance number before I start working?
You generally need one for payroll, but you can usually begin work while the application is processing as long as you can prove your right to work. Apply once you have arrived and have an address; it is free, and nobody should be charging you to arrange it.
Is NHS healthcare free for international students?
You will generally have paid the immigration health surcharge with your visa application, which gives you NHS access — so GP appointments and hospital treatment are covered without further payment. Prescription charges vary across the UK nations, and dental and optical care work differently, so handle outstanding dental work before you fly.
Do students have to pay council tax?
A household of full-time students is generally exempt, but the exemption is claimed rather than automatic: get a student certificate from your university and send it to the local council. If anyone in the house is not a full-time student the position is more complicated — ask the council rather than ignoring the bills.
Is a railcard actually worth buying?
For most students, yes — a third off rail fares generally pays for the card within a couple of intercity journeys, and UK rail is expensive enough that this matters. If you are in London, look separately at the student travel discount on travelcards, which is a different scheme.
Why do landlords ask for a UK guarantor, and what can I do?
It is standard practice and international students rarely have one. The common routes are a paid guarantor service or paying several months' rent in advance, both of which cost money you should budget for before arriving. University halls avoid the problem entirely, which is one more reason to take a place if offered.
Keep going
- All UK guides
- Compare all destinations
- IELTS guides — the scores UK universities ask for.