Lush green meadows, picturesque mountains, mystical castles, a rich diversity of flora and fauna, scenic landscapes that come alive in vibrant colours, a pleasant temperate-maritime climate and a beautiful populace – this is what you have in store for you if you are considering moving to England.


England is divided into nine regions namely, North East England, North West England, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, London, South West England and South East England. It comprises the central and southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and includes a few off-shore islands. This country, flanked by Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, is the home nation of the United Kingdom and its population of 60.4 million accounts for more than 83% of its total population. With a population density of 383 people per square kilometer, England is one of the most densely populated countries of the world. London which is the capital of the United Kingdom is England’s largest city, and has the highest population density as compared to any other English region with an average of 4,700 people living in each square kilometer. The currency is Pound Sterling also known as GBP for Great Britain Pound and falls in the time zone GMT (Greenwich being in England), and in daylight saving time also known as BST or British Summer Time which lasts from March to October each year, it is one hour ahead of GMT. There currently are 8 permanent public holidays in England which are New Years Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Holiday (at the end of May), Late Summer Holiday (at the end of august), Christmas and Boxing Day. Important cities apart from London are Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh and major tourist attractions are the Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Hyde


England has always been associated with its multicultural aspect and the steady increase in the number of immigrants into England is testimony for the fair and transparent processes adopted by the Immigration Authorities, more popularly known as the Home Office of the United Kingdom. Plans for a relocation to England call for the rules that govern immigration to be followed. The Immigration Policy devised by the Home Office is open and balanced in the sense that, they have arrived at the skill-sets they are looking for in Immigration-aspirants after carefully analysing the exact shortages of these skill-sets among UK’s domestic workforce also known as the European Economic Area citizen or EEA. There hence is no scope for undue immigration rights being given to the wrong kinds of people and discrimination because one is an immigrant.

In order to gain entry into the England, there are different categories of Visas that can be obtained, which are Skilled Visas, Business Visas, Family Visas or Short Term Visas. Skilled Visas are being provided by the Home Office after realizing the severe shortage of skilled labourers in the UK. An important initiative in this connection was HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Programme) launched in January 2002, which enabled non-EEA skilled persons to enter the UK. This scheme was expanded in April 2005 to accommodate persons with the MBA degree from select recognized institutions over the world. It was a major success owing to its highly versatile nature; it does not require an employer to provide a job offer or a work permit before entering the UK. On the contrary, it allows applicants to arrive in the UK, search for the right job by attending interviews in person or else, to set up a business as a self-employed individual. Under this scheme, the applicant is allowed to stay on in the UK for two years and can be extended for up to three further years. On completion of five years of legal residence in the UK, one can apply for the ILR or Indefinite Leave to Reside status. It is possible to obtain permanent residency in the UK through this programme – one can apply for British Nationality after achieving the ILR status for one year and having resided in the UK for at least five years. The basic requirements to be entitled to enter the UK under the HSMP scheme is a score of at least 65 in the prescribed application form; the costs involved are approximately 400 GBP and the total time required for processing the Visa can take up to 6 months. Business Visas open doors to businessmen who might want to travel to the UK for various purposes like setting up their own business, investing a minimum of 1 million GBP in the UK, setting up new branch operations of the firm they represent, etc. While Family visas favour those who have a relative legally residing in the UK and are looking to join them, Short Term Visas cater to people’s needs to visit the UK for short periods of time. The Working Holiday Visa is a popular type under this category and allows applicants to stay on in the UK for a maximum of 2 years, and is the option students often resort to. It’s needless to say that as with any other country, it helps to get accustomed to the culture, ways and life of the British before actually beginning to live as part of it. In a bid to speed up Visa processing services, the Home Office is currently considering a ‘5-Tier’ plan and suitable alteration to the current system of procedures is in the anvil.

Once the formalities associated moving to England are taken care of, the next phase – that of shipping one’s valuable belongings begins. This is often the most cumbersome and painstaking aspect of to the actual relocation to England. A few things you must consider while shipping to England are to take public holidays into consideration while choosing a date to conduct the transfer of goods; a consignment arriving on a holiday would call for unnecessary delay and further discomfort. Another valuable piece of advice is to try and choose a date to ship goods in the middle of the month; this is because beginnings and ends of months are usually busy with heavy traffic of shipments. It is most advisable to have a chosen place of residence to ship your valuables to, more than anything else, because it helps decide what amongst your old things you would like to carry with you and what you would rather discard. Though it is best to entrust taking care of the precious fragile items of your household, it always helps to personally be around these are being packed – this aids in peace of mind more than anything else! Important documents pertaining to identity and financial matters are best carried with you, rather than sent as a shipment. Last of all, an insurance cover for the consignment based on its actual worth is absolutely essential – you would not want to see your life’s earnings turn to dust should a mishap occur!

In order to make your consignment’s entry smooth while shipping to England, its best to know exactly hat the Customs Authorities want, as well as what they do not want to see. What they do look for is proper documentation in terms of original lading bills, a valid passport, a packing list and a duly filled Customs form. Some of the items that can cause your consignment to land up in problems with customs are narcotics / drugs, pornographic material, protected-species animal products, explosives or weapons, plants or animal produce, unexposed film and camera etc and hence these are best avoided. Any weaponry must have legit firearms certificates issued by relevant authorities, and the heavy duty on alcohol and tobacco is meant to curtail excessive importation of these goods. Varied duties apply to household electronic goods and vehicles that you may choose to take along.

Hence with careful planning to ensure there are no loop-holes in your paper-work, deciding on a comprehensive list of items you would like to take along with you and contacting an agent to take care of your shipping needs, well in advance, you can be rest assured that your moving to England will be as problem-free and pleasant as your stay there.


Useful links:

General : www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/uk.html
Tourism : www.enjoyengland.com ; www.visitbritain.com
Immigration : www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home.html
Customs : www.dca.gov.uk/index.htm
Weather : www.metoffice.gov.uk
Legal : www.lawsociety.org.uk/home.law