Countdown

Two weeks to go

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:08:00 GMT

Arrange your travel insurance

Shop around for a comprehensive travel insurance policy that covers everything from wallet theft to travel cancellations. Once you start work in the UK and Ireland, you'll be covered by the NHS public healthcare system, but you'll still need health coverage if you plan to travel.

Start tying up loose ends

Shut down the electricity, the gas and the phone, cancel any club/gym memberships, return your library books... the list of loose ends that need tying really varies from person to person. One neat way of ensuring that you haven't forgotten anything is simply to go through your wallet and/or filing cabinet: the cards, bills and other bits and pieces you find may remind you of something that needs doing.

Retain your right to vote

Australian citizens who've been overseas for less than three years are eligible to vote. See www.aec.gov.au for more.

It's a similar story for New Zealanders, who are eligible to vote if they've been in the country during the past three years. See www.elections.org.nz for details. Unfortunately, South Africans living abroad aren't eligible to vote in elections back home. See the TNT SA Times website at SATimesonline.com for details.

> One week to go

One week to go

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:08:00 GMT

Clear up your stuff

Now's the time to start thinking about what you're going to take with you and what you're going to leave at home.

You may also need to book a storage unit if you've got furniture or other chunky belongings with no place to live while you're living in the UK or London.

Redirect your mail

If someone you know will be staying at your home address while you're in London, buy them a bottle of wine and sweet-talk them into keeping an eye on your mail. Unfortunately, though, a bottle of wine won't quite do it for either the New Zealand Post or Australia Post, whose services you may need to engage if you're leaving your home behind. Both can redirect your mail to another address, but you'll need to pay them and give them at least three days' notice.

Start packing

Travel as light as possible, and be sure to check your luggage allowance with your airline before flying. Make a packing list, sure, but don't worry too much about forgetting something: you can almost certainly replace it in the UK. Apart from your passport, that is.

Say your goodbyes

It's too late to back out now.

Before you leave

> As soon as you decide to go
> Two months to go
> Six weeks to go
> One month to go
> Two weeks to go
> One week to go

Six weeks to go

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:07:00 GMT

Get vaccinated

You don't need any specific vaccinations if you're travelling to the UK. But there's no harm in keeping your hepatitis A and B, tetanus and polio immunisations up to date, while the World Health Organisation recommends that all travellers should be covered for diphtheria, measles, mumps and rubella.

If you are planning to travel on to exotic climes at a later date, you'll be able to get the relevant injections in the UK. However, if you're heading to the UK via other countries, especially developing nations, you'll need to get jabbed at home. Allow six weeks and you ought to be fine.

> One month to go

One month to go

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:07:00 GMT

Source your medical records

It's always a good idea to bring any medical records or important prescription details with you when you travel, especially if you have an ongoing medical condition. Simply ask your doctor, who'll be happy to help. Once you arrive you'll be able to register with a doctor on the NHS.

Put together a CV and get letters from references

Letters from outside references can help hugely when looking for accommodation in London to live or opening a UK bank account.

Appoint a power of attorney

Before you leave, you should appoint a power of attorney - in a nutshell, someone authorised to act on your behalf if you're unable to do so for whatever reason.

A power of attorney can be anybody: it's unrelated to the American meaning of the word 'attorney' (meaning solicitor). Appointing a power of attorney is usually pretty simple, but the exact process varies by country (and, in some cases, by jurisdiction within each country).

Make a will

Yikes, sounds scary but all we're saying is that you should leave some kind of plans for your worldly goods just in case the worst should happen while you're away.

Happily (yeah, OK, this might not be quite the right word, but stick with us), making a will is a relatively straightforward procedure. Do-it-yourself will kits are available in Australia and New Zealand, and are suitable for most individuals without a large or complicated amount of possessions.

The kits will lead you through the process quite comfortably, and should save on legal fees. However, if you're at all unsure how to proceed, contact a lawyer: it might not cost as much as you expect.

Things are marginally more complicated in South Africa, but the process still shouldn't be too tricky.

> Two weeks to go

Two months to go

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:05:00 GMT

Find somewhere to stay

Some travellers get off the plane in London, catch the tube into town and hope for the best, calling hostels or turning up unannounced on the doorstep of a long-lost friend. But the more organised and/or sensible traveller makes plans a little further in advance.

Once you've booked your flights, there's no harm in also finding somewhere to lay your head, at least for the first few days you'll be in the UK. For one thing, hostels tend to get booked up well in advance, especially during summer. And if you're planning on dossing (staying with a friend), it's best to get in quick: after all, you don't want to turn up and find that the newly arrived pal of your friend's housemate has already snagged the couch.

Check your work status

The vast majority of travellers arriving with a work visa won't need any other documentation before they can start work. However, workers in a select few industries (medical professionals, for example) will have to register with regulatory bodies in the UK. You may be able to submit your application from your home country; this can be very useful, as applications for registration in some areas can take up to four months to process.

Set up a UK bank account

Don't wait till you get here to set up a UK bank account, else you're in for a long and tedious process. If you're able to open a bank account before you leave home - do it!

Tidy your tax

The precise rules on tax returns for Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans are far too detailed to describe here. However, one piece of advice holds firm for citizens of all three countries: if you're moving abroad, you need to contact your tax office and let them know. You may need to file an early tax return if you're leaving midway through the financial year.

Leave plenty of time to arrange your financial affairs in the way that the law demands. You may not be able or required to complete a tax return until you finish work in your home country, but you should at least find out exactly what needs to be done well in advance of your departure, just in case the process takes a while.

Your precise tax status depends on how long you'll be absent, whether you'll be setting up a permanent residence elsewhere, whether you'll be earning income at home while you're away, and whether you'll be maintaining a home of some description in your home country. Australians should see www.ato.gov.au for information; New Zealanders can find out more from www.ird.govt.nz; and South Africans should check www.sars.gov.za.

> Six weeks to go

As soon as you decide to go

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:02:00 GMT

Get a passport

If you already have a passport, check that it'll be valid for at least six months beyond the end of your proposed stay in the UK. If you don't have a passport, then rest assured that applying for one is a straightforward procedure in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. And you'll need a passport before you can ...

Apply for a visa

If you want to work in the UK, or if you want to spend more than six months in the country, you'll need a UK work visa of some sort. Apply through the British High Commission in your home country and allow plenty of time - applications can take up to two months to process.

> British High Commission in Australia

> British High Commission in New Zealand

> British High Commission in South Africa

The main visa option for young Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans is the Working Holidaymakers visa, which is set to be replaced by the new Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) visa from this autumn. An exact date is yet to be announced.

For the most up-to-date visa imformation see UK Visas for news on UK visas and the UK Home Office for details on working in the UK; alternatively, see Foreign Affairs Dept, Ireland for Irish visas, and DETE Ireland if you want to work in Ireland.

Book your flight

Once you've set the visa-application wheels in motion, there's no reason not to book your flight. The general rule of thumb is that the earlier you book, the cheaper your ticket will be.

Shop around, especially if you're thinking of making a stopover en route to the UK. If you think there's a chance you may have to change your travel dates, ensure the ticket has flexibility built into it.

> Two months to go