Los Angeles --> London: Logistics of moving to a new country

in expat •  6 years ago 


Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash

Expat life- Round 2 to London!

Back in 2013, I moved from Los Angeles to the Bay Area to Singapore all within 4 months, so having almost 2 months to prepare for London seems like a lot of time, but there's so much to do.

Here's my to-do list, to share with you as much as it is for me to keep track:



Photo by Henning Witzel on Unsplash

Wrapping up life in Los Angeles

  • Leaving current job- 7/27 Last day!
    • I'm working up until the bitter end because I need $$$. Thankfully, I have a very supportive manager!
  • Finding someone to take over my room- Done
    • Craiglist is awesome! That's how I found my current apartment and how I found someone to take over the room.
  • Transfer my car lease- In Progress
    • Another shoutout to Craigslist!
    • I didn't realize that breaking a car lease means that you have to pay the rest of the lease term. Thankfully, I was about to find someone to transfer the lease to. But, the process is taking longer than I expected since California's title change takes a long time.
    • Also, need to cancel car insurance
  • Packing up- In Progress
    • I've donated SOOO many clothes and things. The goal is to be able to move there with 2 pieces of luggage and 1 carry-on...let's see how that goes.
  • Book the flight- Done!

Photo by Luca Micheli on Unsplash
Prepping for life in London
  • Apply for UK Visa (T-4 Tier) In Progress
    • After gathering all the required docs, I submitted my application online and scheduled a biometrics day. Then I mailed my application into the NY office. (submitted all within 1 week)
    • Processing time: 15 days
      • Expedite service is available.
      • Con: The only way to track the progress is through a paid service
    • Upon arriving, will need to:
  • Find a place to live In Progress
    • Check Facebook to see if there are groups available for where you're moving to. For me, there was an LBS page that I joined and am looking for a room with other LBS students.
    • London specific:
      • Typical to work with agents, which will include an administration fee on top of deposit & first-month rent. Often, references are also requested.
      • There's something about local council tax, still looking into this.
  • Open a bank account Researching
    • Need a way to transfer $$$ internationally (with low cost)
      • Revolut
      • Monzo
      • Transferwise
  • Cellphone Researching
    • VodaPhone
    • Three
    • Giffgaff
Any advice on moving to London? Is there something I haven't thought about? Share with me :)

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