Settling in · Kent
Landing in Kent? Start here.
The first fortnight in Kent, in order: the paperwork that has to happen, then the places that make it feel like somewhere you could stay.
Week one and two
The order to do things in
1
Ring your Sama contact when you land
Whoever placed you. Tell them you arrived and that you are all right.
2
Apply for your National Insurance number
You can start work before it arrives, but do not leave it: your tax will be wrong until you have it.
3
Open a bank account
Passport, visa or share code, and proof of address. A letter from your employer usually does it.
4
Get a UK SIM
A local number makes the bank and the GP straightforward.
5
Register with a GP
Free at the point of use. Do it in your first week.
6
Check your tax code with HMRC
Get on the right code early or you will be paying too much for months.
7
Save your share code
You will be asked to prove your right to work and rent more than once.
8
Find the nearest shop, place of worship and club
The part that decides whether you stay, and the part no handbook covers.
Official, and free
Official finders
Run by the State, so they stay current. Search each one for your own town.
Find a GPThe NHS list of GP surgeries, searchable by postcode.Apply for a National Insurance numberYou need one to be taxed correctly. Apply once you are in the UK.Find an NHS dentistHarder than the GP. Start early and ring around.Check your visa and BRP or eVisaView and prove your immigration status online.Find your local police stationEmergency is 999 or 112. Non-emergency is 101.Understand your tax codeCheck what HMRC thinks you earn, so you are not overtaxed for months.Driving on a foreign licenceHow long you may drive on it, and whether it can be exchanged.Renting: know the rulesYour rights as a tenant, deposit protection and what a landlord may and may not do.Citizens AdviceFree, independent help with anything at all.Public transportNational rail and bus times and tickets.
Near you
94 places in Kent worth knowing in week one
From OpenStreetMap, the map that locals build, plus places our team knows. Every card has a map link. If one has closed or moved, WhatsApp us and it comes down.
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Places of worship
Every faith near you, listed so people can find a community when they arrive. Sama Talent Group is not affiliated with any religion or religious organisation.
Churches
St Peter & St Paul
Christian, Anglican
Market Place, Ashford, TN27 0LP
About 5 km away
Salvation Army
Christian, Salvation army
74-80 Union Street, Maidstone, ME14 1ED
About 15 km away
Endtime Evangelical Church
Christian
33-37 Second Avenue, Chatham, ME4 5AY
About 21 km away
St. Simon Stock Catholic Church
Christian, Catholic
Halstow Way, Ashford, TN23 4EU
About 13 km away
Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses
Christian, Jehovahs witness
Church Lane, Maidstone, ME17 1BG
About 4 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Sittingbourne Islamic Cultural Centre
Muslim
Gibson Street, Borough of Swale, ME10 1AY
About 14 km away
Hindu temples
Gurdwaras
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Canterbury
About 26 km away
Canterbury Umbrella Centre, 22 St. Peter's Place, Canterbury, Canterbury, CT1 2DB
Worship services: Thu 6:30pm
Iglesia ni Cristo, Southend
About 36 km away
71-73 Elm Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 1SP
Worship services: Tue 7:30pm · Sat 10:00am
Iglesia ni Cristo, Orpington
About 43 km away
The Clock Tower Pavillon, Swanley Town Council, St. Mary's road, Swanley, BR8 7BU
Worship services: Tue 8:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:00pm (children)
Addresses and worship service times from the Iglesia ni Cristo directory, checked October 2026. Times can change, so check the locale's own page before you go. directory.iglesianicristo.net
Shops from home
Maymana Market Halal Butcher & Ethnic Groceries
Butcher
9 Knightrider Street, Maidstone, ME15 6LP
About 15 km away
Food and takeaways
Lees Garden
Chinese. takeaway
47 High Street, Headcorn, TN27 9NL
About 9 km away
Shamrat
Indian. restaurant
36 Lower Stone Street, Maidstone, ME15 6LX
About 15 km away
Tandoor Mahal
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Tu-Su 18:00-22:00
Medway Street, ME14 1JS
About 15 km away
The Raj
Indian. restaurant
105-106 West Street, Faversham, ME13 7JB
About 16 km away
Badsha Indian Cuisine
Indian. restaurant. Hours: We-Mo 17:20-22:00
10 West Cross, Ashford, TN30 6JL
About 17 km away
Taj Cuisine
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 12:00-14:00, 17:00-22:00
Walderslade Road, Chatham, ME5 9UD
About 19 km away
Chan's
Chinese. takeaway. Hours: Su-Th 17:00-22:30; Fr-Sa 17:00-23:00
Walderslade Road, Chatham, ME5 9UD
About 19 km away
George's Fish Bar and Kebabs
Fish and chips, kebab. takeaway. Hours: Mo-Sa 12:00-22:00
31 Yarrow Road, Chatham, ME5 0SD
About 20 km away
Zarda Indian Cuisine
Indian. restaurant
High Street, Yalding, ME18 6HS
About 20 km away
Sports and clubs
Maidstone United FC - Gallagher Stadium
Soccer. Stadium
ME14 1LQ
About 16 km away
Rainham Cricket Club
Cricket. Sport club
Berengrave Lane, Rainham, ME8 7NA
About 18 km away
Games Barn
Badminton, bowls, zumba, pilates. Sports centre
Rock Hill Road, Ashford, TN27 9DW
About 3 km away
Faversham Town Football Club
Soccer. Sports centre
Makenade Avenue, Borough of Swale, ME13 8NE
About 16 km away
Fishing spots and tackle shops
Medway Tackle Supplies
Tackle shop, and the place to ask where to fish and about permits
374 Canterbury Street
About 21 km away
D&A Angling
Tackle shop, and the place to ask where to fish and about permits. Hours: Tu-We 09:00-15:00; Th-Sa 09:00-17:00
185 Station Road, ME8 7SQ
About 18 km away
Days out and things to do
Driving schools
Topclass Driving School
Driving school. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-18:00
8 Willowby Gardens, Rainham, ME8 8TB
About 16 km away
Community and support groups
Beechen Hall
Community centre
Wildfell Close, Chatham, ME5 9RU
About 17 km away
Imago
Community centre
60 Balmoral Road, Gillingham, ME7 4QE
About 22 km away
Charing Heath and Lenham Heath Memorial Hall
Community centre
Church Hill, Ashford, TN27 0BU
About 2 km away
The Alexander Centre
Community centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00
17 Preston Street, Faversham, ME13 8NZ
About 16 km away
Stalisfield Village Hall
Community centre
Stalisfield Road, Borough of Swale, ME13 0HZ
About 6 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Turkish Barber
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Sa 08:30-18:00; Su 09:00-15:00
27 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, TN17 3EE
About 19 km away
Barbers and salons
Vision Hair
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu-Fr 09:30-17:30; Sa 09:00-16:00
School Road, Ashford, TN27 0JW
About 5 km away
Kings barber
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 09:00-18:00; Th 09:00-19:00; Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 08:30-18:00; Su 09:30-16:00
High Street, Ashford, TN24 8TA
About 13 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Charing Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu 09:00-12:00; Th 09:00-17:00; Fr 14:00-17:00; Sa 09:00-13:00
Market Place, Ashford, TN27 0LR
About 5 km away
Luton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu,Fr 14:00-17:00; We 09:00-13:00; Th 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:45-16:00
2 Nelson Terrace, Chatham, ME5 7LA
About 20 km away
Queenborough Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,We,Su,PH off; Tu,Fr 13:00-17:00; Th 09:00-13:00; Sa 09:00-12:00
Railway Terrace, Borough of Swale, ME11 5AY
About 22 km away
The Light Cinema Sittingbourne
Cinema
Bourne Place, Borough of Swale, ME10 3JY
About 14 km away
Kent History and Library Centre
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
James Whatman Way, Maidstone, ME14 1LQ
About 16 km away
Faversham Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-17:00
Newton Road, Faversham, ME13 8DY
About 16 km away
Headcorn Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
17 Kings Road, Headcorn, TN27 9QP
About 9 km away
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. We do not make places up: if the map has it wrong, fix it on openstreetmap.org and it comes through at the next refresh.
Saving money
What locals use to spend less
The shops and sites people here use for cheap clothes, second-hand furniture, a car, and the weekly shop. We are not paid to list any of them.
Facebook Marketplace and GumtreeSecond-hand furniture, bikes, tools and cars, often for very little. Meet in public, and never pay before you see it.Freecycle and OlioThings people give away for free, and food from neighbours and shops that would otherwise go in the bin.Too Good To GoSurprise bags of food from cafes, bakeries and supermarkets at the end of the day, at a fraction of the price.PrimarkCheap everyday clothes, work basics and bedding.Aldi and LidlThe cheapest big supermarkets for the weekly shop.B&M and Home BargainsCleaning products, kitchen kit and household bits for less.Charity shopsClothes, coats and furniture, and the money goes to a good cause.MoneySavingExpertFree guides to cheaper phones, energy, bank accounts and sending money.
Getting around
Getting around from Kent
TravelineBus, coach and train times for the whole of Great Britain.National RailTrain times, tickets and railcards.Transport for LondonThe Tube, buses and the Oyster and contactless fares.
Driving here on your licence
Once you live in Great Britain you can drive a car or motorcycle on your full, valid licence for 12 months. After that, a licence from a designated country can be exchanged for a GB licence; from other countries you apply for a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests. Lorries, minibuses and buses have stricter rules: check before you drive one.
Check your licence on GOV.UK Exchange a licence
Hiring a car
Each rental company sets its own rules on age, how long you have held your licence and which licences it accepts, and young drivers often pay more. Check those rules before you book, and bring your licence and passport to the desk.
Driving rules taken from the official pages linked above, checked October 2026. They change, so the official page is the one to rely on.
While you are here