Settling in · Lanarkshire
Landing in Lanarkshire? Start here.
The first fortnight in Lanarkshire, 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
74 places in Lanarkshire 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
Greyfriars Church
Christian, Presbyterian. Hours: Mo-Su 08:00-22:00
Bloomgate Lanark, ML11 9ET
About 3 km away
Carstairs Parish Church
Christian, Church of scotland
Lanark Road, Lanark, ML11 8QQ
About 7 km away
Larkhall Baptist Church
Christian, Baptist
27 Machan Road, Larkhall, ML9 1HX
About 11 km away
New Life Christian Fellowship
Christian, Evangelical
19a High Street, Lanark, ML11 7LU
About 3 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Glasgow
About 42 km away
White House Hall, 20 Neilson road, Paisley, Scotland, PA2 6LN
Worship services: Tue 6:00pm · Sat 3:00pm (children) · Sat 5:00pm
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
Food and takeaways
Capital Inn Carluke
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Tu 16:30-22:00; Th-Su 16:30-22:30
3 Hamilton Street, Carluke, ML8 4AT
About 4 km away
Boffi Village
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 14:00-17:00
157 Wishaw Road, Wishaw, ML2 8EN
About 9 km away
Mr. Rice
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 16:30-23:00
8 Kirkton Street, Carluke, ML8 4AB
About 5 km away
Jade Palace
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Tu-Su 15:00-22:00
6d Manse Road, Whitburn, EH47 0DH
About 20 km away
Happy House
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Th 16:30-22:30; Fr-Su 16:30-23:00
2 Manse Road, Whitburn, EH47 0DH
About 20 km away
Razias
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Su-Th 16:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 16:00-24:00
Stirling Street, Airdrie, ML6 0BN
About 22 km away
Hup Lee Buffet Restaurant
Chinese. restaurant
131 Merry Street, Motherwell, ML1 1JP
About 16 km away
Sports and clubs
Dowden's Martial Arts
Martial arts. Sports centre
18 Burnhouse Industrial Estate, Whitburn, EH47 0LL
About 19 km away
Stanmore Stables
Equestrian. Sports centre
Stanmore Gardens, Lanark, ML11 7RR
About 3 km away
Lanark Swimming Pool & Leisure Centre
Swimming. Sports centre
Thomas Taylor Avenue, Lanark, ML11 7DG
About 4 km away
Scottish Equi Complex
Equestrian. Sports centre
Lanark Moor Cycle Trail, Hyndford Bridge, ML11 9SZ
About 5 km away
Days out and things to do
Community and support groups
Larkhall Community Centre
Community centre
19 Montgomery Street, Larkhall, ML9 2AA
About 12 km away
Kirkfieldbank Community Hall
Community centre
Riverside Road, Kirkfieldbank, ML11 9JR
About 3 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Barbers and salons
Studio 42
Hairdresser. Hours: We-Sa 09:00-17:00
42 Main Street, Holytown, ML1 4TA
About 17 km away
Taylored Hair
Hairdresser
Clark Street, Airdrie, ML6 6DE
About 21 km away
Kensington Hair & Beauty Spa
Hairdresser
Graham Street, Airdrie, ML6 6DE
About 21 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Lesmahagow Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
46 Abbeygreen, Lanark, ML11 0EF
About 9 km away
Carluke Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo - We 09:15 - 17:00; Th 13:15 - 20:00; Fr 10:00 - 17:00; Sa 08:00-12:00; PH off
Carnwath Road, Carluke, ML8 4DF
About 4 km away
Lanark Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
North Vennel, Lanark, ML11 7NG
About 3 km away
Larkhall Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Union Street, Larkhall, ML9 1DZ
About 12 km away
Stonehouse Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Strathaven Road, Stonehouse, ML9 3JQ
About 13 km away
Shotts Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Benhar Road, Shotts, ML7 5EN
About 13 km away
Cleland Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Main Street, Cleland, ML1 5QW
About 13 km away
Fauldhouse Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Lanrigg Road, Fauldhouse, EH47 9JA
About 16 km away
Chapelhall Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
2 Honeywell Crescent, Airdrie, ML6 8XW
About 18 km away
Whitburn Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
East Main Street, Whitburn, EH47 0QA
About 20 km away
Blackridge Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Heights Road, Blackridge, EH48 3SN
About 21 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 Lanarkshire
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