Settling in · Berks
Landing in Berks? Start here.
The first fortnight in Berks, 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
65 places in Berks 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
Meriden Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Main Road, Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, CV7 7NL
About 3 km away
Unitarian Church & Coventry Welsh Church
Christian, Unitarian, presbyterian
Holyhead Road, Coventry, CV1 3AE
About 8 km away
Solihull Gospel Hall
Christian
Solihull Bypass, Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, B91 2AW
About 9 km away
Dunbar Avenue Evangelical Church
Christian, Evangelical
Durbar Avenue, Coventry, CV6 5LW
About 10 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Hindu temples
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Birmingham
About 27 km away
2 Causeway Green Road Oldbury, West Midlands B68 8LD
Worship services: Wed 7:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:30pm (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
Food and takeaways
Full House
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: We-Mo,PH 16:30-22:00
86 Warwick Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1HL
About 9 km away
NURA Restaurant
Indian. restaurant
1 The Green, Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, CV7 7LN
About 3 km away
Sports and clubs
Castle Farm Leisure Centre
Basketball, fitness, badminton, spinning. Sports centre
Fishponds Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1EY
About 8 km away
Sports and Wellness Hub
Soccer, tennis, swimming, table tennis, fitness, basketball, climbing, netball, badminton, yoga, football, multi, gymnastics. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 06:00-23:00; Sa-Su,PH 07:00-20:00
About 6 km away
Hawkes Mill Sports and Social Club
Sports centre
Hawkes Mill Lane, Coventry, CV5 9FN
About 7 km away
Coventry University Sports Centre
Sports centre
White Friars Street, Coventry, CV1 2DS
About 9 km away
Days out and things to do
Driving schools
Vijay Driving School
Driving school
33 Rollason Road, Coventry, CV6 4AP
About 9 km away
Community and support groups
Meriden Village Hall
Community centre
Main Road, Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, CV7 7NG
About 3 km away
Catherine de Barnes Village Hall
Community centre
Hampton Lane, Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, B91 2TJ
About 7 km away
Knowle Village Hall
Community centre
St Johns Close, Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, B93 0NH
About 7 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Cinemas and libraries
Warwick University Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Su 08:30-00:00
Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL
About 6 km away
Tile Hill Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Tu,Th,Fr 09:00-19:00; Sa 09:00-16:00
Jardine Crescent, Coventry, CV4 9PN
About 4 km away
Canley Community Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Prior Deram Walk, Coventry, CV4 8FT
About 6 km away
Earlsdon Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Albany Road, Coventry, CV5 6NG
About 8 km away
Coundon Library & Children's Centre
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Coundon Cycleway, Coventry, CV6 1JG
About 8 km away
Kenilworth Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Smalley Place, Kenilworth, CV8 1QG
About 8 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 Berks
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