Settling in · Blackpool
Landing in Blackpool? Start here.
The first fortnight in Blackpool, 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 Blackpool 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
Cleveleys Park Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
West Drive, Borough of Wyre, FY5 2BL
About 7 km away
Our Lady Star of the Sea
Christian, Catholic
2 St Anne's Road East, Borough of Fylde, FY8 1UL
About 8 km away
The Drive Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
268 Clifton Drive South, Borough of Fylde, FY8 1LH
About 8 km away
Synagogues
St. Annes Hebrew Congregation Synagogue
Jewish, Orthodox
Orchard Road, Borough of Fylde, FY8 1PJ
About 8 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Blackpool
In the area
Spencer Court Community Centre, Spencer Court, Blackpool, FY1 3TW, England
Worship services: Thu 6:00pm · Sun 11:00am
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
Sunam Tandoori Restaurant
Indian. restaurant
93-99 Red Bank Road, Bispham, FY2 9HZ
About 3 km away
Seventy One
Indian. restaurant
15 Breck Road, Borough of Wyre, FY6 7AA
About 5 km away
Nando's
Chicken, portuguese. restaurant
Squires Gate Lane, Lytham St Annes, FY4 2AY
About 5 km away
China Red
Chinese. restaurant
15-19 Queen's Square, Borough of Wyre, FY6 7BW
About 5 km away
Sports and clubs
Poulton FC
Soccer. Sports centre
Blackpool Old Road, Borough of Wyre, FY6 7RH
About 4 km away
St Anne's Football Club
Soccer. Sports centre
Blackpool Road North, Borough of Fylde, FY8 3BY
About 6 km away
Wyre Youth Football Club
Soccer. Sports centre
Dovedale Avenue, Borough of Wyre, FY5 4BZ
About 7 km away
Blackpool Sports Centre
Fitness, exercise, climbing, gymnastics. Sports centre
West Park Drive, Blackpool, FY3 9HQ
About 2 km away
Blackpool High Ropes
Climbing adventure. Sports centre
West Park Drive, Blackpool, FY3 9HU
About 2 km away
Blackpool Sports Cente Netball
Netball. Sports centre
Cocker Walk, Blackpool, FY3 9HQ
About 2 km away
Days out and things to do
Community and support groups
@thegrange
Community centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 08:30-17:00
2a Dinmore Avenue, Blackpool, FY3 7RW
About 2 km away
Bloomfield Youth centre
Community centre
205 Lytham Road, Blackpool, FY1 6ET
About 2 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Curly and wavy hair
Barbers and salons
Cinemas and libraries
Langdale Library and Laundry Room
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Tu 10:00-13:00; Th-Fr 13:00-17:00
1a Langdale Place, Blackpool, FY4 4TR
About 4 km away
Poulton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Blackpool Old Road, Borough of Wyre, FY6 7DH
About 5 km away
Vue
Cinema. Hours: Mo-Su 10:00-03:00
North Promenade, Borough of Wyre, FY5 1DB
About 7 km away
Layton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 10:00-16:00; Fr 10:00-16:00; Sa 10:00-13:00
Talbot Road, Blackpool, FY3 7BD
Blackpool Central Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Queen Street, Blackpool, FY1 1PX
Palatine Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
St Annes Road, Blackpool, FY4 2AP
About 3 km away
Moor Park Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Bristol Avenue, Bispham, FY2 0JG
About 3 km away
Anchorsholme Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Luton Road, Bispham, FY5 3RS
About 6 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 Blackpool
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