Settling in · Chittering
Landing in Chittering? Start here.
The first fortnight in Chittering, 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
56 places in Chittering 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
Waterbeach Salvation Army
Christian, Salvation army
7 Station Road, Waterbeach, CB25 9HT
About 5 km away
Cottenham Salvation Army
Christian, Salvation army
184 High Street, Cottenham, CB24 8RX
About 5 km away
St Andrew
Christian, Anglican
St Andrew's Park, South Cambridgeshire, CB24 9ER
About 9 km away
Histon Baptist Church
Christian, Baptist
Poplar Road, South Cambridgeshire, CB24 9BP
About 9 km away
St Cyriac and St Julitta
Christian, Anglican
High Street, East Cambridgeshire, CB25 0LD
About 9 km away
St John The Evangelist (Waterbeach Parish Church)
Christian, Anglican
Station Road, South Cambridgeshire, CB25 9HL
About 5 km away
Landbeach & Milton Baptist Church
Christian, Baptist
High Street, South Cambridgeshire, CB25 9FT
About 6 km away
Haddenham Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
High Street, East Cambridgeshire, CB6 3XA
About 6 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Cambridge
About 5 km away
Water Beach Barracks Sports Hall and Sudio, Cambridge, England, CB25 9PA
Worship services: Wed 7:00pm · Sun 11:00am · Sun 1:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Peterborough
About 45 km away
Colonel Dane Memorial Hall, Church Street, Alwalton, Peterborough, PE73UU
Worship services: Wed 7:45pm · Sat 7:00pm
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
Curry Palace
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 17:00-23:00
215 High Street, Cambridge, CB24 8QP
About 5 km away
The Indian Ocean
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Tu-Su 17:00-22:00
4 School Hill, Cambridge, CB24 9JE
About 9 km away
The Bengal Fox
Indian. restaurant
2 North Street, East Cambridgeshire, CB25 0BA
About 9 km away
Sports and clubs
Cambridge Gun Club
Shooting. Sports centre. Hours: We-Sa 10:00-16:00; Su 10:00-15:00
Long Drove, South Cambridgeshire, CB24 8AH
RP Fitness
Fitness centre. Hours: Mo-Su,PH 00:00-24:00
Trinity Hall Farm Industrial Estate, Cambridge, CB4 1TG
About 9 km away
Burwell Sports Centre
Multi. Sports centre
Buntings Path, East Cambridgeshire, CB25 0DL
About 9 km away
The Oakington and Westwick Sports Pavilion
Gymnastics, table tennis. Sports centre
Queens Way, South Cambridgeshire, CB24 3AW
About 10 km away
Community and support groups
Brown's Field Youth and Community Centre
Community centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00
31a Green End Road, Cambridge, CB4 1RU
About 10 km away
All Saints Hall
Community centre
High Street, South Cambridgeshire, CB24 8QN
About 5 km away
Cottenham Village Hall
Community centre
Lambs Lane, Cambridge, CB24 8TB
About 6 km away
British Legion Hall
Community centre
121 High Street, South Cambridgeshire, CB24 8SD
About 5 km away
Haddenham Social & Sports Club
Community centre
Chewell's Lane, East Cambridgeshire, CB6 3SS
About 6 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Anya Lois Hair
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo 09:00-17:30; Tu,Th 09:00-19:00; Fr 09:00-17:30; Sa 08:30-14:00
Station Road, South Cambridgeshire, CB24 9LQ
About 9 km away
R I Barbers
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Sa 11:00-19:00; Su 11:00-17:00
40b Green End Road, Cambridge, CB4 1RY
About 10 km away
Sarah Jane Hairdressing
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu-Fr 09:00-17:00; Sa 08:00-13:00
133 High Street
About 5 km away
Cottenham Barbers
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 09:30-17:30; Th 09:30-19:30; Fr 09:30-18:00; Sa 08:30-16:00
270 High Street, CB24 8RZ
About 5 km away
Histon Barbershop
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo 09:30-17:30; Tu 09:30-19:00; We-Fr 09:30-17:30; Sa 08:30-16:30
2 High Street, South Cambridgeshire, CB24 9JD
About 9 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Cottenham Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 13:00-18:00; Tu 10:00-17:00; We 10:00-13:00; Th 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-13:00
Margett Street, CB24 8QY
About 5 km away
Soham Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Clay Street, East Cambridgeshire, CB7 5HJ
About 10 km away
Haddenham Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Station Road, East Cambridgeshire, CB6 3XD
About 7 km away
Histon Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 11:00-19:00; Tu 14:00-17:00; Th 09:00-17:00; Fr,Sa 09:00-13:00; We,Su off
School Hill, Cambridge, CB24 9JE
About 9 km away
Willingham Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Church Street, Cambridge, CB24 5HS
About 9 km away
Burwell Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Guyatt Court, East Cambridgeshire, CB25 0DU
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 Chittering
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