Settling in · Covent
Landing in Covent? Start here.
The first fortnight in Covent, 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
66 places in Covent 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
Coventry Cathedral Church of St Michael
Christian, Anglican
Priory Street, Coventry, CV1 5FJ
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Christian, Jehovahs witness
Deronda Close, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV12 8QY
About 9 km away
St John Baptist
Christian, Anglican
Church Lane, Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, CV7 7BJ
About 9 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Masjid Zeenat-Ul-Islam
Muslim, Sunni
Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry, CV1 4FR
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Birmingham
About 35 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
Bosphorus Istanbul
Turkish. restaurant
9-11 Earlsdon Street, Coventry, CV5 6EP
About 2 km away
The Ocean
Indian. restaurant
64 Jubilee Crescent, Coventry, CV6 3EX
About 3 km away
Full House
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: We-Mo,PH 16:30-22:00
86 Warwick Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1HL
About 9 km away
Sports and clubs
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
Leighfield Road, Warwick, CV4 7SH
About 6 km away
Spiritual Warrior Martial Arts Centre
Sports centre
Foleshill Road, Coventry, CV6 5HP
About 3 km away
Castle Farm Leisure Centre
Basketball, fitness, badminton, spinning. Sports centre
Fishponds Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1EY
About 9 km away
AT7 Centre
Sports centre. Hours: We 06:30-22:00; Th 06:30-22:00; Fr 06:30-22:00; Sa 09:00-18:00; Su 09:00-18:00; Mo 06:30-22:00; Tu 06:30-22:00
12 Bell Green Road, Coventry, CV6 7GP
About 3 km away
Alan Higgs Sports Centre
Multi. Sports centre
Robin Hood Road, Coventry, CV3 3AR
About 3 km away
Driving schools
Vijay Driving School
Driving school
33 Rollason Road, Coventry, CV6 4AP
About 3 km away
Complete HGV
Driving school. Hours: Sunday Closed Monday 10am-5pm Tuesday 10am-5pm Wednesday 10am-5pm Thursday 10am-5pm Friday 10am-5pm Saturday Closed
Unit 21 Henley Industrial Park, Henley Road, Coventry, CV2 1ST
About 4 km away
Community and support groups
Barnacle Village Hall
Community centre
Lower Road, Barnacle, CV7 9LD
About 8 km away
British Legion
Community centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 17:00-22:00, Sa-Su 12:00-00:00
Station Road, Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, CV7 7EF
About 9 km away
Stretton-on-Dunsmore Village Hall
Community centre
Church Hill, Stretton on Dunsmore, CV23 9NA
About 10 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Ciao Bella
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo 13:00-19:30; Tu-Fr 09:00-19:30; Sa 09:00-15:00; Su off
62 Woodway Lane, Coventry, CV2 2ER
About 5 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Willenhall Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Tu, Th-Fr 09:00-19:00; Sa 10:00-16:00
Hagard Community Centre, Remembrance Road, Coventry, CV3 3DG
About 4 km away
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 5 km away
Coventry University Lanchester Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: 24/7
Gosford Street, Coventry, CV1 5DD
Coundon Library & Children's Centre
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Coundon Cycleway, Coventry, CV6 1JG
About 2 km away
Earlsdon Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Albany Road, Coventry, CV5 6NG
About 2 km away
Foleshill Community Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Broad Street, Coventry, CV6 5BD
About 2 km away
Jubilee Crescent Community Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 10-19:00; Sun 09-16:00
Jubilee Crescent, Coventry, CV6 3EX
About 3 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 Covent
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