Settling in · Durham
Landing in Durham? Start here.
The first fortnight in Durham, 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
68 places in Durham 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.
Nothing nearby matches that yet. Try a shorter word.
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
St Patrick's RC Church
Christian, Roman catholic
High Street, Langley Moor, DH7 8JJ
About 3 km away
St Andrews Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Carr Avenue, Brandon, DH7 8QG
About 4 km away
Good Word Ministries
Christian, Pentecostal
South View, Ushaw Moor, DH7 7PS
About 4 km away
Bethany Christian Centre
Christian, Evangelical
Hetton Road, Sunderland, DH5 8PF
About 10 km away
Family Church Centre
Christian, Salvation army
100 High Street, Langley Moor, DH7 8JH
About 3 km away
St Michael and All Angels
Christian, Anglican
Coach Lane, Witton Gilbert, DH7 6SX
About 4 km away
Other places of worship
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, North Shields
About 27 km away
1A Stormont Street, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE29 OEY
Worship services: Thu 7:00pm · Sun 10:00am · Sun 12:00pm (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
Food and takeaways
Sports and clubs
Durham Community Boxing Club
Boxing. Sports centre
Cathedral Park, Carrville, DH1 1TF
About 3 km away
Chester-Le-Street Leisure Centre
Swimming, fitness, squash. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 06:30-21:30; Sa,Su 07:00-17:00; PH off
Roman Avenue, Chester-le-Street, DH3 3QH
About 9 km away
Spennymoor Library And Leisure Centre
Sports centre
High Street, Spennymoor, DL16 6DB
About 9 km away
Active Life @Coxhoe
Multi. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Th 07:00-22:00; Fr 07:00-21:00; Sa-Su 08:30-16:00
Linden Grove, Quarrington Hill, DH6 4DW
About 8 km away
Days out and things to do
Driving schools
Community and support groups
Innovations
Community centre
1 Dundas Street, Spennymoor, DL16 6AS
About 9 km away
Nettlesworth Community Centre
Community centre
Park View, Chester-le-Street, DH2 3PF
About 5 km away
Coxhoe Village Hall
Community centre
Front Street East, Quarrington Hill, DH6 4DB
About 9 km away
Waterhouses Village Hall
Community centre
Russell Street, Waterhouses, DH7 9AS
About 9 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Barbers and salons
Pink Lemon Hair
Hairdresser
4 Brandon to Bishop Auckland Railway Path, Brandon, DH7 8BJ
About 4 km away
Ash Hairdressing
Hairdresser
Front Street, Chester-le-Street, DH3 3AZ
About 8 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Barker Research Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-17:00
Palace Green, Durham, DH1 3RN
Durham Clayport Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:30-19:00; Sa 09:00-17:00
8 Leazes Road North, Durham, DH1 1WA
Palace Green Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Palace Green, Durham, DH1 3RW
Bill Bryson Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LY
Langley Park Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Front Street, Langley Park, DH7 9XE
About 6 km away
Newton Hall Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Alnwick Road, Durham, DH1 5NL
About 2 km away
Belmont Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
The Links, Carrville, DH1 2AA
About 4 km away
Brandon Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Lowland Road, Brandon, DH7 8NN
About 4 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 Durham
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