Settling in · Folkestone
Landing in Folkestone? Start here.
The first fortnight in Folkestone, 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
73 places in Folkestone 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
Folkestone Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
153-155 Sandgate Road, Folkestone, CT20 2DA
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Christian, Jehovahs witness
Parkfield Road, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT19 5BY
Salvation Army
Christian, Salvation army
Canterbury Road, Folkestone, CT19 5NL
Seventh Day Adventist Church
Christian, Seventh day adventist
The Bayle, Folkestone, CT20 1SJ
The Parish Church of St Mary and St Eanswythe
Christian, Anglican
Church Street, Folkestone, CT20 1SW
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Canterbury
About 23 km away
Canterbury Umbrella Centre, 22 St. Peter's Place, Canterbury, Canterbury, CT1 2DB
Worship services: Thu 6:30pm
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
Polski Sklep
Convenience
Food and takeaways
Annapurna Nepalese Restaurant
Nepalese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 16:00-22:30
15 Cheriton Place, Folkestone, CT20 2AY
Cheriton Balti & Tandoori Takeaway
Indian. restaurant
4 Cheriton High Street, Folkestone, CT19 4ER
About 2 km away
The Clay Oven
Indian. restaurant
95 Cheriton High Street, Folkestone, CT19 4HE
About 3 km away
Prince of India
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 17:00-22:30
23 Risborough Lane, Folkestone
About 3 km away
China Garden
Chinese. restaurant
37 Risborough Lane, Folkestone
About 3 km away
180 Daow's Kitchen
Asian. restaurant
180 Risborough Lane, Folkestone, CT20 3LL
About 3 km away
Sunshine Grill & Burger Bar
Kebab, burger, chicken. restaurant
5-7 Lower Sandgate Road, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT20 1QJ
Golden Gate
Chinese. takeaway
374 Cheriton Road, Folkestone, CT19 4DX
About 2 km away
Peking House
Chinese. takeaway
39 Cheriton High Street, Folkestone, CT19 4EY
About 3 km away
Sports and clubs
F51
Skateboard, bmx, boxing, climbing. Sports centre
Dover Road, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT20 1JY
Three Hills Sports Park
Field hockey, cricket, netball, padel, soccer. Sports centre
About 2 km away
Hythe Swimming Pool
Swimming. Sports centre
36 South Road, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT21 6AR
About 6 km away
Fishing spots and tackle shops
Community and support groups
Hythe Youth Centre
Community centre
Cinque Ports Avenue, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT21 6HS
About 7 km away
Palmarsh Village Hall
Community centre
Palmarsh Crescent, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT21 6NG
About 9 km away
Elham Village Hall
Community centre
Elham Valley Road, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT4 6UX
About 10 km away
10th Dover (Tower Hamlets) Scout Group
Community centre
Northbourne Avenue, Dover, CT17 0BY
About 9 km away
17th Dover (River) Scout Group
Community centre
Minnis Lane, Dover, CT17 0RF
About 10 km away
Folkestone Youth Project
Community centre
Bradstone Avenue, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT19 5AQ
Grace Taylor Hall
Community centre
Grace Taylor Mews, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT19 5UH
About 2 km away
Community Network
Community centre
378 Cheriton Road, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT19 4DX
About 2 km away
Folkestone & Hythe Sea Cadet Corps
Community centre
Ross Way, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT20 3UJ
About 3 km away
Hawkinge Community Centre
Community centre
Heron Forstal Avenue, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT18 7QH
About 4 km away
Sunflower House
Community centre
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Hairways
Hairdresser
67 High Street, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT21 5AJ
About 7 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Cheriton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
64 Cheriton High Street, Folkestone, CT19 4HB
About 3 km away
Folkestone Library (CURRENTLY CLOSED)
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Tu,Th-Fr 09:30-17:00; Sa 09:30-16:30; Su 10:00-16:00
Grace Hill, Folkestone, CT20 1HD
Folkestone Library and Community Learning Centre
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
14 Sandgate Road, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT20 1DP
Sandgate Library & Parish Council
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Fr-Sa 09:30-13:00; Tu,Th 09:30-17:00
Sandgate High Street, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT20 3RR
About 2 km away
Silver Screen Cinema
Cinema
The Harbour Screen
Cinema
Wood Avenue Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Hythe Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Stade Street, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT21 6BD
About 7 km away
Lyminge Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Railway Cottages, Folkestone and Hythe District, CT18 8HS
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 Folkestone
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