Settling in · Gravesend
Landing in Gravesend? Start here.
The first fortnight in Gravesend, 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
64 places in Gravesend 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
The Charis Centre (Community Church Bishops Stortford)
Christian, Evangelical
Water Lane, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 2JZ
About 6 km away
St Joseph and the English Martyrs
Christian, Roman catholic
Bishop's Stortford, CM23 2ND
About 6 km away
Puckeridge Evangelical Congregational Chapel
Christian, Congregational
Cambridge Road, East Hertfordshire, SG11 1RY
About 6 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Hertfordshire
About 19 km away
Datchworth Village Hall, 52 Datchworth Green, Datchworth, Knebworth, SG3 6TL
Worship services: Wed 8:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Cambridge
About 40 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, Romford
About 43 km away
Temporarily using, Stratford chapel, 25 Meath road, London, England, E15 3DS
Worship services: Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:00pm (children) · Sat 6:30pm
Iglesia ni Cristo, Stratford, London
About 43 km away
25 MEATH ROAD, STRATFORD, LONDON, E15 3DS, ENGLAND
Worship services: Wed 7:00am · Wed 7:00pm · Sat 6:00pm · Sun 9:00am · Sun 11:30am (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, North London
About 43 km away
Barnet Multicultural Community Centre, Algernon, Hendon, London, NW4 3TA, England
Worship services: Tue 7:30pm · Sat 6:00pm · Sat 8:00pm (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
Shops from home
Food and takeaways
The Kebabery
Kebab. takeaway
5 Station Road, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 3BJ
About 7 km away
Nando's
Chicken, portuguese. restaurant
13-17 Potter Street, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 3UH
About 7 km away
Rajdhani
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Tu-Su 11:00-14:00,17:00-22:00
7 Market Square, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 3UP
About 7 km away
Jades
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Tu-Th 17:00-22:00; Fr 16:30-23:00; Sa 12:00-14:00,16:30-23:00; Su 13:00-22:00
Villiers Sur Marne Avenue, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 4EG
About 7 km away
Sports and clubs
Bishop's Stortford Rugby Football Club
Rugby union, squash, football. Sports centre
Cricketfield Lane, East Hertfordshire, CM23 2QE
About 5 km away
The Bishops Stortford Sports Hall
Basketball, fitness, netball, futsal, pickleball, badminton. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 17:00-22:00; Sa-Su 07:00-22:00
Beaumont Avenue South, East Hertfordshire, CM23 4SH
About 8 km away
Hockerill Sports Club
Cricket. Sports centre
Beldams Lane, East Hertfordshire, CM23 5LN
About 8 km away
Silver Leys Polo Club
Polo, equestrian. Sports centre
Millfield Lane, East Hertfordshire, SG11 2ED
About 4 km away
The Bishop’s Stortford High School Playing Fields
Sports centre
B1004 East Hertfordshire, SG10 6JE
About 6 km away
Fishing spots and tackle shops
NJ Fishing Tackle
Tackle shop, and the place to ask where to fish and about permits
Community and support groups
St Michaels Mead Community Centre
Community centre
Milliners Way, East Hertfordshire, CM23 4QQ
About 7 km away
Seth Ward Community Centre
Community centre
Mill Close, East Hertfordshire, SG9 9SZ
About 8 km away
Standon & Puckeridge Community Centre
Community centre
Station Road, East Hertfordshire, SG11 1TF
About 6 km away
Bishop's Stortford Young People's Centre
Community centre
Limekiln Lane, East Hertfordshire, CM23 2EU
About 6 km away
Thorley Community Centre
Community centre
Friedberg Avenue, East Hertfordshire, CM23 4JS
About 7 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Crazy Razor
Hairdresser
37 South Street, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 3AG
About 7 km away
Mr.
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We,Fr 08:30-18:00; Th 08:30-20:00; Sa 08:00-16:00
North Street, Bishop's Stortford
About 6 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Bishops Stortford Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 10:00-19:00; Tu-Fr 10:00-18:00; Sa 10:00-17:00; Su 12:00-16:00
The Causeway, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 2EJ
About 7 km away
Buntingford Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Tu, Th 10:00-17:30; Fr 14:00-17:30; Sa 09:00-13:00
77 High Street, East Hertfordshire, SG9 9AE
About 9 km away
Stansted Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Crafton Green, Uttlesford, CM24 8AQ
About 7 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 Gravesend
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