Settling in · Guardbridge
Landing in Guardbridge? Start here.
The first fortnight in Guardbridge, 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
55 places in Guardbridge 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 Leonard's Parish Church
Christian, Church of scotland
Donaldson Gardens, St Andrews, KY16 9DN
About 6 km away
Hope Park and Martyrs Church
Christian, Church of scotland
St Marys Place, St Andrews, KY16 9UY
About 6 km away
St Salvator's Chapel
Christian, Nondenominational
North Street, St Andrews, KY16 9AL
About 6 km away
St Andrew's Episcopal Church
Christian, Episcopal
Queen's Terrace, St Andrews, KY16 9QF
About 6 km away
The nearest Iglesia ni Cristo to Guardbridge
Iglesia ni Cristo, Edinburgh
About 48 km away
RCCG-Edinburgh Tabernacle Hall 41-42 Inverleith Gardens Ferry Road Edinburgh, Scotland EH3 5PR
Worship services: Wed 6:00pm · Sat 11:00am
Iglesia ni Cristo, Glasgow
About 111 km away
White House Hall, 20 Neilson road, Paisley, Scotland, PA2 6LN
Worship services: Tue 6:00pm · Sat 3:00pm (children) · Sat 5:00pm
Iglesia ni Cristo, North Shields
About 175 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
Tulsi
Indian. restaurant
62 Market Street, St Andrews, KY16 9NT
About 6 km away
Nando's
Chicken, portuguese. restaurant
73 Market Street, St Andrews, KY16 9NU
About 6 km away
Sports and clubs
Wormit & Newport Tennis Club
Tennis. Sports centre
11 Bay Road, Newport-on-Tay, DD6 8LU
About 9 km away
St Andrews Links Golf Academy
Golf. Sports centre
Old Guardbridge Road, St Andrews, KY16 9TB
About 5 km away
University of St Andrews Sports Centre
Sports centre
St Leonards Road, St Andrews, KY16 9XW
About 5 km away
Waterstone Crook Sports Centre
Sports centre
Waterston Crook, Newport-on-Tay, DD6 8HY
About 9 km away
Community and support groups
The Larick Centre
Community centre
Shanwell Road, Tayport, DD6 9EA
About 9 km away
Rio Community Centre
Community centre
St Mary's Lane, Newport-on-Tay, DD6 8AH
About 10 km away
Holy Trinity Church Hall
Community centre
Upper Greenside Place, St Andrews, KY16 9QF
About 6 km away
8th Fife (St Andrews) Scout Group
Community centre
East Scores, St Andrews, KY16 9BE
About 7 km away
Blyth Hall
Community centre. Hours: Mo,Fr 10:00-17:00; Tu 10:00-14:00; Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-13:00
Scott Street, Newport-on-Tay, DD6 8DD
About 9 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Barbers and salons
Spoiled Hairdressing
Hairdresser
9 North Street, St Andrews, KY16 9HH
About 6 km away
St Andrews Hair Co
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-19:00; Su 10:00-17:00
91 Market Street, St Andrews, KY16 9NX
About 6 km away
Cinemas and libraries
New Picture House
Cinema
117 North Street, St Andrews, KY16 9AD
About 6 km away
J F Allen Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
North Street, St Andrews, KY16 9AJ
About 6 km away
University of St Andrews Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
North Street, St Andrews, KY16 9TR
About 6 km away
St Andrews Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 10:00-17:00; Th 10:00-18:00; Fr 09:30-17:00; Sa 10:00-15:00
Logies Lane, St Andrews, KY16 9NN
About 6 km away
Martyrs Kirk Research Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
North Street, St Andrews, KY16 9AA
About 6 km away
King James Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
North Street, St Andrews, KY16 9AJ
About 6 km away
Cupar Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu,We,Fr 10:00-17:00; Th 10:00-18:00; Sa 10:00-15:00
Kirk Wynd, Cupar, KY15 5AY
About 9 km away
Newport Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Fr 10:00-17:00; Tu 10:00-14:00; Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-13:00
Scott Street, Newport-on-Tay, DD6 8DD
About 9 km away
Tayport Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 14:00-17:00; We 14:00-19:00; Fr,Sa 10:00-13:00
Melville Court, Tayport, DD6 9JH
About 10 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 Guardbridge
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