Settling in · Ibstone
Landing in Ibstone? Start here.
The first fortnight in Ibstone, 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
46 places in Ibstone 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
Watlington Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
14 Shirburn Street, OX49 5BT
About 6 km away
St Lawrence
Christian, Anglican
West Wycombe Hill Road, West Wycombe, HP14 3AP
About 8 km away
St Paul's Church, West Wycombe
Christian, Anglican, serbian orthodox
High Street, West Wycombe, HP14 3AB
About 8 km away
St Birinus and St John's Church
Christian, Anglican
Sycamore Road, High Wycombe, HP12 4TJ
About 9 km away
St. James the Great
Christian, Anglican
Plomer Hill, High Wycombe, HP13 5HY
About 10 km away
Buddhist temples and centres
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Oxford
About 20 km away
Wheatley Park School Sixth Forom, Sixth Forom, Wheatley Holton, Oxfordshire, OX33 1QH
Worship services: Wed 7:15pm · Sun 10:00am · Sun 12:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Reading
About 24 km away
Whitley Children's Centre, 252 Northumberland Avenue, Reading, England, RG2 8LT
Worship services: Tue 6:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Heathrow North, London
About 37 km away
St. Peter Hall, St. Peter's Way High Street, Harlington, Hayes, UB3 5AB, England
Worship services: Wed 8:00pm · Fri 6:15pm · Fri 8:00pm
Iglesia ni Cristo, Heathrow, London
About 42 km away
79 Staines Road West, Sunbury on Thames, Heathrow, London, TW16 7AH
Worship services: Tue 7:45pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:15pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Milton Keynes
About 42 km away
Fenny Stratford Community Centre, 13 George St., Milton Keynes, England, MK2 2NR
Worship services: Thu 7:00pm · Sat 6:00pm
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
SK Halal Food Ltd
Convenience
208 Dashwood Avenue, High Wycombe, HP12 3DD
About 9 km away
Food and takeaways
Bipuls Kitchen
Indian. restaurant
59-61 Lower Road, South Oxfordshire, OX39 4DU
About 8 km away
Sports and clubs
Wycombe Badminton Centre
Badminton. Sports centre
Crest Road, High Wycombe, HP11 1UA
About 10 km away
Titans Gym
Fitness centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 06:00-22:00; Sa-Su 08:00-18:00
Desborough Park Road, High Wycombe, HP12 3BG
About 10 km away
Bledlow Ridge Tennis Club
Tennis. Sports centre
Chinnor Road, Studley Green, HP14 4AB
About 6 km away
Watlington Club
Tennis, bowls, squash, table tennis. Sports centre
Pauls Way, South Oxfordshire, OX49 5RA
About 6 km away
High Wycombe Judo Centre
Judo. Sports centre
Barry Close, High Wycombe, HP12 4UE
About 9 km away
Bucks Indoor Tennis Centre
Tennis. Sports centre
Holmers Way, High Wycombe, HP12 4QA
About 9 km away
Cressex Synthetic Sports Pitch Centre
Sports centre
John Hall Way, High Wycombe, HP12 4NY
About 10 km away
Community and support groups
Studley Green Community Centre
Community centre
Wycombe Road, High Wycombe, HP14 3UY
About 4 km away
Chinnor Village Hall
Community centre
Church Road, South Oxfordshire, OX39 4PQ
About 7 km away
The Village Centre
Community centre
High Street, South Oxfordshire, OX39 4DJ
About 7 km away
Chinnor Community Pavilion
Community centre
Station Road, South Oxfordshire, OX39 4PU
About 8 km away
Whites Field Community Hall
Community centre
Mill Lane, South Oxfordshire, OX39 4RF
About 8 km away
Bix and Assendon Village Hall
Community centre
Old Bix Road, South Oxfordshire, RG9 6BY
About 9 km away
Cressex Community Centre
Community centre
203 Cressex Road, High Wycombe, HP12 4PZ
About 9 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Studio Barbara Luiza
Hairdresser
206 Dashwood Avenue, High Wycombe, HP12 3DD
About 9 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Chinnor Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Station Road, South Oxfordshire, OX39 4PU
About 7 km away
West Wycombe Community Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
High Street, West Wycombe, HP14 3AE
About 8 km away
Stokenchurch Community Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Wycombe Road, Stokenchurch, HP14 3RQ
About 3 km away
John H Dunning Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
A4155 Hambleden, RG9 3AN
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 Ibstone
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