Settling in · Merton
Landing in Merton? Start here.
The first fortnight in Merton, 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
63 places in Merton 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
Bicester Salvation Army
Christian, Salvation army
Hart Place, Bicester, OX26 4FR
About 6 km away
Catholic Church of The Immaculate Conception
Christian, Roman catholic
12 Causeway, Bicester, OX26 6AW
About 5 km away
Emmanuel Church Bicester
Christian, Anglican
Barberry Place, Bicester, OX26 3HA
About 6 km away
Kidlington Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Oxford Road, Cherwell District, OX5 2BP
About 9 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Oxford
About 11 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, Milton Keynes
About 35 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
San Oriental
Convenience. Hours: Mo-Su 11:00-15:00
28 Sheep Street, Bicester, OX26 6LG
About 5 km away
Food and takeaways
Grand Village Imperial
Chinese. restaurant
Unit E3-4, Kelso Road, Bicester, OX26 1ES
About 4 km away
Nando's
Chicken, portuguese. restaurant
Gt1 Pioneer Square, Bicester, OX26 6FA
About 5 km away
Denis Restaurant
Turkish, mediterranean. restaurant
92 Sheep Street, Bicester, OX26 6LP
About 5 km away
The Bosphorus
Turkish. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 11:00-23:00
Unit E1, Kelso Road, Bicester, OX26 1ES
About 4 km away
Sports and clubs
Kidlington Football Club
Soccer. Sports centre
Bowerman Close, Cherwell District, OX5 1TP
About 10 km away
Bicester Ex-Services and Social Club
Social club
67A Sheep Street, Bicester, OX26 6JW
About 5 km away
Clip 'n Climb Bicester
Climbing. Sports centre
Bessemer Close, Bicester, OX26 6QE
About 5 km away
Arncott Moto Parc
Motocross. Sports centre
The Village Close, Cherwell District, OX25 1QU
About 3 km away
Whitelands Farm Sports Ground
Multi. Sports centre
Whitelands Way, Cherwell District, OX26 1AZ
About 4 km away
Community and support groups
Piddington Village Hall
Community centre
Ludgershall Road, Cherwell District, OX25 1PU
About 6 km away
Love Barton
Community centre
8 Underhill Circus, Oxford, OX3 9LU
About 10 km away
Chesterton Community Centre
Community centre
2 Geminus Road, Cherwell District, OX26 1BJ
About 4 km away
Barton Neighbourhood Centre
Community centre
Underhill Circus, Oxford, OX3 9LS
About 10 km away
Langford Village Community Hall
Community centre
8 Nightingale Place, Bicester, OX26 6XX
About 4 km away
Bicester Children & Family Centre
Community centre
Launton Road, Cherwell District, OX26 6DJ
About 5 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Afro hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Cinemas and libraries
Barton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 14:00-17:30; Tu-Fr 09:00-17:30
Underhill Circus, Barton, Oxford, OX3 9LS
About 10 km away
County Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Oxford Road, Kidlington, OX5 2BP
About 9 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 Merton
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