Settling in · Mortimer
Landing in Mortimer? Start here.
The first fortnight in Mortimer, 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
67 places in Mortimer 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
Salvation Army Church Tadley
Christian, Salvation army
Mullfords Hill, Tadley, RG26 3LJ
About 6 km away
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Christian, Jehovahs witness
75 Water Road, Reading, RG30 2NP
About 9 km away
The Salvation Army
Christian, Salvation army
522 Oxford Road, Reading, RG30 1EG
About 10 km away
Buddhist temples and centres
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Reading
About 9 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, Guildford
About 36 km away
Onslow Hall (Main Hall), Wilderness Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7 QR
Worship services: Tue 8:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Oxford
About 42 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, Heathrow, London
About 45 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)
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
Burghfield Spices
Indian. restaurant. Hours: 11:30-14:30; 16:40-23:30
Hatch Lane, Reading, RG30 3TH
About 4 km away
itsu
Asian. takeaway. Hours: Su-Th 11:00-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:30
Reading RG2 0QG
About 8 km away
Dhaulagiri Kitchen
Nepalese, indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Fr 11:00-22:30; Sa, Su 10:30-22:30
63 Basingstoke Road, Reading, RG2 0ER
About 10 km away
The Biryani Lounge
Burger, pizza, coffee shop, sandwich, kebab, chicken, indian, ice cream, bubble tea. restaurant. Hours: 24/7
89 Wokingham Rd, Berkshire, Reading, RG6 1LH
About 10 km away
Mo Li Yuan
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Tu-Th,Su 17:00-22:00, Fr,Sa 17:00-22:30, Sa,Su 12:00-14:00
250 Shinfield Road, Reading
About 10 km away
Miah's
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su,PH 12:00-14:30,17:00-23:00
Basingstoke Road, Spencers Wood, RG7 1AE
About 7 km away
Sports and clubs
South Reading Leisure Centre
Soccer, swimming, fitness, badminton, basketball, netball, table tennis, dancing. Sports centre
Northumberland Avenue, Reading, RG2 8DF
About 9 km away
Nuffield Health Fitness & Wellbeing
Multi. Fitness centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 06:30-22:00; Sa-Su 08:00-20:00
240 South Oak Way, Reading, RG2 6UL
About 7 km away
The Gym
Fitness centre. Hours: 24/7
Oxford Road, Reading, RG30 1PR
About 10 km away
Parthian Climbing Reading
Climbing. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-22:00; Sa-Su 10:00-19:00
About 10 km away
Community and support groups
Coley Park Community Centre
Community centre
140 Wensley Road, Reading, RG1 6DW
About 9 km away
Reading Men's Shed
Community centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-14:00, PH off
37 Hilcot Road, Reading, RG30 2SX
About 10 km away
Monk Sherborne Village Hall
Community centre
Ramsdell Road, Basingstoke and Deane, RG26 5HJ
About 9 km away
Stratfield Saye Village Hall
Community centre
New Street, Basingstoke and Deane, RG7 2EJ
About 4 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
The Salon
Hairdresser
Reading Road, Basingstoke and Deane, RG27 0EZ
About 7 km away
The 5th Element Hair & Beauty Salon
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-17:00
24 School Road, RG31 5AL
About 9 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Theale Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 13:00-17:00; We,Fr 10:30-17:00; Th 13:00-19:00; Sa 09:30-12:30
Church Street, Theale, RG7 5BZ
About 7 km away
Tilehurst Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Reading RG31 5AS
About 9 km away
Whitley Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
252 Northumberland Avenue, Reading, RG2 7QA
About 9 km away
Education Library Resource Centre
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Commercial Road, Reading, RG2 0RB
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 Mortimer
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