Settling in · Peterborough
Landing in Peterborough? Start here.
The first fortnight in Peterborough, 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
75 places in Peterborough 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
St Olga Ukrainian Catholic Church
Christian, Ukrainian greek catholic
67 New Road, Peterborough, PE2 9HD
Mosques and prayer rooms
Buddhist temples and centres
Other places of worship
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Peterborough
About 6 km away
Colonel Dane Memorial Hall, Church Street, Alwalton, Peterborough, PE73UU
Worship services: Wed 7:45pm · Sat 7:00pm
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
Food and takeaways
1498 Spice Affair
Goan, indian. restaurant
20 Priestgate, Peterborough, PE1 1JA
The Banyan Tree
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-We 12:00-14:30,17:30-23:30; Th-Fr 12:00-14:30,17:30-24:00; Sa 12:00-24:00; Su 12:00-22:30
53 Westgate, Peterborough, PE1 1QA
2020 World Buffet
Pizza, indian, sushi, ice cream. restaurant
35 New Road, Peterborough, PE1 1FJ
Oriental Grill
Chinese, turkish. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Fr 12:00-23:00; Sa-Su 15:00-23:30
29 Broadway, Peterborough, PE1 1SQ
Bombay Brasserie
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Sa 12:00-15:00, 17:30-23:00, Su 12:00-15:00, 17:00-22:30
47 Broadway, Peterborough, PE1 1SQ
Halims Adana Grill
Turkish. restaurant
175 Cromwell Road, Peterborough, PE1 2EL
Maharanis
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 17:00-23:00
56 Hargate Way, Peterborough, PE7 8DS
About 4 km away
Sports and clubs
Laser Quest Peterborough
Laser tag. Sports centre
Brook Street, Peterborough, PE1 1TU
Vivacity Premier Fitness
Multi. Sports centre
Hadfield Road, Peterborough, PE7 8BT
About 4 km away
Bushfield Leisure Centre
Multi. Sports centre
Busway Peterborough, PE2 5RQ
About 5 km away
Cardea Community Sports Pavillion
Sports centre
Bellona Drive, Peterborough, PE2 8WR
About 4 km away
Community and support groups
East Community Centre
Community centre
68-72 Padholme Road, Peterborough, PE1 5EN
The Stork’s Nest Community Centre
Community centre
Thistle Drive, Peterborough, PE2 8HZ
About 2 km away
Hampton Vale Community Centre
Community centre
Stewartby Avenue, Peterborough, PE7 8NJ
About 5 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Melanie Richard's Hair & Beauty
Hairdresser
100 Bridge Street, Peterborough, PE1 1DY
Barbers Station
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo 09:30-16:00; Tu,We 09:00-17:00; Th 09:00-19:00; Fr 08:30-19:00; Sa 08:30-16:00
363 Dogsthorpe Road, Peterborough, PE1 3RE
About 2 km away
Hampton Barbers
Hairdresser
110 Four Chimneys Crescent, Peterborough, PE7 8FH
About 5 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Northminster Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-19:00; Sa 09:00-15:00
Northminster Peterborough, PE1 1YN
Woodston Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Queens Walk, Peterborough, PE2 9AW
Hampton Library and Leisure Centre
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 13:30-17:00, We 13:30-17:00, Fr-Sa 09:00-12:30
Clayburn Road, Peterborough, PE7 8GL
About 4 km away
Orton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Fr 10:30-17:30; Tu-Th,Sa 09:30-17:00; We off
Busway Peterborough, PE2 5RQ
About 5 km away
Eye Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 09:00-12:00, We 13:30-17:00, Sa 09:00-12:30
Crowland Road, Peterborough, PE6 7UZ
About 6 km away
Dogsthorpe Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Central Avenue, Peterborough, PE1 4LH
About 3 km away
Stanground Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Southfields Avenue, Peterborough, PE2 8RY
About 3 km away
Reading Express
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Tollgate Peterborough, PE3 9XB
About 3 km away
Bretton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Rightwell East, Peterborough, PE3 8AX
About 3 km away
Werrington Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Fr,Sa 09:30-12:30; Tu,Th 14:00-17:30; We,Su,PH off
Foxcovert Walk, Peterborough, PE4 6GG
About 6 km away
Yaxley Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Landsdowne Road, Huntingdonshire, PE7 3JS
About 6 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 Peterborough
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