Settling in · Stourbridge
Landing in Stourbridge? Start here.
The first fortnight in Stourbridge, 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
78 places in Stourbridge 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
Christian, Salvation army
Meredith Street, Cradley Heath, B64 5EP
About 5 km away
Oldbury Ecclesial Hall
Christian, Unitarianism
8 Brades Road, Sandwell, B69 2ET
About 10 km away
The Salvation Army - Oldbury
Christian, Salvation army
Merton Close, Oldbury, B68 8NG
About 10 km away
Sandwell Christian Centre (Oldbury Elim Pentecostal Bethel Hub)
Christian, Pentecostal
8 Langley Crescent, Sandwell, B68 8RR
About 10 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Birmingham
About 10 km away
2 Causeway Green Road Oldbury, West Midlands B68 8LD
Worship services: Wed 7:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:30pm (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
Haji Baba Halal Meats
Butcher. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:00
Wolverhampton Road
About 9 km away
Swindon Convenience Store
Convenience. Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:30; Sa 09:00-12:30
19 High Street, Dudley, DY3 4NP
About 8 km away
Food and takeaways
The Royal Castle Indian & Nepalese Restaurant
Nepalese, indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Fr 15:00-22:00; Sa-Su 12:00-22:00
Martley Road, B69 1DY
About 9 km away
Little Bangla Bangladeshi & Indian Cuisine
Indian, bangladeshi. restaurant
23 Langley High Street, Sandwell, B69 4TA
About 10 km away
Sip & Sip Asian Fusion & Bar
Asian. restaurant
2 Titford Road, Sandwell, B69 4PZ
About 10 km away
Sports and clubs
Portway Lifestyle Centre
Gymnastics, gym, fitness, dance, cycling, soccer, swimming, boxing, zumba, yoga, pilates, table tennis, karate, martial arts. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 06:30-22:00; Sa-Su 07:00-18:00
Newbury Lane
About 9 km away
JD Gyms
Fitness, multi, gymnastics, exercise, boxing. Fitness centre. Hours: 24/7
Birchley Island Retail Park
About 9 km away
Leasowes Sports Centre
Soccer, badminton, basketball, fitness, judo, kickboxing, yoga, dance, trampoline, netball. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 17:00-22:00, Sa-Su 09:30-18:30
Kent Road, Dudley, B62 8PJ
About 8 km away
The Beeches- Tividale Football Club
Sports centre
New Birmingham Road, Sandwell, B69 1UL
About 9 km away
Swim!
Swimming. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Su 08:45-20:00
Birchley Island Retail Park, Sandwell, B69 2AG
About 9 km away
The Worx Gym
Fitness. Fitness centre. Hours: 24/7
870B Wolverhampton Road
About 9 km away
Flip Out Trampoline Arena
Trampoline. Sports centre
Churchbridge Industrial Estate, Sandwell, B69 2AP
About 10 km away
TeamSport Go Karting
Karting. Sports centre
Park Lane Industrial Estate, Oldbury, B69 4JX
About 10 km away
Days out and things to do
Community and support groups
Royal British Legion (Oldbury)
Community centre
5 Windsor Road, Sandwell, B68 8PB
About 9 km away
Langley Park Lodge Community Centre
Community centre
34 Langley High Street
About 10 km away
Ghausia Welfare Association Community Centre
Community centre
High Street, Dudley, DY9 8JZ
About 2 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
MAJ Scissor Turkish Barber ️
Hairdresser
160 Causeway Green Road, Sandwell, B68 8LF
About 9 km away
Pavel Turkish Barber
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We,Sa 09:00-18:00; Th,Fr 09:00-18:30; Su 10:00-16:00
High Street, Sandwell, B65 0DT
About 7 km away
Barbers and salons
Lisa Jay Hair Extensions
Hairdresser
283 Causeway Green Road
About 9 km away
Rekhi Gents Hair Studio
Hairdresser
28 Pound Road, Sandwell, B68 8LY
About 9 km away
Luxe Barbers
Hairdresser
Unit 2, Langley High Street, Sandwell, B69 4SL
About 10 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Rounds Green Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 09:30-13:00,14:00-17:30; We 09:30-13:00,14:00-17:00; Fr 09:30-13:00,14:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-13:00
Martley Road, Oldbury, B69 1DZ
About 9 km away
Oakham Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 10:00-13:00,14:00-17:00; We 10:00-13:00,14:00-17:00; Fr 10:00-13:00,14:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-14:00
Poplar Rise, Sandwell, B69 1RD
About 9 km away
Brandhall Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Tame Road, Sandwell, B68 0RT
About 9 km away
Langley Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Barrs Street, Sandwell, B68 8QU
About 10 km away
Bleakhouse Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Bleakhouse Road
About 10 km away
Blackheath Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Th 09:30-17:30; Fr 09:30-17:00; Sa 10:00-16:00
145 High Street, Blackheath, B65 0AE
About 7 km away
Stourbridge Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Smith Fields Market, Dudley, DY8 1AD
Lye Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
105 Chapel Street, Dudley, DY9 8LL
About 2 km away
Quarry Bank Community Centre and Library Link
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Sheffield Street, Dudley, DY5 1EA
About 3 km away
Brierley Hill Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
High Street, Dudley, DY5 3BB
About 3 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 Stourbridge
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