Settling in · Sutton Coldfield
Landing in Sutton Coldfield? Start here.
The first fortnight in Sutton Coldfield, 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
84 places in Sutton Coldfield 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
The Salvation Army
Christian, Salvation army
Gladstone Street, Aston, Birmingham, B6 7NY
About 7 km away
Salvation Army Citadel
Christian, Salvation army
24 St Chads Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6HH
About 10 km away
St Johns Church
Christian, Anglican
4 Walmley Road, Sutton Coldfield, B76 1QN
About 3 km away
England Birmingham Mission
Christian, Mormon. Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-21:00
187 Penns Lane, Sutton Coldfield, B76 1JU
About 3 km away
Saint Columba's
Christian, Anglican
Banners Gate Road, Sutton Coldfield, B73 6TX
About 3 km away
The Church of the Firstborn
Christian
181 Wheelwright Road, Birmingham, B24 8HR
About 6 km away
St Martins Church
Christian, Anglican (inclusive evangelical). Hours: See website.
Walsall WS5 3DQ
About 8 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Faizan e Medina
Muslim. Hours: Mo-Su 08:00-23:30
Richmond Road, Birmingham, B33 8TN
About 9 km away
Madrassa-tul-Madina Aston
Muslim. Hours: Mo-Fr 15:00-20:00
284 Witton Road, Birmingham, B6 6NU
About 8 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Birmingham
About 15 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
Masala Bazaar Metro
Supermarket. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-20:00; Su 09:00-17:00
Walsall Road, Birmingham, B42 1AA
About 8 km away
Bismillah Halal Meat and Chicken
Butcher. Hours: Mo-Su 08:00-18:00
2 Woodridge, Birmingham, B6 6LN
About 8 km away
Hamstead Convenience
Convenience. Hours: Mo-Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 09:00-21:00
Old Walsall Road, Birmingham, B42 1NN
About 8 km away
Food and takeaways
Nando's
Chicken, portuguese. restaurant
94B Parade, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1PH
Tikka Nation - Birmingham
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
14d Birmingham Road, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1QG
Balti Delight
Indian. restaurant
6 Edwards Road, Birmingham, B24 9EP
About 4 km away
Alishaan
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 17:00-23:00
90 Hawthorn Road, Birmingham, B44 8QP
About 5 km away
Unique Cuisine
Caribbean. takeaway. Hours: Mo-Sa 12:00-20:00
100 Hawthorn Road, Birmingham, B44 8QP
About 5 km away
The Peking
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Fr-Sa 16:30-23:00; Su, Tu-Th 17:00-23:00
134 Beacon Road, Great Barr, Walsall, B43 7BN
About 6 km away
Vila Spice
Indian. takeaway
140 Beacon Road, Great Barr, Birmingham, B43 7BN
About 6 km away
Zaazi At The Lodge
Indian. restaurant
24 Birmingham Road, Lichfield, WS14 0LQ
About 7 km away
Hong Kong
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Tu closed, Fr-Sa 17:00-23:30, Mo,We-Th,Su 17:00-23:00
17 Anchor Road, Aldridge, Walsall, Aldridge, WS9 8PT
About 8 km away
Sports and clubs
Veseyans Rugby & Sports Club
Rugby
Little Hardwick Road, WS9 0SQ
About 6 km away
Sports Hall
Table tennis, basketball, badminton, fitness, multi. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00
Sutton Coldfield
Stick and Wicket
Cricket, running, football, hockey, squash. Sport club
The Green, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 8NH
About 8 km away
The Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre
Squash, badminton, swimming, multigym, aerobics. Sports centre
Aston Street, Birmingham, B4 7EH
About 10 km away
ForceField
Rugby, rugby union, rugby league. Fitness centre. Hours: Mo-Su 09:00-19:00
184 Walmley Road, Sutton Coldfield, B76 2PY
About 2 km away
The Amber Arena & Community Stadium
Soccer, bowls. Sports centre
Church Road, Birmingham, B73 5GB
About 3 km away
YogoJo
Yoga. Fitness centre. Hours: Mo-Su 10:00-20:00
184 Walmley Road, Sutton Coldfield, B76 2PY
About 2 km away
Redpoint Climbing Centre
Climbing. Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-22:00; Sa-Su 10:00-06:00
77 Cecil Street, Birmingham, B19 3SU
About 10 km away
Fishing spots and tackle shops
Days out and things to do
Community and support groups
Wylde Green Community Hall
Community centre
Emscote Drive, Sutton Coldfield, B73 5NE
About 3 km away
Harvest Fields Centre
Community centre
Harvest Fields Way, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5TJ
About 4 km away
Estia Greek & Cypriot Community Centre
Community centre
Park Approach, Birmingham, B23 7SJ
About 6 km away
All Saints Church Centre
Community centre
64 Belwell Lane, Sutton Coldfield, B74 4TR
About 3 km away
Little Aston Village Hall
Community centre
Little Aston Lane, Sutton Coldfield, B74 3UF
About 5 km away
Auckland Hall
Community centre
Sunbeam Close, Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, B36 9JR
About 8 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Barbers and salons
Anthony Edward Hair
Hairdresser. Hours: We-Fr 10:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-16:00
264 Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, B74 2UH
About 2 km away
Truman's Barber Shop
Hairdresser
433 Birmingham Road, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1AX
About 3 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Boldmere Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
117A;119 Boldmere Road, Birmingham, B73 5TU
About 2 km away
Walmley Library & Community Hall
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Walmley Road, Sutton Coldfield, B76 1NP
About 3 km away
Sutton Coldfield Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Erdington Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu,Fr,Sa 09:00-13:00,14:00-17:00; Th 10:00-13:00,14:00-18:00
Orphanage Road, Birmingham, B24 9HS
About 4 km away
Kingstanding Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu 10:00-13:00,14:00-16:00; Fr,Sa 09:00-13:00,14:00-17:00
Dunedin Road, Birmingham, B44 9ST
About 4 km away
Perry Common Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
College Road, Birmingham, B44 0HF
About 5 km away
Streetly Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Tu-We 09:00-13:00,14:00-18:00; Fr 09:00-13:00,14:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-13:00,14:00-16:00
Blackwood Road
About 5 km away
Castle Vale Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Th 09:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00
10 High Street, Birmingham, B35 7PR
About 5 km away
Tower Hill Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Tower Hill, Birmingham, B42 1LG
About 7 km away
Water Orton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Mickle Meadow, North Warwickshire, B46 1SN
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 Sutton Coldfield
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