Settling in · Sway
Landing in Sway? Start here.
The first fortnight in Sway, 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
60 places in Sway 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
Highcliffe Methodist Church
Christian
Lymington Road, Highcliffe, BH23 5EG
About 8 km away
Christian Science Society Lymington
Christian, Christ scientist
Cannon Street, Lymington, SO41 9BR
About 5 km away
Lymington United Reformed Church
Christian, United reformed
High Street, Lymington, SO41 9AG
About 6 km away
Bransgore Community Church
Christian
Shackleton Square, New Forest, BH23 8AJ
About 9 km away
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Christian, Jehovahs witness
Marsh Lane, Lymington, SO41 9EE
About 5 km away
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Bournemouth
About 17 km away
673 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, BH7 6AA
Worship services: Thu 6:15pm · Sat 10:30am · Sat 12:30pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Southampton
About 20 km away
St. Peter's Church, Lockerly Cresent, Southampton, SO16 4ER
Worship services: Tue 6:00pm · Sat 4:00pm · Sat 6:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Salisbury
About 34 km away
URC hall, 30 Fisherton St. Salisbury, SP2 7RG England
Worship services: Tue 6:00pm · Sat 4:00pm
Iglesia ni Cristo, Portsmouth City
About 38 km away
St. Cuthbert's Center, 2 Lichfield Road, Copner, P03 6DE
Worship services: Thu 6:15pm · Sat 10:30am · 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
Food and takeaways
Rivaaz
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Su-Th 17:00-22:30; Fr,Sa 17:00-23:30
7 Saint Thomas Street, Lymington, SO41 9NA
About 5 km away
Lal Quilla
Indian. restaurant. Hours: Su-Th 17:30-23:00; Fr 17:30-00:00; Sa 17:30-00:00
135,136 High Street, Lymington, SO41 9AQ
About 6 km away
Top Chef
Chinese. takeaway
401 Lymington Road, Highcliffe, Christchurch, BH23 5EL
About 8 km away
Honeymoon Chinese Takeaway
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Su 16:30-23:00
360 Lymington Road, Highcliffe, BH23 5EY
About 8 km away
Chinatown
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Tu-Su 17:00-22:00
249 Lymington Road, Highcliffe, BH23 5EB
About 8 km away
Lymington Charcoal Grill
Kebab. takeaway. Hours: Mo-Th 15:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 15:00-23:30; Su 15:00-23:00
5 Queen Street, Lymington, SO41 9NH
About 5 km away
Britannia Thai Restaurant & Takeaway
Thai. restaurant
1 High Street, Lymington, SO41 0QF
About 7 km away
Sports and clubs
Lawrence Boxing Club
Boxing. Sport club
3 Marsh Lane, Lymington, SO41 9EW
About 5 km away
Society 23
Fitness. Fitness centre
411 Lymington Road, Highcliffe
About 8 km away
Lymington Health and Leisure Centre
Sports centre
North Street, New Forest, SO41 8GB
About 5 km away
Community and support groups
New Milton Hub, home of the Memorial Hall
Community centre
Whitefield Road, New Forest, BH25 6DE
About 5 km away
Lymington Community Centre
Community centre
New Street, Lymington, SO41 9BQ
About 5 km away
Barton On Sea Golf Clubhouse
Community centre
Milford Road, New Forest, BH25 5PP
About 6 km away
Highcliffe Sports & Social Club
Community centre
387 Lymington Road, Highcliffe, BH23 5EG
About 8 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Andrew David Hair & Beauty
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu-Fr 09:30-17:30; Sa 09:00-17:00
11 Stanford Road, Lymington
About 5 km away
JC Lymington
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 09:00-18:00; Th 09:00-19:00; Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-16:00
96 High Street, Lymington, SO41 9AP
About 6 km away
Bond's
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 09:30-17:30; Th-Fr 09:00-18:30; Sa 09:00-17:00
2 Henderson Court, Lymington, SO41 9FQ
About 6 km away
Jack & The Wolfe
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa 09:00-17:00
7 Quay Hill, Lymington, SO41 3AR
About 6 km away
Urban Barbers
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-18:00; Su off
406 Lymington Road, Highcliffe, BH23 5HE
About 8 km away
South Hair
Hairdresser
352 Lymington Road, Highcliffe, BH23 5EY
About 8 km away
Cinemas and libraries
New Milton Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Tu 09:00-17:00, Th 09:00-19:00, Fr 09:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-13:00
Gore Road, New Forest, BH25 6RW
About 5 km away
Highcliffe Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Fr 09:30-17:00, Tu 14:30-18:00, Th,Sa 09:30-13:00; We,Su off
7 Gordon Road, Highcliffe, BH23 5HN
About 8 km away
Lymington Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Tu 09:30-17:00; We 09:30-13:30; Th-Sa 09:30-17:00
North Close, Lymington, SO41 9BW
About 5 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 Sway
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