Settling in · Wilmslow
Landing in Wilmslow? Start here.
The first fortnight in Wilmslow, 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
73 places in Wilmslow 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
Broken Cross Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Chelford Road, Macclesfield, SK10 3JR
About 9 km away
St Mary's Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Wilmslow Road, Handforth, Wilmslow, SK9 3LF
About 3 km away
Tytherington Family Worship Church
Christian
Sandwich Drive, Tytherington, SK10 2UD
About 8 km away
St. Teresa's Church
Christian, Catholic
St. Bartholomew's church
Christian, Anglican
Wilmslow United Reformed Church
Christian, United reformed
St. Anne's Fulshaw
Christian, Anglican
Mosques and prayer rooms
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Manchester
About 14 km away
101 Edge Lane, Stretford, Manchester, M32 8PU
Worship services: Tue 7:00pm · Sat 8:00am (Tagalog) · Sat 11:00am · Sat 1:00pm (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
Elaf
Lebanese, syrian. restaurant. Hours: Mo-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 13:00-22:00
14-18 Jordangate, Macclesfield, SK10 1EW
About 10 km away
Red Lantern
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: PH,Tu-Th,Su 16:30-21:30; Fr,Sa 16:30-22:30; Mo off
16 Hawthorn Street
Nite Nite
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: We,Th,Su,Mo 16:30-22:00; Fr,Sa 16:30-22:30; Tu off
63 Chapel Lane
Peking Garden
Chinese. restaurant. Hours: Tu-Sa 15:30-22:00; Su 12:00-21:30
Sports and clubs
Wilmslow Phoenix Sports Club
Soccer, lacrosse, cricket, field hockey. Sports centre
Styal Road, Styal, Wilmslow, SK9 4HP
About 2 km away
Ladybridge Connect
Cricket, soccer, lacrosse, bowls. Sports centre
Meadway Road, Stockport, SK8 5NZ
About 7 km away
Cheadle (Kingsway) Sports Club
Cricket, tennis, lacrosse, bowls. Sports centre
225 Kingsway, Stockport, SK8 1LA
About 7 km away
Fishing spots and tackle shops
Days out and things to do
Community and support groups
Cheadle & Gatley Conservative Club
Community centre
24 Stockport Road, Stockport, SK8 2AA
About 8 km away
Dean Row Village Hall
Community centre
Browns Lane, Dean Row, Wilmslow, SK9 2BR
About 2 km away
Gatley Hill Community Centre
Community centre
Church Road, Stockport, SK8 4EY
About 7 km away
Abney Scout and Guide Centre
Community centre
Newland Road, Stockport, SK8 2BE
About 8 km away
Weston Community Centre
Community centre
Earlsway Macclesfield, SK11 8RJ
About 9 km away
Heaton Mersey Conservative Club
Community centre
444 Didsbury Road, Stockport, SK4 3BS
About 10 km away
Didsbury Neighbourhood Centre
Community centre
Gillbrook Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6WH
About 10 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Hot towel and traditional shaves
Original Turkish Barber
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-18:00; Su 10:30-16:00
Barbers and salons
Flanagans
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We 09:00-18:00; Th,Fr 09:00-18:45; Sa 09:00-16:30; Su off
804 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 6UH
About 10 km away
David Anthony Hairdressing
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We,Fr 09:00-18:00; Th 09:00-19:00; Sa 09:00-17:00
2C Hawthorn Lane, SK9 1AA
Flanagans
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-We,Fr 09:00-18:00; Th 09:00-19:00; Sa 09:00-17:00
22A Water Lane, SK9 5AE
Barb & Bristle
Hairdresser. Hours: Mo-Th 09:00-18:00; Fr 09:00-19:00; Sa 08:30-17:00; Su off
5 Church Street, SK9 1AX
Cinemas and libraries
Heald Green Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Finney Lane, Stockport, SK8 3JB
About 5 km away
Bramhall Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Bramhall Lane South, Stockport, SK7 2DU
About 6 km away
Brooklands Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Tu, Fr-Sa 10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00; We 10:00-13:00, 14:00-20:00
Moor Road, M23 9BP
About 10 km away
Hazel Grove Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Beech Avenue, Stockport, SK7 4QP
About 10 km away
Wilmslow Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
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 Wilmslow
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