Can a Canadian Citizen live and work in the UK?
Yes. There are options as a Canadian Citizen for you to live and work in the UK. As a member of the Commonwealth, Canadians have access to Visas that aren’t available to other Countries. You may not even need to have a job lined up to sponsor you! Moving to the UK from Canada is definitely possible!
There are many different reasons why you might want to move to the UK from Canada. It could be for work, adventure or love. Your own reason is what makes a big move so unique and exciting. I will not lie, it is a lot of work. But, the reward is a life-changing opportunity to experience what it is like to live abroad.
A brief recap…
In late 2021 we decided to move from our home in Canada to the UK. I talked about what led us to make that decision in my blog post “Re-Writing our Story”. I also wrote about our experience with the process in “What Happened Next”.
Although our Visa allows us to live and work anywhere in the UK (England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland). We chose to move to England. This was based on location. We live in Sheffield, just an hour outside of Manchester. This central location makes it easy to travel anywhere in the UK, with easy access to a few airports when we take a trip to Europe.
Making a big move to another city always has many moving parts to it. A move to another country comes with a few extra challenges. The good news is; that with the right information and some help, you can be more prepared to deal with those challenges.
In this article, we’ll explain the steps that we took when moving to the UK from Canada. Including, how we applied for our Visa, and our tips for getting settled and finding work in the UK.
Before Moving to the UK from Canada
Getting a Visa
We moved to the UK on the 5-year Ancestry Visa (both my grandparents were born in England and Hayley was able to apply as a dependent). Check here for your own eligibility. There is also a Youth Mobility Visa available to Canadians aged 18-30, you can see those requirements here.
You can apply for these types of Visas on your own. We decided to use BritBound to help us with the process. Sarah and her team specialize in these types of Visas, their experience is invaluable and well worth the investment.
Part of the initial application is to book a Biometrics appointment. You will need to visit the closest VFS office in person to submit your supporting documents and surrender your passport. You will be without your passport until a decision has been made on your application and it has been returned to you. Your fingerprints and photo will also be taken.
Your information will be used to issue your Biometric Residency Permit (or BRP), this is your proof of residency along with the Visa vignette that will be affixed to your passport. There are six offices located in Canada (Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax and St. John’s).
Pay for your Healthcare
Paying the NHS surcharge is part of your Visa application and will need to be paid before moving to the UK from Canada. This cost is over and above the Visa application fee and is non-negotiable. That said, you will be covered just as you are in Canada for any health care you may need for the duration of your Visa.
Set up a Bank Account
You will need a bank account once you arrive in the UK. Most employers will not be able to deposit your pay into a foreign account. You will also want to have an account for your daily expenses and as a way to pay your rent and utilities. “High Street” banks are almost impossible to open from overseas (BritBound can help with this if you are using their services).
There is also Monzo and Revolut, they are both online banks (they do not have physical branches and you will not be able to make cash deposits). They make it possible to open a bank account without having to physically be in the UK. However, they are not recognized in Canada. So you will need to have received your Visa before applying and will need to provide them with an address in the UK.
Your physical card will be mailed to the address you provide, but you will be able to get a mobile card on your device once your ID is verified and your account is active through the app.
Moving your money
Other things to consider about banking; you will have to transfer money. Beware that the major banks will charge you for international transfers. Not only are their fees hefty, but the currency exchange can be a higher rate, resulting in lost money.
There are several services (Wise and OFX) that will transfer your money from your accounts in Canada to your UK accounts. Their rates and fees are better than the banks, but do your research and find the best fit for your needs. Revolut does offer excellent currency exchange rates and low fees. You can also open different currency accounts with them, making it easy to move money and very handy to use your card in countries that recognize them.
At the time of our move, we were HSBC Canada clients, which made it extremely easy for us to move money and set up our accounts here in the UK. Unfortunately, as of March 2024, RBC has acquired HSBC Canada and taken over their Canadian operations. RBC does offer zero-fee international money transfers, but transfers could still be subject to fees by the bank receiving your funds. An HSBC account overseas will not charge you for receiving transfers, but do your research and choose the best accounts to suit your individual banking needs.
Moving to the UK from Canada With Pets
We brought along our two French Bulldogs when we moved from Canada to the UK. It is definitely possible to bring your pets with you. There are rules and expenses that come with moving your pets, but it can be a fairly straightforward process if you are prepared.
If you are totally compliant with the regulations, your pets will not need to quarantine after arrival as they would if coming from other countries. You will need to have them microchipped and fully vaccinated according to UK standards.
If entering the UK by air, you will need to have them shipped over as manifested cargo (the UK does not allow pets to travel into the UK in the cabin unless they are support animals). Don’t make the same mistake I did and assume that this is just as simple as showing up at the airport with your dogs in a crate.
You will need to hire a company on either side of the Atlantic to facilitate this. We used WorldWide Animal Travel in Canada and SkyPets International in the UK. Both companies organized all the paperwork and flights and were responsible for getting them to and from the airports and through customs on both ends.
They took excellent care of our boys throughout the day of the move and they were back with us shortly after moving to the UK from Canada.
What to do after arriving in the UK
Collect your BRP
Upon your arrival in the UK, you have 10 days to collect your Biometrics Residency Card from the Post Office. During the application process, you choose which Post Office the UKVI (United Kingdom Visa & Immigration) office will send that to.
It was quick and easy, just show your passport with your Visa Vignette and they will hand it over. Note: you must pick this up in person unless you nominate someone else to collect it for you. This can only be done due to a serious illness or disability.
Apply for your NI number
Once you arrive in the UK you are able to apply for your NI number. This is a specific number that the government will issue for your employers to identify you for tax purposes. Just like your SIN in Canada. Sarah at BritBound took care of this for us as part of her services after our move to the UK and had an address.
Getting a Cell Phone Plan
We wanted to make sure that we had cell service as soon as we landed. Mostly because we wanted to be available in there was an issue with the dogs getting through customs. Getting a cell plan with one of the bigger providers requires you to be physically in the UK. In some cases, you will need a credit check and bank account details for payment.
We decided to go with a pay-as-you-go option to ensure that we could use our phones right away.
Giff Gaff was who we decided to go with. Their SIM cards are available to buy for $5 CAD right on Amazon and they were delivered to us in Canada before the move. It only takes a credit card and a few minutes to activate them and get a shiny new UK phone number.
There are quite a few well-priced plans available to suit your needs and we were shocked to find out how much less it is than what we pay in Canada. £15 (less than $25 CAD) for unlimited talk/text and 30 GB of data with roaming in the EU.
I actually encourage anyone travelling to the UK (even for short trips) to do the same. It can be less costly than paying the daily roaming charges from your Canadian provider.
Finding A Place to Live
I wrote about this in another post, “Finding a Place to Live”. That spoke more to our specific experience and how we decided on Sheffield. With us having the dogs, we wanted to make sure we had a dog-friendly place to live immediately. It did limit our options, as pet-friendly rentals are always trickier to navigate.
We also were moving to the UK from Canada just weeks after the Covid restrictions were lifted for entry into the UK, so there wasn’t really an opportunity to go check out any potential accommodations before the actual moving day.
Thankfully the internet is a powerful tool. It was possible for us to find and secure a lease with Grainger PLC before we left Canada, but there is a ton of scams out there. If you do what we did, make sure that you choose a reputable company to do business with, DO YOUR RESEARCH.
There is also the option of staying in a longer-term AirBnB while you find a suitable place. We consider ourselves lucky to have found such an excellent place to call home without visiting the property before moving. Whatever approach you decide to take, do your research, work within your budget and be prepared.
Even if you are renting, there is a City Council tax that needs to be paid. Occasionally this can be included in your monthly rent, but make sure to find out.
Changing your Canadian Drivers License for a UK License
You are allowed to drive in the UK using your Canadian driver’s license for one year after moving to the UK from Canada. After 185 days of residency, you will be able to exchange your Canadian license for a UK license. You are able to buy a car and get insurance in the UK right away, but insurance rates are higher when driving on an international license.
There are a few things you should know about this process:
- This is done entirely through the mail. There is no physical office to go to.
- The fee is £43 and must be paid by cheque or postal order (you can easily get this at any Post Office).
- You will have to send your Canadian license and you will not get it back.
- Any type of vehicle license you hold will be honoured in the UK with no provisions (ie. learners permit), including motorcycle and truck licenses.
- You will only be licensed to drive automatic vehicles unless you can prove that you completed your driving test in a manual car in Canada. Unfortunately, there is no documentation available from the MOT back in Canada to prove this. If you hold a lorry license (A or D class in Canada). You will get a manual license in the UK, otherwise, you will have to do a road test in a manual car.
Finding a Job in the UK
If you don’t already have a job lined up for when you arrive, don’t worry! The job market in the UK is very good. I suggest that you make sure you use the correct UK terminology that properly describes your skills on your CV (resume). Some trades have different names here in the UK, so make sure to use the appropriate description. Also, it would be best to include the fact that you have the right to work in the UK on your cover letter. It may discourage potential employers from calling you back if all your work experience is in Canada, they may assume that you are looking for Visa sponsorship.
Frequently Asked Questions when Moving to the UK from Canada
Why did you move to the UK from Canada?
We get asked this question frequently. Our answer is; that we wanted a change from the life we had in Canada and we wanted to be able to travel to Europe frequently. We chose the UK because of the ease of getting a Visa (in our case, the Ancestry Visa).
Can you travel outside of the UK on your Visa?
Our Ancestry Visa allows us to exit and re-enter the UK freely. The only stipulation is that we cannot be outside of the UK for longer than 180 days in any twelve-month period if we want to be able to apply for permanent residency at the end of our five-year Visa.
Almost any European destination is just a couple of hours’ flight from the UK. We chose Sheffield because of its endless green spaces and airport proximity. There are a few other airports within a similar travel time. Flights are cheap (we recently paid $338 CAD for TWO, ROUND TRIP tickets to Italy, compared to $3000 CAD from Toronto) and there isn’t a drastic time change.
Public transportation is miles better than in Canada. The network is far more extensive and the cost is lower. If you decide to live in the city centre, there is less need for a car. We easily access those airports by train.
What is the cost of living?
Things just cost less.
It is true that the cost of living is increasing globally, but the cost of living in the UK is lower than in Canada. We have found that our overall day-to-day costs are lower. And the further North you are located in the UK, the lower the housing prices are. Of course, there is always an inflated cost in larger cities. Our grocery bills are lower and even the raw food for our dogs is cheaper. As I mentioned before our cell phone bill is 75% lower than what we paid with Bell.
What are the healthcare costs?
As part of our Visa application, we had to pay the NHS surcharge upfront. We are covered for any healthcare needs, but you do not need employer benefits to help with any other medical/dental costs.
We were shocked to find the cost of medication to be so much lower than what we paid in Canada. A package of 16 Ibuprofen is less than $1 CAD. Also, the NHS covers almost the entire cost of prescription medication; getting one filled costs just £9.35 for all prescriptions. You do not need benefits to cover that cost.
Dental care is subsidized by the NHS and is also very low in comparison. A standard checkup, including x-rays and a cleaning, is just £23.80. A root canal or tooth removal; £65.20. Need dentures, a bridge or a crown? It will only cost £282.80. These costs are exponentially lower than in Canada (just having a tooth pulled can set you back $1000 CAD without benefits).
Is it expensive to buy a car?
Cars in the UK are not expensive to buy. You can purchase a used 2019 Mercedes A Class for £15,000 vs $40,000. Even with the currency exchange rate, it’s cheaper. Auto insurance is also less with an average cost of £526/year for a driver with a UK license. Keep in mind, that there is no salt used on the roads. Cars really don’t rust out in the UK. There is a yearly inspection required, so most used cars are in very good condition.
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