eVisa and share code instead of a BRP, a National Insurance number, GP registration, the health surcharge and a bank account in a sensible order, with the deadlines sources agree on and the ones we could not confirm.
In brief
As of 6 November 2026, the first 30 days in the UK no longer start with a plastic residence card. Sources say biometric residence permits have been replaced by eVisas, and you prove your status by creating a share code in the GOV.UK service to view and prove your immigration status. A National Insurance number can be requested only from inside the UK, and one guide says it takes about 4 weeks. GP registration is free in England and cannot be refused because you have no ID, no proof of address or no immigration status. Most visa holders pay the Immigration Health Surcharge with the visa application (one page gives GBP 1,035 per adult a year). We did not open an official page, so check every rule on GOV.UK. This is not legal advice.
Your visa and your status decide the order
The checklist depends on the permission in your eVisa, not on your passport. - A visa of 6 months or less: sources say a short visa generally does not give free NHS treatment beyond the services that are free for everyone. Keep travel or private health insurance. - A longer visa with the Immigration Health Surcharge paid: you get NHS access on the same basis as residents, according to the guides we found. - A health and care worker visa: the surcharge is said to be waived for the worker and the family.
We did not research the visa rules for Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh or Ukrainian passports, so check the route that applies to you on GOV.UK or with a regulated adviser before you move. A purchase of property does not give a visa, see our note on what you can buy in the UK.
Days 1 to 3: the eVisa, the share code and an address
Guides say physical biometric residence permits and cards have been replaced by an online record of status, the eVisa, and that you prove it with a share code. The date of the change differs across pages, from the end of 2024 to the start of 2025 and to February 2026, so do not rely on a plastic card. - Create your UK Visas and Immigration account and add the passport or travel document details, so that your eVisa is linked to the passport you travel on. - Generate a share code in the GOV.UK service to view and prove your immigration status when a landlord, an employer or a bank asks for it. One page describes a 9-character code that starts with W, R or S. - Share code validity differs: some pages say 90 days from generation, others 30 days. Generate a new one if the old one is close to expiry. - An expired BRP may still be usable for limited purposes: pages say up to 24 months after expiry or 31 December 2026, whichever comes first, or up to 18 months. Check GOV.UK. - Another page notes that a screenshot of your own eVisa is not an accepted proof for someone checking your status.
For the same three days, keep your passport, the visa, the tenancy or booking confirmation and the insurance in one place.
Week 1: National Insurance, GP and a phone
A National Insurance number is the number for tax and benefits, and an employer will ask for it. - You can apply only when you are in the UK, and the online application is started once an address is recorded, according to one guide. Do it in the first week. - Processing, according to the same guide, is about 4 weeks. Another guide says you can work for up to 12 weeks without a number or with a temporary reference. These are single adviser pages, so ask the employer what they accept. - Evidence may include proof of address and of your right to work or look for work. - Register with a GP. Registration is free and in England it cannot be refused for lack of ID, proof of address or immigration status, according to NHS England guidance reported in the press and to Doctors of the World. A temporary address, even the surgery's address, can be used. We did not find the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. - Buy a SIM. We found no sourced rules on SIM registration in the UK.
The Immigration Health Surcharge and what the NHS gives you
Most visa holders pay the surcharge with the visa application, and guides say that entitles them to NHS treatment on the same basis as residents. One page gives GBP 1,035 per adult a year, and other pages give other figures, so check the current rate on GOV.UK. - A health and care worker visa and their dependants are exempt. - A visa of 6 months or less does not generally give free NHS treatment beyond what is free for everyone. - Dental and optical care are charged separately to most people, including visa holders. - If a surgery refuses to register you, guides suggest contacting NHS England.
Our article on health insurance after a move explains private cover and what to ask for.
Weeks 2 to 4: the bank account and proof of address
Banks in the UK ask for proof of address, and guides say that no traditional bank opens an account without it, and the list of accepted documents differs by bank. - Typical proof is a tenancy agreement, a utility bill or a bank letter dated recently. Some banks accept a wider range, for example a letter from a university. Monzo and HSBC International are named by guides for newcomers. - One blog says Russian residents need a minimum deposit of GBP 250,000 for non-resident accounts. This is one commercial page and we could not verify it, so ask the bank directly. - Many guides say a UK address is the first step, so plan a short lease or an arranged address before the bank. - Banks also run source-of-funds checks. Read our notes on bank checks for Russian citizens in the EU and the resident bank account.
We did not find sourced information on council tax registration, a driving licence exchange, school admissions or utilities contracts, so we do not describe them. For driving see the driving licence notes.
Deadlines and fines: a short list
- The share code: generate a fresh one before a landlord or a bank check, because validity is 30 or 90 days depending on the page.
- The National Insurance number: apply in the first week and expect about 4 weeks.
- GP registration: free, no deadline, but do it in the first weeks so that you have a doctor when you need one.
- The visa end date: put it in your calendar and start any extension in time.
We found no sourced fines for the first 30 days.
What we could not confirm
We did not find a GOV.UK page for the share code validity, the current Immigration Health Surcharge rate, the deadline for using an expired BRP or the National Insurance timeline. We also did not find the GP rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the council tax steps, the driving licence rules, the SIM rules or the costs of anything. We did not research the visa routes for Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh or Ukrainian passports. The sections above say so each time, so ask the office, your adviser or your bank. See also our general first 30 days abroad checklist and the best areas to buy property in the UK.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for a plastic card and not creating the online account and the share code.
- Giving a landlord or a bank an expired share code or a screenshot instead of a fresh code.
- Applying for the National Insurance number late and assuming it arrives in days.
- Not registering with a GP until you are ill, and then being surprised by the wait.
- Opening a bank account application before you have an address or a proof of address.
- Assuming that buying a home gives a right to live in the UK, see tax residency when relocating for the tax side.
One-page checklist
- Before you travel: the visa, the surcharge paid, the insurance.
- Days 1 to 3: the eVisa account, a share code, the address.
- Week 1: the National Insurance application, the GP, a SIM.
- Weeks 2 to 4: the bank account with proof of address, the share code renewed.
- Always: check GOV.UK, not a forum.
FAQ
Do I get a plastic residence card in the UK now? Sources say biometric residence permits have been replaced by eVisas, and you prove your status online with a share code from the GOV.UK service. The dates of the change differ across pages, so check GOV.UK.
How long is a share code valid? Sources disagree: some say 90 days, others 30 days. Generate a new code before you give it to a landlord, an employer or a bank.
Can I register with a GP without proof of address? NHS England guidance, as reported, says a practice should not refuse registration for lack of ID, proof of address or immigration status in England. A temporary address can be used. We did not find the rules for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
How long does a National Insurance number take? One guide says about 4 weeks, and another says you can work for up to 12 weeks without a number. These are single adviser pages, so ask your employer what they accept.
Does buying a flat in the UK give me a visa? No. Our guides on buying in the UK describe the market and the costs, not a route to residence. Check the visa routes on GOV.UK or with a regulated adviser.