Moving to London with a family in less than three months: what you need to arrange

Moving to London with a family in less than three months: what you need to arrange

It’s probably been a long time in the making, but suddenly there are less than three months before your big move to London. You might be on the home straight, but don’t ease off the gas yet – there’s still a lot to organise.

Whether you’re moving alone or with your young family, there are elements of your relocation – both big and small – that need planning or arranging now to ensure a smooth transition.

What you’ll learn in this quick guide

• UK visa processing times
• How to search for a property before you move to London
• How to search for a school for your child before you move to London
• The essentials you can and can’t arrange before moving to London

Immigration: the unavoidable first step

If you need a visa to move to London, now is the time to start the process – or earlier depending on your circumstances. Let’s look at the average processing times for common UK visas when applying from outside the UK from the moment you submit your application online:

• Work visas (working for an overseas business, skilled worker, healthcare worker, temporary work, start a business): 3 weeks
• Family visas (partner or spouse, parent, child): 12 weeks
• Study visas: 3 weeks

And remember: you won’t be able to rent a property if you haven’t been granted the right to reside in the UK – i.e. you don’t have the necessary visa.

Your home search: viewing trip or online?

Your approach to your home search will depend on whether you’re visiting London before moving.

If possible, plan a physical orientation/viewing trip to London. This will allow you to immerse yourself in the neighbourhoods you have researched and attend property viewings, rather than relying on images and descriptions online. Empowered to make informed decisions, you might even secure your ideal home during the trip, making the settling-in process more straightforward.

If you won’t be in London until you move, you can research neighbourhoods online and search for properties using online portals. By working in partnership with a forward-thinking relocation agency like Simply London, you can explore potential properties from the comfort of your sofa thanks to our convenient virtual viewings service – this presents you with three options: we can provide pre-recorded videos of properties you’d like to view, we can arrange for a live viewing with the agent via video, or we can view properties on your behalf and provide feedback.

School search: state or private?

If your children are moving to London with you, their schooling will be one of the most important things to arrange – and that search must start now, whether you want them to have a state or private education.

State schools

Start the state school search immediately but understand that you can only apply once you have proof of your residential address in London. Your address will also dictate which schools you can apply for, as state schools in the UK typically operate a catchment area system.

If you have already secured a home, you can start looking at schools your property falls within the catchment of – including researching their Ofsted ranking and date of inspection.

Private schools

Private schools are self-governing, so you won’t have to follow the same rigid admissions rules as their state contemporaries – therefore, you don’t need a UK address to apply. Start your search immediately, so you can apply before you move to London. If you’re visiting London for an orientation/viewing trip, you can arrange visits to these schools to get a feel for their culture, facilities and overall suitability.

Many of these institutions are selective, so you might have to factor in your child taking an entrance exam – some schools will let them sit this overseas, either at home or at their current school.

Step by step process: the key to success

With less than three months to go, give yourself the best chance of making your relocation a success by treating it as a methodical step by step process. If you have children, the order you adopt will depend on whether you want them to attend a state of private school:

• State school: the visa first, the home search second, the school search third.
• Private school: the visa first, the school search second, the home search third.

Use our handy calculator below to work out which school year your child will be due to attend in London:

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What is your child's age on August 31st 2025 (31/08/2025) exactly?123456789101112131415161718

Calculate which school year your child will be in

Your child will be going to nursery in school year 2026/2027, and start school at reception in school year 2027/2028

Your child will be going to nursery in school year 2025/2026, and start school at reception in school year 2026/2027

Your child will be going to nursery in school year 2024/2025, and start school at reception in school year 2025/2026

Your child will be going to Reception in school year 2024/2025, and Year 1 in the school year 2025/2026.

For the school year 2025/2026 your child will be in Year:

For the school year 2026/2027 your child will be in Year:

Your child will be going to university or into work, or anything that he/she might want to do 🙂

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The settling-in process

If you’ve already managed to find somewhere to live, you can help lay the foundation for a seamless settling-in process by setting up utilities like electricity, gas, water, and internet, so everything’s ready when you walk through the door in a few weeks.

Essentials like arranging a bank account and registering with a doctor – which automatically registers you with the NHS – require you to have proof of address, such as a utility bill or council tax. However, banks have become more flexible regarding what documents they will accept as proof of address, meaning you might be able to open a bank account before you arrive.

FAQs

• How long will my UK visa application take? This depends on the type of visa you’re applying for: work, family or study.
• Can I apply for a place at a state school for my child before moving to London? No, you will need proof of a UK address before applying for a place at a state school.
• Can I apply for a place at a private school for my child before moving to London? Yes, you can apply for a place at a private school from overseas.
• Can I arrange a UK bank account before moving to London? You typically need proof of a UK address before applying for a UK bank account, but some banks might be more flexible with the required documentation.
• Can I register with a doctor before moving to London? No, you will need proof of a UK address before you can register with a doctor.

Resources

• Read about the UK visa application processing times
• Find out the latest immigration information
• Find the local schools in your catchment area with the Simply London Schools Map

Consult with Simply London

A Simply London relocation package is tailored to remove the stress from your move to London – before, during and after. Inform us what aspects you need assistance with and let us take care of the rest, so you can concentrate on enjoying this life-enhancing experience. Our comprehensive services include: visas, home search, school search, settling-in and family orientation.  Contact us today to find out more.

Article written 8th October 2024