HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU NEED TO MOVE TO ENGLAND?

How much money do you need to move to England?

 There are numerous costs associated with moving to another country and careful planning on finances must be considered in advance before committing to teaching in England.

Let’s take a look at the more significant costs involved in travelling to England. Please note that these figures are accurate as of August 2020.

Visa costs

Whether you are arriving in England through a Tier 5 YMS, Ancestry or Sponsorship visa, there will be varying costs involved. If you’re lucky enough to hold a British passport then no visa fees will apply!  Please click here  for more information on which visa you are likely to enter the UK on.

Tier 5 – Youth Mobility Scheme Visa (2 year visa) www.gov.uk/tier-5-youth-mobility

£1164 – this includes £244 for the visa and £940 for the Healthcare Surcharge (£470 per year)

Ancestry Visa (up to a 5 year visa) www.gov.uk/ancestry-visa

Up to £2516 – this includes £516 for the visa and up to £2000 for the Healthcare Surcharge (£400 per year)

Please note: You have the option to have a shorter visa and therefore less costs in Healthcare Surcharge.

Tier 2 Sponsorship / work permit (up to 3 year visa) – Shortage Occupation (Maths, Science, Computer Science Teachers) – www.gov.uk/tier-2-general

Up to £2336 – this includes £464 for the visa and £1872 for the Healthcare Surcharge (£624 per year)

Please note: You have the option to have a shorter visa and therefore less costs in Healthcare Surcharge. A one year sponsorship visa is recommended initially which would cost £864 in total.

Tier 2 Sponsorship / work permit (up to 3 years) – General (all other secondary subjects)

Up to £2482 – this includes £610 for the visa and £1872 for the Healthcare Surcharge (£624 per year)

Please note: You have the option to have a shorter visa and therefore less costs in Healthcare Surcharge. A one year sponsorship visa is recommended initially which would cost £1234 in total.

It’s very important to understand that the costs outlined here are per person. Any dependents such as husband/wife/partner/children (must be under 18 to class as a dependent) will be subject to the exact same costs.

Flights

The cost of your flight to England could vary greatly dependent on where you are flying from. 

Luggage Costs and Travel Insurance

Travel insurance can be purchased at a very reasonable price these days. We recommend that you get it as part of your flight.

With long haul flights increasingly now charging baggage costs on top of the flight, it’s important to pack as modestly as you can. 2 large bags (23kg max) plus your cabin bag should be more than enough for the trip. Pack smartly and sensibly thinking about what you really need to take with you!

Accommodation costs

You’ll need to budget for the first 4-6 weeks potentially, especially if you are working on a permanent contract through the school and are paid at the end of every month.

As a long term supply teacher you are paid weekly so you are more likely to see an earlier pay check.

Accommodation costs can of course vary dependent on where you are living and whether you are living alone or as part of a house/flat share.

Monthly rental costs could be £400 – £800 a month (bills included). This is based on a house share. If you decide to live alone, it could be somewhere between £700 – £1000 a month and even more in London!

You may then need to pay a deposit up front which is usually the same as the month’s rent and is paid back upon vacating the property.

There are however some very good options for house-sharing on www.spareroom.co.uk that don’t always require a deposit.

You will also need to consider costs for initial accommodation like an AirBnB / Bed & Breakfast / Hotel upon your arrival to England. This temporary accommodation serves as a base in which to go out and view longer term accommodation allowing you to see it in person before you decide if you want to live there. We ideally recommend teachers adopt this method so they can get a real feel for the area they are moving to when considering transport connections, amenities and commute to school. 

Food costs

Grocery/supermarket shopping is very reasonably priced in England compared to other western countries! Look out for well-known supermarket chains such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco, ASDA, Morrison’s, Aldi and Lidl. For more up-market supermarket chains, Waitrose and M&S are considered the highest in quality but more expensive.

TOTAL COSTS

Dependent on all the factors such as visa, flight and accommodation, we’d recommend you set aside anywhere from £3000 – £4000 in total. The more the better of course!

This total amount should factor in all of the following; Flight, visa, luggage, initial travel in England, short term accommodation, first month’s rent, deposit and food.