Frequently Asked Questions about the United Kingdom
Where can I meet up with other expats?
There are obviously many ways of meeting people, both locals and people from your home country. One is to visit www.meetup.com/cities/gb and www.gumtree.co.uk and explore the numerous links there. Another option is to get hold of the free weekly expat publication TNT.
I don’t want to live in London; what other UK cities should I consider?
Other cities popular with expats are Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, and Edinburgh. It really depends on your field of work: engineering and agriculture jobs are available throughout the UK; finance and media opportunities are concentrated in London.
How safe is the UK?
Serious, violent crime is unusual and normally constitutes front page news. Petty crime such as housebreaking and muggings are common in economically deprived areas of the larger cities. Road safety is far superior to continental Europe and fatalities are rare.
How bad is the weather, really?
Weather is the number one grievance expats report after living in the UK for one year or more. The winter months, which run from November to April, are gloomy and cold, and seem to last longer than they should. Summers can be glorious, although as cricket spectators can testify, rain is a common enough occurrence.
