Get a phone

Setting up your phonelines can be a stressful experience but do your research and you can get a good deal to suit your calling needs.

"Signing up for a mobile plan can be fraught with dangers but is a cheaper option"

When you first land you will generally be in a share house, which usually have a communal phone where you can use international phone cards on to call home. International calling cards start at about £30 and gives you up to 600 minutes talk time to other landlines back home. If you call mobiles using the calling cards expect that time to be around the 100-minute mark. You simply need to call a local number, punch in the code on the card and the phone number including international dialling code and off you go.

If you've set up home by yourself you will need to go through someone like British Telecom (BT) to set up a phone line. Shop around because you can usually get a home phone and wireless internet in a package deal. You can also get a better deal on calling from your landline phone internationally.

A landline costs about £40 per month for line rental only.

Mobiles
Mobile phone plans are notoriously hard to get so it is generally advisable to go for a pay-as-you-go option when you first get here just so you have a number for prospective employers to call. Unfortunately this option can work out to be quite expensive. Signing up for a plan can be fraught with dangers but is a cheaper option.

If you do apply for a phone plan and are knocked back, some companies will not allow you to re-apply for up to six months so check with the service provider or dealer before you go ahead.

Also, because you don't have a credit history in the UK you will usually have to pay a deposit (up to £100).