General Information

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island is the wonderful union of the individual countries of England, Scotland and Wales and the region of Northern Ireland. London is UK's capital city and its major languages are English, Welsh and the Scottish form of Gaelic.

Money Matters
The national currency in the UK is the British Pound (sometimes referred to as "Sterling"), which converts into other currencies at roughly these rates:
1,000 British Pound = 1,585 Euro
1,000 British Pound = 81,220 Philippine Peso

The pound (£) is made up of 100 pence (p). The most common coins in circulation are of 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 and £2.

Weather Conditions
Weather in UK is moderated by the prevailing southwest winds off the North Atlantic: winters are mild and summers cool, with numerous overcast days. Rain is evenly divided throughout the year.

Food
Britain’s well-loved fast food is fish and chips and curry is its most popular meal. Tea is the most popular drink in Britain, in fact, far more popular than coffee.

Government
Britain is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional Monarch. The House of Commons and the House of Lords, together with the Monarch, make up Parliament. Parliament passes laws, approves taxation and debates the major issues of the day. The Prime Minister heads the Government and appoints Ministers, who head individual Government departments.

Society
UK's population is very diverse - you'll find people of all ages, cultures and styles of dress living on the same streets and using the same transport. There are many different communities of people originating from countries all over the world, and also regional differences within the UK, particularly between the South East and the rest of the country.

Cost of Living
Salary in the UK is higher compared to what Filipinos normally receive in the Philippines. Cost of living, however, is more expensive. As such, food and accommodation prices are but in line with the money a British employee earns. The only thing that makes the big difference is when the worker sends or spends his/her money in the Philippines. Starting salary for Filipina nurses in London, news revealed, is Php 80,000 per month which is very high as compared to what our local nurses receive.

To newcomers, it is a must to know that housing and living costs vary by region. They are generally higher in southern England and significantly higher in London. Typically, prices are lower across Northern England and the Midlands.

Accommodation options include renting or buying property, but with UK property prices very high at present, renting is probably the more accessible option.

Off to UK

Visa
Non-British citizens need an entry clearance prior to traveling to the UK. Entry clearance is the formal term to describe the application process for visa nationals who wish to travel to the United Kingdom and for non-visa nationals who intend a longer stay or to settle in the UK. The entry clearance certificate, more commonly called a visa, is placed in your passport or travel document.

An entry clearance officer at a British mission overseas is the person in charge of this matter. He decides on the applicant's qualification for entry. Strict rules and procedures are observed for this process.

The following are the requirements for visa application:

• accomplished visa application form. Downloadable forms are available
  here
   
• valid passport or travel document
   
• two recent passport-sized photographs
   
• visa fee
   
• any supporting documents requested in the guidance note

Please observe the following before submitting your application:

• answer all the required questions on the form(s)
   
• sign and date the form(s) where asked
   
• any supporting documents to show that the required documents are originals or attested copies
   
• application should be in good time, but not normally more than three months before you plan to travel, unless you are applying for settlement

A visa applicant should submit such documents to the UK Mission in the country where he/she is a legal resident. This is particularly important if he/she is applying to stay in the UK for a long time or for settlement. The visa office may not accept application if the applicant is staying only temporarily in the country where he/she applies from.

Besides visa, non-British nationals wanting to work in the UK are required to obtain a work permit.

The Work Permit
A work permit relates to a specific individual and a particular job. The work permit scheme enables UK employers to recruit or transfer key personnel from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) while safeguarding the interests of the resident labor force in the UK. Work permits are issued by Work Permits (UK), part of the Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Directorate. It may also be issued to overseas nationals to enable them to come to the UK for training or work experience.

There are four types of work permit: first is the ordinary work permit, also used for the Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES); second is the Multiple Entry Work Permit; third is the letter of approval used in place of individual work permits when a large group of persons (20 or more) are travelling together; and last is the Sectors Based Work Permit Scheme.

Interested workers cannot apply directly for a work permit. This has to be done on the worker's behalf by an employer in the UK. The employer should submit the completed application form at least eight weeks in advance of the date they require the worker to start work.

Please remember that an applicant cannot travel to the UK before the work permit has been issued. If he/she arrives in the UK without a work permit to take up a job that requires one, he/she will be refused admission.

For details and inquiries, you may contact:

The British Embassy, Manila
Trunk Line: (63) (2) 816 7116
Office Hours:
8:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday to Thursday
8:00 am - 2:00 pm - Friday
General E-mail: uk@info.com.ph
Visa Trunk Line: (63) (2) 816 7271–72
Fax: (63) (2) 810 2745