Moving to Scotland from India: A Complete Guide

Planning to move to Scotland? There can’t be a better time! With Brexit, the demand for skilled workers has increased by leaps and bounds. Progressive work culture, excellent public transportation, free healthcare, revered universities, friendly locals, breathtaking scenery, and an engrossing history…could there be more reasons for moving to Scotland? Read our post to find out visa requirements for Indians.

SCOTLAND | THE UNITED KINGDOM

Scotland is captivating: the scenery is wild, the cities are multicultural, and the whisky memorable. It wasn’t where we thought (or, planned) to move to but in May, our plans and the plans of other people and destiny and a gazillion moving parts of the universe converged in a way that suddenly, at the end of June, we were applying for visas and packing our bags over continents and oceans to this small nation crammed with beauty. We arrived in August, I on a skilled worker visa and Aninda on a student visa, to start our lives again, afresh. We have hardly stepped outside of Edinburgh but this city, with its bookshops and endless walks, has enraptured us.

This post isn’t so much about the move as it is about the logistics of the move. Like India, the United Kingdom can often seem like a land of endless paperwork and bureaucracy, and guidelines that keep changing, especially during the pandemic. This list isn’t exhaustive but we hope that it can help you plan your move and settle down in the land of tartan and whisky.

Moving to Scotland

Moving to Scotland: Planning
- Applying for a UK Visa
- Living Costs in Scotland
Moving to Scotland: Before Traveling
Moving to Scotland: After Arriving

DISCLAIMER: This guide sums up all the processes that we followed when moving to Scotland from India. Every case is different and you may not have to go through all the hoops that we had to. Immigration can be complicated and we cannot provide legal advice. If your situation is complex or when in doubt, it is best to hire a solicitor who will help you navigate the many loops.

Booking your trip via the links on this page will earn us a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support – Mohana & Aninda.

Moving to Scotland: Planning

Applying for a UK Visa

To move to Scotland, you will need a visa. Though Scotland has a devolved government, immigration is in the reserved list. Therefore, there are no Scottish visas. To come to Scotland, you must apply for a UK visa. The UK offers various types of visas to Indian passport holders. Your individual circumstance will determine your visa type.

TO WORK

If you intend to work in Scotland, you will most likely need to apply for and get a UK Skilled Worker visa.

NOTE: The Scale-up Worker visa is a new visa introduced in 2022 that allows you to come to the UK to do an eligible job for a fast-growing UK business. For more information, see this page. Medical professionals may be eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa.

In most cases, your employer will sponsor your UK visa from India. The UK government website says that to qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you must:

work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
be paid a minimum salary – how much depends on the type of work you do

NOTE: Some work visas may require proof of English language. See this page for more information.

TO STUDY

You will need a student visa to study in the UK. Your university’s website should have detailed information on the visa process.

After the course, you may be able to switch to a Graduate visa that gives you permission to stay in the UK for at least two years after successfully completing a course in the UK.

Visa Processing Time

You have to upload your documents and appear for biometrics at your nearest visa application centre. The standard time for visa processing is 15 working days. Priority processing is five working days but there is no guarantee, especially in busier times of the year. There is also a super-priority which is available at limited centres.

You will receive a decision letter from UKVI (a public service portal providing information for UK visas and immigration) informing you of their decision. If your application is successful, the vignette will be on your passport. Note that you must enter the UK within the date on your vignette; if you fail to do so, you have to contact the local UKVI. If you are moving to Scotland on a skilled worker visa, you can arrive in the country no earlier than 14 days before you start working.

Living Costs in Scotland

NOTE: The information in this section is specific to Edinburgh.

Budgeting for living costs is another crucial piece to consider when moving to Scotland. Edinburgh is the second most expensive city in the UK. And rents are exorbitant, especially in the city centre. Your budget will depend on your lifestyle, of course but don’r be disheartened as there are lots of free things to do in Edinburgh. Other cities, like Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, and Inverness, are considerably less expensive than Edinburgh.

Can I buy a house in the UK on a Skilled Worked Visa? (2024)

Yes you can buy a house while on a skilled worker visa. If you can pay at least a 25% deposit, you will have choices in terms of a lender. Otherwise, if you are looking for at least a 90% LTV, you must fulfill one of two criteria: (a) Have been resident in the UK for a minimum of 2 years and have at least a year remaining on your visa, (b) Earn upwards of £100,000 annually. Even if you tick all the boxes, the final decision totally depends on mortgage lenders.

Moving to Scotland: Before Traveling

Booking Flight Tickets

Non-stop flights connect many Indian cities to Heathrow and you can also book an onward ticket to your preferred airport in Scotland. Most flights to Edinburgh and Glasgow via Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Paris, and Amsterdam are available from Delhi and Mumbai. Due to restrictions for Covid, a limited number of flights are available from India to the UK.

If you fly into Heathrow, you can travel to Scotland either by plane, train, or coach. Flights are also available from Gatwick and London City airports. We flew from Kolkata to Heathrow, then rode the LNER train from King’s Cross station to Edinburgh Waverly. If you don’t have too many bags, consider taking the tube to St. Pancras; it is cheap (£3 to £5) and takes about an hour to reach London. Cabs can charge around £100 depending on the time of the day.

HOW TO FIND CHEAP TRAIN TICKETS IN THE UK: We always buy our train tickets on Trainline who offer a split fare option that shows you the cheapest fare on any route. We also buy an annual railcard to shave off 1/3 of your ticket fare on every journey!

Packing your Bags

Food

Don’t be tempted to bring a year’s supply of your favourite snacks! Scotland is a multicultural country and chances are you can shop for things from anywhere in the world in most of the big cities. Specialized shops, which you can find in every town and city, cater to the diaspora. We have pretty much found everything in the Indian grocery stores in Edinburgh! Because Indian food is such an integral part of the food scene here, most stores carry quite a large selection of ingredients. Larger grocery chains, like Sainsbury’s or Tesco, also carry a good selection of items from across the globe.

But if you do intend to carry food items– I bought a jar of my father’s mango pickles and a jar of freshly ground garam masala– before you travel, carefully peruse the list of items you can and cannot carry into the UK. Items like rice, milk products (baby food is exempt), and meat are not allowed. Most fruits require a phytosanitary certificate. You can find the complete list here: Bringing Food into Great Britain. Note that Northern Ireland has a separate list.

Clothes

European cities were built for amblers! So, bring a good pair of walking shoes. We aren’t into buying clothes unless we need them, so we brought the clothes we wore to work in India, a few ethnic wear, and whatever few woolen garments we had. We bought two new pairs of jeans. Winter garments are best bought in the UK unless you are coming from a place that sees really cold winters. If you love thrifting, there are charity shops here. They are not as overwhelming as Goodwill in the US but if you are a determined thrifter, you will find some amazing pieces. We got a winter jacket for only 20 quids! You will also need a rain jacket and boots. And hats and scarves and gloves! Perhaps a snow boot depending on where you are.

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Electronics

Bring only necessities and do not forget to bring an adapter when you are moving to Scotland from India. The plug type here is G, which is the plug that has three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern. Scotland, like the rest of the UK, operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz. Adapters are available in local stores and also at IKEA.

Money

NOTE: You can only carry up to USD 10,000 out of India in cash and/or traveler cheques.

Most folks rely on credit cards; we do not have credit cards. We got Forex cards, one each from Axis Bank and ICICI Bank, and loaded them with GBP. We were able to pay at most places with these cards. Charges we paid: a one-time fee for the card and a currency conversion fee when loading the card. Both banks allow you to load your card using the mobile app.

We also bought some pound sterling before traveling and carried them with us. Both credit cards and Forex cards charge an exorbitant fee if you withdraw cash from an ATM abroad. Remember that it is cheaper to exchange in Indian banks; rates are higher at airports and UK currency exchange shops.

ICICI Bank also allows account holders to create an account with their UK subsidiary while they are still in India. We have not used this facility, but you can reach out to your nearest branch for more information.

We use Wise to transfer money from the UK to India. Transfer is exceptionally fast and the money is deposited in our Indian accounts in less than an hour! Besides, Wise offers the best GBP to INR exchange rates.

Moving to Scotland: After Arriving

In most cases, you will either fly into Glasgow or Edinburgh airport. Most flights from India to Scotland have a transit in either Doha, London, Frankfurt, or Zurich. In 2021, there were covid restrictions on Indian travellers, so we flew into London, then travelled by an LNER train to Edinburgh Waverly from King’s Cross (Heathrow to King’s Cross by taxi). In Edinburgh, you can reach the city on Airlink and Skylink buses or ride the tram. Taxis are always available.

Finding Accommodation

If you are moving to Scotland from India, chances are your employer will provide temporary accommodation for a certain period of time (usually 2 weeks to 1 month). If not, book a hotel. We use Booking.com to book aparthotels for their excellent deals and free cancellation options. Use this time to find a place to live.

Start by looking up websites like Zoopla, Rightmove, and OpenRent. Set up search filters to match your requirements. Set up alerts. As soon as you get a new alert, call the property manager or the owner and schedule a viewing. If it is a particularly busy time of the year, you may notice that available viewing slots are booked within minutes of the property becoming available; don’t be disappointed, just wait for the next one. Note that almost all places will require you to come for an in-person viewing before you can actually submit an application.

Once you bag a viewing, view the property. If you like it, express your interest immediately and submit an application. If it goes through and the owners are happy to have you as tenants, you will be required to pay a deposit. In Scotland, all deposits are held by three tenancy deposit schemes, and the amount that can be charged as a deposit cannot be more than two months’ rent. Sign the contract, pay the first month’s rent, and move in!

TIP: When you are budgeting for rent in cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh, don’t forget about the council tax. The amount will depend on the council tax band that the property is in. In Edinburgh, you can pay annually or in monthly or quarterly installments. If you are a full-time student, you can get a student discount; reach out to your university for details.

Opening a Bank Account

In Scotland, you must have two documents to open a bank account: identity proof and address proof. All banks will have a detailed list of which documents they accept. Chances are as a new immigrant to the country, you do not have proof of address. Ask your employer for a letter explaining that you are an employee and that you are living in temporary accommodation. Most high-street banks like Barclays, HSBC, and Bank of Scotland will accept it. If you are a student, your university will issue you a similar letter. If this does not work, try opening an account with an online bank like Monzo or Revolut. Some online banks like Starling will also ask for proof of address.

Collecting your Biometric Resident Permit (BRP)

You will have to collect your BRP from a post office. When filling up your visa application, you have to submit the address of your preferred post office. After arriving in Scotland, visit the post office with your passport and the decision letter from UKVI and get your BRP. The decision letter will contain information regarding when to pick up your BRP, how long will the post office hold your BRP, etc.

TIP: If you are a student, you may be able to pick up your BRP at the university.

Completing a Police Check

Not everybody requires to complete a police check. Check your decision letter to see if you need one. Instructions will be in the letter.

Choosing an Energy Provider

Energy has become very expensive in the UK in the wake of Covid and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As such it is important that you compare energy providers to get the cheapest deal. We have used Octopus since day 1 and absolutely recommend their service. Customer service is excellent and prices are lower as compared to other providers. If you sign up to Octopus with our referral link, you will get a £50 sign up bonus!

Completing your Right to Work

It is essential that you prove your right to work in the UK to your employer. Your employers should provide you with instructions for this. For details, see Prove Right to Work. Fill up the form with the requested details, then share the final code with your employer.

Submitting the Starter Checklist

To put down the correct tax code for you on the payroll, your employer will require you to complete the started checklist. Print the form, fill it up, and submit it. For details, see Starter Checklist.

Registering with a GP

Once you find a place to live, look up your nearest GPs and register as soon as possible. If the nearest GP cannot accommodate you, try the next one on the list. To register, you must submit your passport or your BRP and complete the required forms. Note that you must register at a dental clinic separately.

TIP: You must register with a dental practice separately. Not all dental practices take NHS patients, so call ahead to enquire.