• Tax Solutions
  • Contractor Accounting
    • Expert Contractor
      Accounting solutions
      and UK Limited
      Company formation
      for contractors aimed
      to maximise earnings.
  • Tax Refund
    • Find out if you are due
      a tax refund today and
      let 1st Contact Tax
      Refunds manage all of
      the admin around
      claiming your tax back.
  • National Insurance Rebate
    • Don’t miss the
      opportunity to claim
      a National Insurance
      Rebate.
  • Umbrella Company
    • Specialist Umbrella
      Payroll and tax
      administration service
      geared towards any
      professional contractor
      living and working
      in the UK.
  • South African Tax
    • SA tax returns,
      income tax and
      accounting solutions for
      individuals living abroad
      (who own South African
      assets) and for South
      Africans planning on
      returning home.
• Foreign Exchange
  • Online Money Transfer
    • Send money online to
      international destinations
      such as South Africa,
      Australia, New Zealand,
      Poland, Europe and
      the USA by using our
      online money transfer
      platform.
  • Travel Money Exchange
    
    
    
    
    
    
    • Purchase travel money
      with ease and secure
      the best exchange rates
      possible.
• Services for Contractors
  • Umbrella Company
    • Specialist contractor
      payroll and tax
      administration solutions
      geared towards any
      professional contractor
      living and working
      in the UK.
  • Contractor Accounting
    • Expert Contractor
      Accounting solutions
      and UK Limited
      Company formation for
      UK based contractors,
      aimed to maximise
      earnings.
  • Limited Company
    
    
    
    • UK Limited Company
      Formation can offer
      one of the most
      tax-efficient structures,
      whilst keeping you in
      full control of your
      financial affairs.
• Financial Services
  • Contractor Accounting
    • Expert Contractor
      Accounting solutions
      and UK Limited
      Company formation for
      contractors aimed to
      maximise earnings.
  • Financial Advice
    • Financial and
      investment advice for
      individuals relocating to
      or from the UK or for
      those currently located
      within the UK.
  • Mortgage Advice
    
    
    
    • UK & International
      Mortgage Advice
      for all property
      and UK mortgage
      related matters.
• Visas & Immigration
  • Visas Overview
    • Get a Free Visa
      Assessment and
      immigration advice
      covering the UK,
      Australia, New Zealand,
      South Africa and
      Canada.
  • UK Visas
    • Our collection of
      Visa and immigration
      services are geared
      towards attaining British
      Citizenship, Indefinite
      Leave to Remain
      and UK Visa types
      such as: Tier 1
      and HSMP.
  • Australian Visas
    • Our Australian migration
      services facilitate the
      possibility to live in
      Australia through a
      collection of relevant
      Australian visa types.
  • South African Visas
    • We have a team of
      consultants dedicated
      to enabling foreign
      nationals to emigrate
      to South Africa
  • New Zealand Visas
    • We have a dedicated
      team of consultants
      and caseworkers who
      specialise in New
      Zealand visas and
      immigration services
  • Canadian Visas
    • We have partnerships
      in place with key
      agencies and Canadian
      employers to help make
      your dreams of living
      and working in Canada
      come true.
  • Travel Vaccinations
    • For the cheapest
      vaccinations and travel
      health information.
  • Travel Insurance
    • Competitive and
      Comprehensive
      Travel Insurance.
• Careers & Relocation
  • UK Kickstart Package
    • Get Kick-started with
      your new life in the
      UK including opening up
      a UK Bank account, NI
      number assistance and
      more - living in London
      has never been easier!
  • Shipping Baggage
    • Shipping excess
      baggage to New
      Zealand, Australia and
      South Africa can be
      simple, efficient and cost
      effective with 1st
      Contact Shipping.
  • Job Assistance
    • Learn more about
      the world of recruitment
      and UK vacancies
      through 1st Contact’s
      free job assistance
      service.
  • The London Guide
    • 1st Contact’s custom
      made London travel
      guide is designed to
      assist you on your
      journey through the
      bustling city of
      London.
  • Relocate to Australia
    • Our Australian migration
      services facilitate the
      possibility to live
      in Australia through a
      collection of relevant
      Australian visa types.
  • UK Skills Shortage List
    • Take advantage of
      the UK skills shortage
      and find out if there
      are any opportunities
      that match your skill
      set today.
  • UK Salary Survey
    • For all job salary
      information, view the
      latest UK salary Survey
      to determine your
      earning potential in
      the UK.
•  

The London Guide

Your big overseas experience

Your adventure starts here! LONDON, QUITE SIMPLY, IS ONE OF THE PLANET’S BEST CITIES. People have been travelling to the English capital in search of opportunity and adventure since the earliest days of its existence and everyone, it seems, finds a little of what they’re searching for in her busy streets. From raw commercial opportunity to no-holds-barred revelry, London is the jumping-off point for a new way of life. You can use the utility below to read our London Guide here or you can download parts of it by using the links lower down on this page. Click here to open the guide in a new window.

Open publication - Free publishing - More travel

Click on the links below to download the eBooklets of the London Guide. Please note: These are PDFs. You can right click (Control click for MAC users) and choose to save a pdf to your computer. Alternatively, if it opens in your browser, you will be able to save it from there for later viewing or printing. If you don't have Adobe Reader on your computer, please go to http://www.adobe.com to download this essential free pdf reader.

Introduction (707 KB): Contents pages and services at a glance. Before you leave (795 KB): Visa options, travel tips and checklists Arriving in London (440 KB): Traveling in the city and the "unwritten" rules. Starting Out (613 KB): Accomodation information. Starting Out - Part 2 (1,232 KB): Trandportation, communication and healthcare information. Your Career (1,267 KB): Job, career and tax assistance. Your Money (1,319 KB): Cost of living, bank accounts and the tax system. Your Money - Part 2 (278 KB): Investments, Accounting, Tax Refunds, NI Rebates and Money Transfers Entertainment (655 KB): Bars, restuarants, clubs. Entertainments - Part 2 (1,196 KB): Cinemas, theatre, live music, shopping, museums and more. Traveling (744 KB): UK travel, European and world travel, travel health and advice. Heading Home (487 KB): Shipping, Money Transfers, Tax Refunds, Job Assistance and Migration. Testimonials (422 KB) Directory of Contacts (120 KB)

The full printed version of the guide is printed in a handbook format. These are available at our free seminars on living and working in London. Seminars happen in major cities in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Keep an eye on our home page and your country specific home page for these events. If you purchase a kickstart package, you will get a London Guide. We can also post you one. Phone us on one of the numbers below or fill in an online enquiry on our contact page. United Kingdom - 080 8141 1659 Australia - 080 8141 1660 New Zealand - 080 8141 1661 South Africa - 080 8141 1662 Phone numbers are free phone within the country stated.