Tips When Moving To South Africa From The UK

South Africa has a lot of British nationals because of the cost of living, climate, environment, and amazing wildlife and cities. Since its area is a lot bigger than the UK, more expats are considering moving to South Africa from the UK. With its diverse culture, South Africa is one of the best places to migrate if you are planning to have new experiences. Since English is also one of the major languages spoken, the language barrier will not be a problem.

If you are a UK citizen planning to visit South Africa, you can enjoy 90 days without a visa as long as you have proof that you can financially support your stay. You only need to present your bank statements or any proof of your income. But if you are planning to move permanently, you need to apply for a visa or permanent residence permit. Some people seek help from a lawyer for immigration to make the visa application smooth and fast.

Things You Need To Know Before Moving To South Africa

People from South Africa speak almost 11 languages, one of which is English. If you are living in the city or working at a big company, most people will be speaking in English. However, it is not spoken that much when you come to rural areas.

If you are planning to move to South Africa, it is important which language dominates your chosen area and learn it before moving. Its culture, etiquette, and beliefs may differ from one area to another and may be surprising for someone who does not know anything about South Africa.

When you move to South Africa, the cost of living will never be a problem. If you are still earning your UK salary, commodities and other needs are slightly expensive. South Africa’s GDP has increased which means the inflation rate has decreased, making the cost of living quite low for some time.

Africa is known to be the shelter of rich wildlife. Its national parks have a lot of lions, elephants, eagles, and cheetahs. Once you have moved to the continent, make sure to visit the wildlife parks to experience the safari that made South Africa a good place to live in.

Another thing to know is South Africa has underfunded healthcare. If you got sick or needed immediate health attention, you may experience inconvenience due to the lack of staff and facilities every hospital has. Because of its poor healthcare, the infant and mother mortality rate is high.

Tips When Moving To South Africa

Get advice early due to tax periods

Before you plan your trip, ask a professional before you finalize your date of migration. South Africa and the UK have different tax calendars so you must know when will be the right time to move to South Africa to make it more efficient. However, a split-year treatment can be applied under different circumstances. With this, you will be able to split the UK tax year and the South Africa tax year.

Prepare your visa or residence permit

If you are just visiting South Africa for less than 90 days, you do not need to apply for a visa. But if it is longer than 90 days, you need to apply for a residence permit.

You may start applying for a temporary residence visa which can allow you to work and stay for three years. Once it expires, you may apply for a permanent residence visa. The temporary residence visa includes a relative visa and the work visa. As long as you have a relative who is a permanent resident or a South African resident, you can apply for the relative visa provided that you have proof to support your stay. If you are a skilled worker without any relatives to sponsor you, you can apply for the general work visa as long as you can provide a clean criminal record and proof of finances.

Prepare your medical exams

Since healthcare services are limited in South Africa, you need to make sure that you are not suffering from any health problems. A blood test and a doctor’s report are needed to ensure that you are healthy as you enter South Africa.

During your stay in South Africa, it is recommended to get private health insurance to make sure that you will be attended to in a hospital in case you need it.

Conclusion

South Africa has a lot to offer foreigners. With its exquisite and abundant nature, expats will not have a hard time adjusting. It is also easy for UK residents to get a permanent residency visa as long as the documents are complete.