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Inside
London
Chapter 3 - The Move
3.1
Pre-Arrival Requirements
3.2
Health Regulations
3.3
Importing your Car
3.4
Importing your Pet
3.5
Customs and Excise
3.6
Air Freight
3.7
Sea Freight
3.8
On Arrival
3.1
Pre-Arrival Requirements
Since Outpost London deals with non-contractual
questions, we suggest you contact your HR Services
Transfer Advisor on any matters relating to your
pre-arrival requirements. The advisor will deal with
your contractual arrangements during your pre-arrival,
your stay and your departure from England. Please
contact Outpost London to familiarise yourself with the
schooling and housing situation in London and
surroundings. Below you will find a brief summery
of what you may expect of your pre-arrival requirements.
3.1.1. Passports
To enter the UK, you and members of your family who
travel with you must have valid passports and visas
where required. Some countries will allow young children
to be included on a parent’s passport.
National Identity Cards for citizens of the European
Economic Area (EEA) are also acceptable but it should be
noted that travel outside the EEA on leave or business
may be restricted if you do not have a full passport.
3.1.2. Visas
The
permission for an employee to enter and work in the UK
is conferred by a UK Immigration or Consular officer,
who, following the issue of a Work Permit, may issue to
the employee a suitable visa.
Your HR Advisor or
representative should help you through the process of
obtaining a visa.
Liaise with the British Consulate in your base country
if you need a visa to enter the UK or visit the UK visa
website
www.ukvisas.gov.uk and fill in the questionnaire.
You will also be able to find any other relevant
questions about visas on this website.
3.1.3. Work-Permits
The
UK host company will obtain a work permit for the
expatriate employee whose base country is outside the
European Economic Area (EEA).
Spouse and dependant
children under 18 of work permit holders and those
Commonwealth citizens given leave to enter the UK, do
not require a work permit. Leave to remain in the UK
will be on the same basis as the landing conditions
existing in the permit holder’s passport.
Citizens of the member
countries of the EEA and Switzerland have free access to
enter the UK, take up work, study and claim state
benefits.
If you want more
information on work permits visit
www.workingintheuk.gov.uk or
www.ukimmigration.com.
3.1.4 Other
Documents
Other useful documents
to carry with you are: documents or emails sent to you
confirming your assignment, current driver’s licence,
children’s immunisation booklets, marriage certificate,
birth certificates, documents and letters pertaining to
your financial history, no-claim letter for car/home
contents insurance, legal documents.
3.2
Health Regulations
No vaccination
certificates are required for entry into the UK from any
country except for travellers arriving from an area of
yellow fever infection. Persons not appearing to be in
good health may be required to undergo a medical prior
to entry.
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3.3.
Importing your Car
A vehicle that is
permanently imported for use in Great Britain must be
registered and taxed as soon as possible after it
arrives in the country. The vehicle should not be used
or kept on public roads until the registration and
vehicle tax formalities have been completed.
Requirements will vary
depending on the age of the vehicle, whether it is being
imported from inside or outside the EU, etc. For more
details visit
www.direct.gov.uk/motoring and click on ‘Buying and
Selling A Vehicle’ followed by ‘Importing and Exporting
a Vehicle’.
To apply to register
your vehicle visit your nearest Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency (DVLA) on
www.dvla.gov.uk/contactus/localoffices.aspx .
3.4
Importing your Pet
The Pet Travel Scheme
(PETS) is the system that allows pet dogs, cats and
ferrets from certain countries to enter the UK without
quarantine as long as they meet the rules. The rules are
to keep the UK free from rabies and certain other
diseases.
It also explains the requirements for bringing many
other types of pet animals into the UK.
Animals that meet the
PETS’s rules can enter (or re-enter) the UK without
having to undergo six months quarantine. Animals that do
not meet all the rules must be licensed into quarantine.
They might then be able to obtain early release if they
can be shown to comply with the necessary PETS
requirements.
For more information
and for the procedures to be carried out visit
www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/PETS/index.htm.
Pet Travel Scheme
Helpline 0870 241 1710 or from outside the UK +44 (0)20
72386951.
3.5
Customs and Excise
When you travel into
the UK there are rules about what goods you can bring
with you without paying duty or VAT. Some goods are also
banned or restricted by law. For more details visit
‘Information for Travellers’ under the ‘Travel Home
Page’
www.hmrc.gov.uk .
The Company will only
reimburse import duties and tax incurred on normal
household and personal effects but not on such items as
wines, spirits, tobacco, jewellery or luxury household
items.
3.6 Air
Freight
For the latest
information on what you can take in your hand luggage
check with your airline. If you have children, you may
want to bring car seats/booster seats, because you are
required by law to use appropriate child restraints for
children until either they reach the age of twelve or
are at least 1.35 meters in height, whichever comes
first. However, the seats need to comply with the UK
safety regulations for child car seats. For information,
see: www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/childcarseats/childcarseats.htm.
3.7 Sea
Freight
The Company supports
the movement of personal effects within defined limits.
The policy concerns expatriates moving their household
and personal effects during expatriation, repatriation,
on re-assignment and during leave. You should plan
on the basis that sea-freight from outside Europe can
take up to three months to reach its destinations.
Please contact your HR Advisor for more details.
3.8 On
Arrival
Contact your HR
Advisor to make arrangements for transport from the
airport to your initial accommodation.
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Please note:
Outpost London deals solely with
enquiries from Shell employees and their families, worldwide.
Although every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy, Outpost London cannot assume responsibility for errors in the
information included in this guide.
All rights reserved,
including the right to translate or to reproduce this
guide or any part of it in any form or by any
techniques, without the written permission of Outpost
London.
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