New members of the Scotland forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018

Hi - I'm looking to move to Scotland within the next year. My priority is landing a job in the property industry, more particularly valuation which is my expertise. Looking forward to the move, Scotland is breathtaking

Hi,

I'm a  french student and I just settled in Greenock only a few days ago. I'll be there for 6 months to do my internship and I was wondering if anyone is also new in the Glasgow area and would like to meet. I really want to improve my english level so if you're not french, that would be wonderful (although I'm also open to meet french people no worries :p). Don't hesitate to contact me ! see ya !

My wife and I are a South Africans by birth. I am also EU (Italian) citizens due to my parents - have  Italian passports. Ages 62 and 66 respectively
My daughter lives in Scotland. She qualifies for UK citizenship. I am thinking of immigrating. Questions:
Cost of living: housing, transport, groceries, communication, TV, short term Insurance, municipal services, etc.
Biggest worry is Medical cost: will we be able to use the NHS or do we have to buy medical Insurance?
Kind Regards/Vriendelike Groete
Franco Procicchiani

francoproc wrote:

My wife and I are a South Africans by birth. I am also EU (Italian) citizens due to my parents - have  Italian passports. Ages 62 and 66 respectively
My daughter lives in Scotland. She qualifies for UK citizenship. I am thinking of immigrating. Questions:
Cost of living: housing, transport, groceries, communication, TV, short term Insurance, municipal services, etc.
Biggest worry is Medical cost: will we be able to use the NHS or do we have to buy medical Insurance?
Kind Regards/Vriendelike Groete
Franco Procicchiani

Hi Franco and welcome to the Forum.

At the top of this page is a link to our Handy Tools, these contain our Expat Guides that may help you plan your journey.

To answer your specific questions:

If you have an EU passport, you are entitled to live and work anywhere in the EU; that currently includes the UK.  Brexit may change that; there is nothing currently set in concrete regarding this.

Cost of living - the NUMBEO website provides information related to this; this link will take you there.

If you are legally living in the UK, then the NHS provides Healthcare that is free at the point of delivery; you'll have to pay for prescriptions and exotic treatments.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Cynic wrote:

francoproc wrote:

My wife and I are a South Africans by birth. I am also EU (Italian) citizens due to my parents - have  Italian passports. Ages 62 and 66 respectively
My daughter lives in Scotland. She qualifies for UK citizenship. I am thinking of immigrating. Questions:
Cost of living: housing, transport, groceries, communication, TV, short term Insurance, municipal services, etc.
Biggest worry is Medical cost: will we be able to use the NHS or do we have to buy medical Insurance?
Kind Regards/Vriendelike Groete
Franco Procicchiani

you'll have to pay for prescriptions

Aren't prescriptions free in Scotland?

SimCityAT wrote:

Cynic wrote:

francoproc wrote:

My wife and I are a South Africans by birth. I am also EU (Italian) citizens due to my parents - have  Italian passports. Ages 62 and 66 respectively
My daughter lives in Scotland. She qualifies for UK citizenship. I am thinking of immigrating. Questions:
Cost of living: housing, transport, groceries, communication, TV, short term Insurance, municipal services, etc.
Biggest worry is Medical cost: will we be able to use the NHS or do we have to buy medical Insurance?
Kind Regards/Vriendelike Groete
Franco Procicchiani

you'll have to pay for prescriptions

Aren't prescriptions free in Scotland?

Oops, my bad - of course; also - they are free for the over 60's in England.

Thanks for the feed back.
What is the ± interest (%) on bank deposits (investment) - on 100,000 Pound
What is the ± percentage yield on other funds (e.g. unit trusts, etc)
This income will be for my house rental. Hope 100,000 Pound will be sufficient
Regards/Vriendelike groete
Franco Procicchiani

Absolutely no idea; you need to speak to a Financial Advisor; they are licensed in the UK and you shouldn't be taking advice from unknown people (like me) on the Internet.  I use this guy.

I do know from my own experience that Bank Interest rates are pretty poor at the moment, so to grow any investment involves risk taking.

I guess you could get a rough guide by checking out UK bank's websites, but as Cynic has said you really do need to speak with an advisor.

Thanks Guys

Hi,
I'm a 33 year old married Aussie with a Scottish wife who is has Aussie citizenship aswell. We have a young son under 2 who was born in Oz but also has UK citizenship.we are coming to Glasgow in 7 weeks for nearly 5 weeks to do a  serious reconosaince mission on moving there within the next 1 to 2 years. This will be my fourth trip there in 12 years..we are keen to go but my wife is worried about me getting a job..im a jack of all trades and a self employed professionsal but would be good to put my wifes mind at ease. Any input on the subject would be appreciated.
Cheers

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

What kind of self-employed professional are you; do you have any qualifications that will be recognised in the UK?

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi and thanks Cynic,
I'm a certified Equine Dentist (horse dentist).
I also have a range of experience in the horse  industry, driving heavy vehicles and the construction industry. I realise these skills might not be in my favour upon getting a visa and landing in the country which is why im willing to give anything a go. Thanks for your reply

LOL - interesting, never had a Horse Dentist on the Forum before.  However, welcome; my first thought is to say that my daughter qualified in that and after college, couldn't get any work anywhere, so ended up going into general nursing; but that was 10 years ago and who knows how it is now.

To get a work visa for the UK, you need to get a job from an organisation that will sponsor your application; further, they can only sponsor you for jobs that are listed on the UK "Shortage Occupation List"; this link will take you to that list.  Your specialism(s) do not appear anywhere on that list; so I think you can ignore this method of getting into the UK.

Assuming your wife and son have UK passports, then they can return without restriction; you can then apply to join her on a family visa; this link will take you to the relevant part of the UK Gov website that explains the process.

If your wife and son do not actually qualify for a UK passport, then perhaps she can apply for a UK Ancestry visa; this link will take you to the relevant part of the UK Gov website that explains the process.  You and your son apply to accompany her.

Once you are here, you can pretty much work wherever you can get a job.  To get a job in Equine dentistry, I can only think of checking Horse and Hound; this link will take you to their website; they have a Forum where you can ask questions.

Once you've checked out the links, if you have any further specific questions, then please come back to us.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

It's a shame your daughter couldn't get a crack at the dentistry, but it is hard starting out as people already have someone doing their horses teeth and you have to slide in somehow. Yeah my wife and son are both dual Aussie/ UK citizens so we will go for the spouse visa.. We also got married in Scotland years ago if that helps the process.  My first thought would be to get a regular job and get settled before getting a sole trader or business number down the track for dentistry. I appreciate you adding the link for me.
Cheers

Kerrigan wrote:

It's a shame your daughter couldn't get a crack at the dentistry, but it is hard starting out as people already have someone doing their horses teeth and you have to slide in somehow. Yeah my wife and son are both dual Aussie/ UK citizens so we will go for the spouse visa.. We also got married in Scotland years ago if that helps the process.  My first thought would be to get a regular job and get settled before getting a sole trader or business number down the track for dentistry. I appreciate you adding the link for me.
Cheers

No problem; to quote one of your countrymen, we're here to help, not make it hard.

One last piece of advice; whatever you do, don't give up on your Aussie passports.  Once the rose coloured tint wears off your polaroids in Scotland and you wonder why you have developed web-feet, you will probably want to go back.

Best of luck on your journey.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hello! I am a single mom to a 10 year old boy, dog lover and born and bred in the Southern region of the USA...aka known as the Deep or Dirty South Well travelled and would like to be living in Scotland or area near within next couple of years, either as an expat or purchasing a second home. My mother was Korean and Father's background is Irish/Scottish. Have friends that fell in love and married Scot men and absolutely love the life. If they weren't so busy with small babies, I would use them more as a resource...true story. Full time real estate broker, specializing in new home building, land development and subdivision planning management. 12 years experience in that field and over 15 years in the restaurant industry. Cooking, managing, bartending, waiting tables, catering...you name it, chances I have done it!

Look forward to getting some feedback and maybe making a few friends

Hi Heath and welcome to the Forum.

At the top of the page is a link to our Handy Tools section; if you select that it will take you to our Expat Guides.  I'd recommend you read through those, then if you have any further specific questions, please come back to us.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hello fellow forum peeps.  I just returned to the US after a breath taking trip to Edinburgh and the Highlands.  I'm sold by the natural beauty, the people, and international-ness of the city.  I've been plotting a possible move in flight all the way home.

Landing a position there is the key to unlocking the rest.  If anyone has ideas about recruiters, firms, or sites to share, that would be super.  My I'm US and Canadian (commonwealth?) and a ten year veteran in the tech industry.  I've consulted with the usual Fortunes - Nike, Microsoft ... etc ... managing systems projects.  I'm also an avid trader and investor.  Would love to connect with folks who's been there.

Happy to help anyone interested in US side of things.

Cheers!

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

You need to fulfil all of the following requirements to get an ancestry (Commonwealth) visa:

1.    one of your parents was born in the UK and a citizen of the United Kingdom and colonies when you were born or adopted;
2.    you were a Commonwealth citizen on 31 December 1982;
3.    you didn't stop being a Commonwealth citizen (even temporarily) at any point after 31 December 1982.

Assuming not, then you need to get a job that is listed on the shortage occupation list, from a company that is willing to sponsor your application; you can see the current list at this link.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

@Cynic ... thanks for the pointers.  Unfortunately, the commonwealth path isn't viable given my parents weren't UK citizens at the time.  Back to the drawing board. 

Cheers!

Hello,

Just introducing myself to this forum!!!

Looking to move to Scotland after visiting for a friends and attending a weeding a few years ago. Absolutely feel in love with the people and culture, would like to plan on moving within the next year.  Single mom with 10 year old son.

Would like to network and get advice on moving and what to expect.   Great if I can tap into the Scottish communities in Northern Virgina.  Have a few friends who married Scots and are very happy.

Hi Wonton and welcome to the Forum.

Do you have any links to the UK?  Without either a UK or other EU country passport, you will need to apply for a work visa for a job in one of the shortage occupations; these are listed on the UK Gov website; this link will take you there.  If you qualify for one of those occupations, you will then need to find a job with an employer who is willing to sponsor your visa.  You should also be aware that work visas are only temporary, there is no guarantee you will be permitted to remain in the UK once it has expired.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

I am John Graham
(65) born and raised in Glasgow.

I have joined the group thinking it was a Scottish/ Philippino association.

I know the country fairly well.

Feel free to contact. May have some contacts for you.

***

John-wency wrote:

I am John Graham
(65) born and raised in Glasgow.

I have joined the group thinking it was a Scottish/ Philippino association.

Hi John and welcome to the Forum.

This section of the Expat Forum is for people looking to emigrate to Scotland from all over the world.

I'd ask you not to post your personal contact information in the open forum; a better and more secure method is to ask people to contact you by direct message.

You mentioned that you may have housing and jobs in other countries in the future; that's great, we ask that you post them in our Housing, or Jobs section (top of the page) of the relevant country forum.

If you have any further specific questions, please come back to us.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hello all,
Most people call me Rob or Robby.  My wife, Joyce and I are retired from the USA.  I spent more than 47 years working for and in various levels of the US government and since our retirement 6 years ago, we have become serial expats, or as I like to call it, "Free Range Tourists". 

So far we have spent a year in Belize, a year in Costa Rica and a year in Italy.  We followed that up with 2 years in Oceania, alternating between New Zealand and Australia.  We returned to the States in January, but now our itchy feet are taking us to Scotland. 

We last visited Scotland in 2005, while I was still with the government and we are looking forward to spending 6 months or more visiting and exploring the home of our ancestors (Joyce is a Stewart and I am from Clan Gunn)

Since my retirement I have taken up painting and Golf as my primary hobbies.  I am sure that I will be able to keep up with those pursuits  as I understand that they know a little about golf in Scotland.

Anyway, our plane tickets have been purchased and we will arrive in two weeks.  I hope to meet some of you there!

Hi Robby and welcome to the Forum.

I'm sure you'll have a great time in Scotland; at this time of year, watch out for the midges, especially if you or your wife are susceptible to insect bites; this link explains a bit about them.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Thanks for the tip.  However, Joyce and I are well aware of the midges in Scotland.  We have been here before.  I already packed some insect repellent in my bags. 

Hello all! I'm looking forward to moving to Scotland in the next few months! I plan on taking in the culture and history of the area, attending Celtic FC matches, volunteering in the community, buying some land and building an off the grid retreat and doing some organic farming, furthering my education and taking some history and archaeology courses at the University and slowing down my life to relax and enjoy!

This has been a year in the making to literally sell and/or getting rid of everything I own except a few items, so my dog and I could hop over the pond for what looks to be one hell of an adventure!

Look forward to meeting many people on here!  Feel free to reach out to me about anything especially the research I did to plan this kind of move!

Hey everyone!

My name is Cissa, born in Brazil of Italian ascent, was living in France for a few years where I met my Scottish boyfriend and now am living in Glasgow with him.

I arrived about a week ago and am currently on the flat/job/admin run.

So far only good impressions and got lucky with the weather as well.

Hoping to meet other expats and enjoy my new life here, especially hoping for the sun to keep on shining!

Hi There.

I'm from South Africa and looking to immigrate to Scotland as soon as next year on an Ancestry Visa. Which I have sorted in terms of info.

Looking to gain any information that I will need or what you believe I'll need to know about coming over to Scotland.
Maybe make some friends via this that I can rely on and that can rely on me to make life easier for both parties.

Kayne

My Hubby and I have been living in Scotland for four years now, he is Scottish by birth and I was born in Shabani in the 1960's. Scotland and its people are really awesome and am very happy living here. We lived in England from 1994 until 2014 but Scotland is our home forever.

Hi there.
Thank you for replying. Very glad to have heard from someone.

I'm hoping to get information about how things really are in Scotland? Good areas to live, pricing on accommodation, maybe finding some fellow expats or locals with accomadation obviously to assist each other.

Do you perhaps have any of these answers?

You are most welcome. And it really depends on where in Scotland you want to be and what your work outlook is. We live in a village near the Highlands and absolutely love it here. We do not know of any other Rhodies here or nearby to where we are. Again depending where you want to be the rents etc will always vary like wise with employment. Maybe having a look at what work you are looking for then that should give you a better understanding from that aspect of things, then also maybe do the same where accommodation is concerned. Hope this helps a little.

Hi we are looking to move to Scotland ( I am originally from Scotland but we moved to South Africa when I was 6) We have 2 children aged 12 and 10 and would like to offer them better opportunities than what are available at present in SA.
We are in the beginning stages of seeing what our options are.