New members of the Northern Ireland forum, introduce yourselves here - 2019

Hiii
My name is Rebekah. I am not an Expat but I work with a new Relocation company in Belfast, there aren't many here -- any body moving to the area who needs advice...
I am here to help !

Thanks

eldron.ni wrote:

Hiii
My name is Rebekah. I am not an Expat but I work with a new Relocation company in Belfast, there aren't many here -- any body moving to the area who needs advice...
I am here to help !

Thanks

Hi Rebekah and welcome to the Forum.

Perhaps you can expand on the type of advice you specialise in and any examples of success you may have had?

Cynic
Expat Team

Cynic by name Cynic by nature lol

We have been running successfully in Dublin for 2 years now -- and have only opened our Belfast office this year. Feel free to have a nosey on our website to see the success stories. We are currently in process of relocating a client for work from London to Belfast - TBC ...
I can advise on the different areas of Belfast, where particular people would be best suited to live in accordance with the type of lifestyle they want to have over here ( close to schools, good commuter channels, good entertainment etc).
As an ex-estate agent I am well informed on the property buying process and can offer advice at any stage of the buying process, whats to be expected etc etc. This is what we do as a company, sellers have agents so why shouldn't buyers?? We aim to give buyers back the power in property to ensure they aren't paying more for property than its worth and that they are given a realistic view of any particular house they may be interested in.

Hi again,

There you go, now we have information that may attract the punters. 

We do have a Business Services directory and a Classifieds section for specifics (both at the top of the page); perhaps you may wish to make use of them (Forum posts will fall off the end of the page eventually).

I wish you the best of success with your enterprise.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi, I have just joined the forum. Not planning to move to NI, (unfortunately) but visiting in May 2020 whilst on the way to World Veteran Table Tennis in Bordeaux (spouse is the player). We are stopping in Belfast because my father was born there in 1924 and even though I lived/worked in London in the early 80s, I never got to Belfast. So I don't want to do the 'touristy' things. I only have 4 days, but would like to get an insight into the poor areas of Belfast and what life would have been like there in the 1920s/30s. I would be grateful for any suggestions. Thanks, Biddy

Hello, I've just joined and have loads of questions, but don't want to overwhelm or annoy

I'm a dual national (USA/UK) planning to move to Belfast for 1-2 years with my two kids and husband next summer. We will not be there with an employer or as part of a job move. My kids do not have UK citizenship as of yet. My main questions currently are:

•    How long can my husband and kids stay before having to get a special visa, leave/re-enter, etc? Is there a fee?

•    I've been told my kids can attend school but we can't apply for schools until we have residency, and we won't have residency until July 2020. School admissions start in December -- yikes! Do I have to contact each school individually to see which might have availability? Is there a service that can help with this process? I understand many schools fill up and have waiting lists.

•    I have a national insurance number from years ago, but assume I am not eligible for healthcare since I haven't been paying in to the tax system, so do we purchase private insurance once we get there?

•    We plan to buy a used car. Do we need an international driver's license or a permit to drive?

Any information or tips you have are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

At the top of this page is our Discover section; if you mouse over that, you'll get a drop-down menu with access to our UK guide.

To answer your specific questions:

Your kids are UK citizens by birth - apply for their passports (link).  Your husband will need a family visa (link).

There is no start date where any child has to join a school, if there is a suitable vacancy, he/she will be accepted.  You have to contact the school; there is no service, just give them a call, or call in and talk to them when you get there.  For the good schools, there is always a waiting list, so you may have to accept one of the not so good schools.

Your national insurance number is still valid; once you are resident in the UK, you are entitled to use the NHS.  Depending on your circumstances, you may have to pay an immigration health surcharge, but that will not stop you registering with a GP.  The Citizen's Advice Bureau has written a pretty good web article that explains the system (link).

Driving licences (link).

Any more questions, please come back to us.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Thank you so much, I appreciate it!

One more question:

What's a favorite house rental site? I've been looking at Property Pal. Or, is it better to go through an estate agent type of service?

Thanks!

Hi again.

There are many; the one you mention is the one that pops up first in most Google searches; that happens because they pay Google for the privilege, not because they are the best or easiest, although I've never used them, so they should at least be considered.

There is a website called Renting in Northern Ireland; this link will take you to their website.  It's a Government-run operation, so is about as fair as you can expect to find.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team