Before you start

An unlocked handset, or one that supports eSIM
Nothing else at all for pay-as-you-go
A UK address and bank account, for a contract

Step-by-step

1
Buy a pay-as-you-go SIM or activate an eSIM on arrival
Available from supermarkets, phone shops and airport kiosks with no identity registration. A working UK number in your first hour unlocks bank verification, GP appointment systems and delivery notifications.
In personWho: YouDay 1
2
Do not attempt a 24-month contract in your first weeks
Contracts run a credit check and require a UK bank account and address. With no UK credit file you will be declined or asked for a substantial deposit. Rolling one-month SIM-only plans have no credit check and are excellent value.
OnlineWho: You
3
Take a rolling SIM-only plan rather than a bundled handset
SIM-only plans with generous data cost a fraction of a bundled handset contract, have no minimum term and can be switched monthly. Buying the phone outright and taking SIM-only is almost always cheaper over two years.
OnlineWho: You
4
Keep your number when you switch
Text PAC to 65075 and you receive a porting authorisation code by return, valid for 30 days. Ofcom rules require the switch to complete within one working day. Never cancel the old service first — that is how people lose numbers.
Mobile appWho: You
5
Order home broadband the day you have an address
UK installation typically takes one to three weeks and may need an engineer visit. Birmingham has been heavily built out by independent fibre networks alongside Openreach, so several addresses have a real choice of infrastructure rather than just a choice of reseller. Check the specific postcode against more than one provider before signing.
OnlineWho: You
6
Check coverage where you will actually be, not just in the centre
All four networks perform well across the city core. Coverage thins in parts of the outer conurbation and on the rural edges toward the Clent Hills and Warwickshire, and it differs by operator. If you commute out to a business park or plan weekends in the countryside, compare the coverage maps for those specific places.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Nothing at all for pay-as-you-go
UK address and bank details, for a contract
Passport, occasionally requested for a contract

Things most newcomers don’t know

The UK requires no SIM registration at all, unlike most of Europe.

Germany, Spain, France, Greece and Czechia all require identity verification to activate a SIM. The UK requires nothing for pay-as-you-go. You can land at Birmingham Airport, buy a SIM at the kiosk and be reachable before you reach the Sprint tram. For a newcomer this removes the single most common first-week frustration elsewhere.

Source: Ofcom

Text PAC to 65075 — switching keeps your number in one working day.

Ofcom requires networks to issue a porting authorisation code by text on request and to complete the switch within one working day. You never cancel the old service first. Most people do not know the shortcode and stay on a bad tariff for years as a result.

Source: Ofcom — switching mobile provider

Birmingham broadband prices vary by street, not by city.

Several independent network operators have built full fibre across parts of the city alongside Openreach, so one address may have three infrastructure options and the address next door one. This produces genuinely different prices and speeds a few hundred metres apart. Check the postcode against multiple providers before you sign anything.

Source: Ofcom — broadband coverage checker

A rolling SIM-only plan is the newcomer's answer to the credit-check problem.

A 24-month bundled handset contract is both worse value and, for someone with no UK credit file, likely to be declined outright or loaded with a deposit. A rolling plan sidesteps the credit check entirely, costs less, and can be dropped the month you find something better.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Signing a 24-month handset contract in your first weeks and being declined or charged a deposit.
Cancelling the old service before requesting a PAC code, and losing the number.
Taking the first broadband offer without checking which independent networks serve the address.
Choosing a network on city-centre performance without checking where you actually commute.
Not realising that pay-as-you-go needs no identity check at all, and wasting a day looking for paperwork.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.