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 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.
Mobile appWho: You
5
Check the specific address for broadband before you sign the tenancy
Cambridge's newer developments — Eddington, Trumpington Meadows, Great Kneighton, the northern fringe — were built with full fibre. Parts of the Victorian terraces around Mill Road and Romsey were upgraded much later and unevenly. Two flats a street apart can offer very different maximum speeds. Run the postcode through the Ofcom checker and at least two providers before you commit, particularly if you work from home.
OnlineWho: You
6
Order installation as soon as you have a date
UK broadband installation typically takes one to three weeks and may need an engineer visit. In a city where a great deal of work is research and remote-capable, being offline for a fortnight is a real problem. Order the day the tenancy is signed rather than the day you move in.
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 buy one in a supermarket on arrival and be reachable immediately, which removes the single most common first-week frustration elsewhere.

Source: Ofcom

Broadband quality in Cambridge is decided by which decade your street was built in.

The city's newest developments were built with full fibre as standard, while stretches of the Victorian terraces east of the station were upgraded later and unevenly. In a city where a large share of jobs are research and remote-capable, this is not a minor amenity — check the actual postcode against the Ofcom checker and at least two providers before you sign a tenancy, not after.

Source: Ofcom — broadband coverage checker

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 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.

Source: Ofcom — switching mobile provider

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

A 24-month bundled handset contract is worse value and, with no UK credit file, likely to be declined or loaded with a deposit. A rolling plan sidesteps the credit check entirely, costs less, and can be dropped the month you find 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.
Signing a tenancy on an older terrace without checking the broadband options for that specific address.
Ordering installation on move-in day rather than on the day the tenancy is signed.
Not realising that pay-as-you-go needs no identity check at all.

Some of this may be out of date.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