Before you start

An unlocked handset, or one that supports eSIM
A UK address, for a contract or broadband
A UK bank account, for a contract Direct Debit

Step-by-step

1
Buy a pay-as-you-go SIM or activate an eSIM on arrival
Sold in supermarkets, phone shops and online with no identity registration at all. A UK number in your first hour unlocks bank verification, NHS appointment systems and delivery notifications, all of which assume you have one.
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 SIM-only plan and buy the handset separately
A rolling SIM-only plan with a large data allowance costs a fraction of a bundled handset contract over the same period and can be switched monthly. Buying the phone outright is almost always cheaper in total.
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 in one working day. Never cancel the old service first — that is how people lose the number.
Mobile appWho: You
5
Compare networks on Northumberland coverage, not Newcastle coverage
All four networks work well across Tyneside. Northumberland, the Cheviots and the Kielder area are among the least covered parts of England and the networks differ materially there. If you intend to walk, cycle or drive out at weekends — which is most of the reason to live here — check the coverage maps for those valleys before picking a network.
OnlineWho: You
6
Order broadband the day you have an address
UK installation takes one to three weeks and may need an engineer visit. Newcastle has strong full-fibre coverage across most of the city from Openreach and independent builders, but the Tyneside terraces vary street by street. Check your exact postcode against more than one provider before you commit.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

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

Things most newcomers don’t know

The UK has no SIM registration, unlike most of Europe.

Germany, Spain and France all require identity verification to activate a SIM. The UK requires nothing for pay-as-you-go, so a working UK number is a fifteen-minute errand rather than a first-week project.

Source: Ofcom

Choose your network on Northumberland, not on Newcastle.

Every network performs adequately in the city. The reason to be here is that an hour's drive puts you in the largest protected dark-sky area in Europe and some of the emptiest country in England — where coverage is genuinely thin and the operators differ sharply. Pick for the weekend, because the weekday is a solved problem.

Source: Ofcom — mobile 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. Most people never learn the shortcode and stay on an expired contract tariff for years.

Source: Ofcom — switching mobile provider

Rolling SIM-only plans dramatically beat handset contracts, especially with no credit file.

A two-year bundle costs far more in total than a handset bought outright plus a rolling plan, locks you in, and requires the credit check a new arrival will fail. The SIM-only route sidesteps the decline and the lock-in at once.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Signing a 24-month handset contract in your first weeks and being declined or asked for a deposit.
Cancelling the old service before requesting a PAC code, and losing the number.
Choosing a network on city performance and discovering it has nothing in the Cheviots.
Taking the first broadband offer without checking which networks reach that exact address.
Not knowing that pay-as-you-go requires 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.

Make it your personal checklist

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