Many will argue that the UK is home to the greatest city in the world — London. London is rich with history, from Shakespeare and the royal family to Baker Street, Big Ben and Trafalgar Square. This bustling city is packed full of culture, foods, museums and attractions, and is often listed as the best city across the globe.

Of course, London isn’t the only city worth visiting or moving to in the UK. Other top cities include:

• Edinburgh: Capital city of Scotland, which is home to many festivals and architectural sites.
• Oxford: Home to the prestigious Oxford University and well-known for its local bookshops, pubs and museums.
• Glasgow: This Scottish city has a largely Victorian style that’s rumored to look like New York City did in the 19th century.
• Cambridge: A historic college city where you’ll find Cambridge University, along with charming coffee shops, cocktail bars and restaurants.
• Manchester: Former industrial city home to a large selection of museums, sports stadiums and art galleries.
• Liverpool: This gritty city is a long-time favorite of poet Allen Ginsberg with football, independent shops and restaurants, and a unique music scene.

Other top spots worth exploring in the UK include Bath, Brighton, Cardiff, Belfast and Lisburn.

While the UK is well-known for its historic cities, it’s also one of the most breathtaking countries in Europe. England is full of mountain ranges, marshlands, beaches, cliffs and moors, and is home to some of the world’s top national parks, including:

• South Downs National Park: This park is known as the gateway to England and the site of gorgeous greenlands and picturesque cliffs.
• Lake District National Park: This is home to high mountains and deep lakes and ravines.
• Peak District National Park: This is a gorgeous landscape with famous, rolling hills, peaceful dales, daring rock edges and untouched moorlands.
• Snowdonia National Park: The site has the largest mountain in England or Wales.
• North York Moors National Park: This is a coastal park with quaint villages, massive moorlands, enchanting woodlands and picture-perfect watersides.
• Yorkshire Dales National Park: This stunning place is home to ancient forests and woodlands, incredible waterfalls and windswept valleys.

In addition to natural attractions, the UK is home to some of the world’s most magnificent castles and palaces, as well as Stonehenge, the famous prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire.

Health care is a major concern whenever you move to a new country. If you’re moving to the UK from a country where health care is citizen-owned, you might be happy to learn that health care is a right granted to all UK citizens (even with expat status).

Public health care and health insurance is provided through the National Health Service (NHS) and is funded mostly by taxes. The NHS is regarded as one of the best free health care systems in the world, although underfunding can cause problems within the system, such as delayed waiting times.

Even non-residents and those with visas are entitled to free health care when residing in the United Kingdom. Health care is not dependent on residential status, which means you’ll be eligible even before your citizenship (should you choose to apply for it) is complete.

While public health care is free, you can opt to pay for private health care if you’d prefer. You’re also allowed to have a combination of public and private health care plans.

Overall, the UK is well-regarded in terms of education, with the country surpassing Germany in test scores for the first time in 2018. The UK has 142 universities and 381 further education (FE) colleges.

The UK education system has free public, state-sponsored education for all children, as well as privately funded, independent schooling options. The UK educational system is composed of five critical parts — early education, primary school, secondary school, FE and higher education (HE). The UK follows a National Curriculum, which follows the below stages:

• Stage 1: Foundation and years 1-2 for students between 5 and 7 years old
• Stage 2: Years 3-6 for students between 8 and 11 years old
• Stage 3: Years 7-9 for students between 12 and 14 years old
• Stage 4: Years 10 and 11 for students between 15 and 16 years old
• Stage 5: Years 12 and 13 for students between 17 and 18 years old

These ages are guidelines and may fluctuate slightly depending on the individual student.

Advanced level exams are held during or after Stage 5, which are A-level qualifications students must pass to enter higher education (colleges and universities).

The UK is already inherently a multicultural nation, composed of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The primary group of residents in the UK is white British, followed by Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and other groups), or black and those of mixed heritage.

Although public opinion is divided on immigration into the UK, the UK can be a welcoming place for people to start new lives and professional endeavors.

You can obtain a UK work permit and employment visa if you’re relocating to the UK because of work. Even if you’re moving to be closer to family or for other reasons, finding a job in the UK, a remote position, or showing you’ll remain self-employed will be helpful to obtain a work permit. Obtaining this work permit and employment visa can take between two to three months.

Securing a traditional job in the UK is the fastest way to navigate through the work visa process. If you have a nontraditional job, this process can take more time and may involve more paperwork.

Depending on the type of work you do, there are different types of work visas available, all with different lengths and requirements (work and business visas). A few include skilled worker visas, health and care worker visas, intra-company visas and innovator visas.

Once the work permit has been issued, you are usually granted entry clearance within one to two weeks, depending on the country you are emigrating from.

Members of your family can apply for Tier 2 family member visas once you’ve been granted a work visa. This visa is required to live within the UK for more than six months. Work visas can also be filed by your spouse later on if they find work within the UK.

If you already have family living in the UK (UK or British citizens) and you don’t plan on surpassing this time frame, you can also apply for a family visa sponsorship.

If you plan to attend college or university in the UK, you can apply for a study visa. There are different types of study visas, although student visas are the most common. You’ll need to be over 16 years of age to apply for a student visa and can stay in the UK on this visa for two to five years (depending on your degree level of study).

You can also apply for a UK investor visa if you want to invest £2,000,000 or more in the UK. You’ll also need to be over 18, be able to prove the money you’re investing belongs to you or a spouse, and have a UK bank account. It typically takes three months to receive your UK investor Visa, so be sure to apply in advance of your travel date.

If you’re moving to the UK from the European Union (EU), the visa process is a little bit simpler. Even though the UK is no longer part of the EU, citizens from the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland can relocate to the UK through a few avenues. If you’re working in the UK, you will not need to apply for a visa but can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after June 2021.

Depending on your specific circumstances, you may need to apply for a visa. You can find out exactly what’s required on the UK immigration website.

Start-Up & Innovator Visa: Launch your business in the UK

Entrepreneurs or Investors seeking to establish an innovative business within the United Kingdom may want to learn more about these visa categories. Applicants may also access the Innovator Visa program through the UK Start-Up Visa Program.

Overall Eligibility & Benefits

Eligibility

• Any nationality may apply
• Applicants must be willing to run their own U.K. business
• No serious criminal record
• Spouse & children under-18 are considered dependents

Benefits

• Free national healthcare
• Short processing times
• Continue or commence your existing business in the United Kingdom
• Free U.K. education for children under-18
• Possibilities of leading to permanent residency and citizenship
• Spouses obtain work authorization