LMS_Before_you

General aspects before leaving

Once your flight and visa have been organised, the countdown begins.

Now it is time to sort out your finances and make sure your South African money matters are in order before you leave.

Be sure to make 3 copies of each of the following:

•Passport

•Working Holiday Visa (or other relevant visa)

•International Driver's Licence (if you have one, otherwise not compulsory)

•Birth certificate (if possible, it could be required at certain jobs)

•Travel Insurance

•Police Clearance Certificate (if you think you’ll need it)

Keep each in a different safe place, so that if you lose one you'll still have a copy. Never underestimate the importance of this!

Also keep the following in mind before leaving:

•You can get a huge discount on car insurance if you have a No-Claim record at home. Bring details about this if you have such documentation.

•Medical and/or optical prescriptions. If you have some serious condition, discuss it properly with your GP before you leave. If you think that you might be willing to participate in clinical trials, discuss this with your GP as well and take his/her full address, since you will need to supply this at the research unit. (see here)

•Believe it or not: The fewer clothes the better! You may well have to walk great distances the first few days, and you could move around a great deal in the first month – and you'll wish you had fewer things with you. Clothing is fairly cheap in the UK, and as you settle in you’ll easily rebuild your wardrobe. Comfortable shoes and a good jacket in the winter are the most important items of clothing. If you are planning to do office work in London, remember dark pants and shoes. Khaki is not a hit in London.

•A good sleeping bag and liner are fairly essential. If you arrive in the summer, and you don't have the best, you might want to buy one here once you start earning. Although you'll need a good sleeping bag in the winter, you'll find that you hardly use it in the summer if you sleep inside.

•Things such as a pocket-knife, torch, first-aid kit etc. would be useful but you'll hardly ever use them. Again, keep the weight of your baggage as low as possible. London might be tough sometimes, but remember you are not going on safari – it's a fairly first class country (on the whole).

•Get a good money belt to keep your money, traveller’s cheques and passport safely on your body. Don't ever think about putting things like these in loose bags, especially not in a handbag! London claims to have had a fairly low crime rate for years, but organised Eastern European pickpocket gangs are starting to send the petty-crime rate through the roof. Airports and stations (of which you will use many in London) are ideal places for snatching possessions off you. Plan to keep your luggage compact and easily manageable and essential documents on your body in such a way that they cannot be removed.

•Chest X-rays are not compulsory, but if already done you'll save time at the airport. Any hospital or private clinic will be able to help you with X-rays and they’ll cost up to R80. You should even be able to claim on your medical scheme. At Heathrow they can charge you (up to £50) for X-rays. This is not money that you want to spend at that stage.

•Organise a check-up with your doctor and get any vaccines you may need. Make sure you get vaccination certificates and that you know exactly what you have been vaccinated for. Make an appointment to see your dentist before you go. The last thing you want is those wisdom teeth giving you problems whilst travelling.

•It is very important before you leave to know that you might have trouble opening a bank account, so take as many references as possible with you (e.g. a letter from your bank or bank statements). If it is at all possible to open a British account while still in South Africa, it will help a great deal. Discuss this with your bank.

•If you plan to transfer money from London to South Africa regularly, open an account at any of the ABSA affiliates. (see why on this page)

•If you want someone to handle your bank affairs in South Africa, remember to sign a power of attorney at your bank before you leave.

•Notify your post office, bank, credit cards, etc. of the address that all correspondence can be forwarded to.

•If you are renting a flat or home, inform the utilities companies of your planned departure date and ensure that all outstanding bills will be settled. It is advisable to ask your landlord for a reference, as this will help you when looking for new accommodation at your new destination.

•If you have any loans or debts, either pay them off or arrange for payment to be made regularly whilst you are away.

•Three weeks before you go is probably a good time to print some bank statements showing that you have sufficient funds to support yourself. It is also advisable to get a letter of reference from your bank manager, as this is likely to help you when setting up a bank account in the UK.

Money

You will need ±£700 in hard cash or in travellers cheques when entering at the port of entry, e.g. Heathrow. Keep this in mind well in advance.

•Get as many references as possible, since you will need them for job applications. Take any notable certificate or diplomas with you. In London's competitive workforce, and with the emphasis most times on qualifications, they could come in handy.

•Send your résumé to your own email account just to make sure you are able to access it - it is always safe in cyber space. It is easy to set up an account with Hotmail or Yahoo.

•If you are computer literate, you could land yourself a fairly good job. If time allows, consider taking a crash course in office computer applications (such as MS Office applications, Word 2000, Excel and Access). This will certainly count in your favour in most job applications.

•A driver's licence will always count in your favour. Many women do caring for the elderly and in most cases the agencies will prefer that you have a clean driver's licence. In most other jobs, however, you will never even see the inside of a car.

•If you are able to operate a forklift, try to obtain a valid license in South Africa before you leave. Forklift operators can get decent pay in the UK (£6-£7.50 per hour), but it is expensive to obtain a license there. A license is, however, compulsory in the UK to operate a forklift. A heavy-duty license can earn you a good job on a farm. So if time allows it and you are able, try to get the appropriate licenses. It is much cheaper to get your International Driver's License from the AA than through a travel agent. Even if you’re considering doing normal tractor-driving work in the UK, you should make sure you get your International License (normal Code 8 is fine). It really takes time to apply for and receive your license when you do it in the UK. Most farmers prefer drivers with an International License and if you arrive in the season without one, you could miss out on a good job opportunity.

•If you want to take traveller’s cheques abroad, it is advisable to take Thomas Cook cheques. The reason for this is that you don't pay commission if you exchange Thomas Cook cheques at a Thomas Cook branch in London.

•Travel insurance might seem like an extra expense before you leave. It is not compulsory to have it, but you never know what can happen. Don't slip up on this - ask your travel agent for good comprehensive insurance at a good price.

Accommodation

It is a good idea to prearrange accommodation. There are various South African housing schemes in London. (Read more here)

•If you have any extra ID photos lying around, take them with you. You’ll need them for travel cards or ID badges. It can cost you up to £3 for 4 ID photos in London.

•A GSM compatible cell phone should work in London. However, write down the important numbers before you leave. Save it on a Word document and email it to yourself.

•Get Foreign Exchange, Rands for Pounds Sterling. It is recommended that you take at least 1 500 in traveller's cheques, and 100 in cash.

Contact

If you want to phone a number in the UK: Dial 0944 + the code (without the first 0) + the number.

Police Clearance Certificate

This certificate is not a necessity, but the criminals out there are not making it easier for the rest of us. These days the certificate is quite a common requirement when applying for a job, especially if you are applying for positions where dependability and trustworthiness are essential (e.g. banking sector). The application can now be made directly through the South African Police Service (SAPS).

1. The usual procedure when a member of the public in South Africa submits an application for a Police Clearance Certificate is to hand in the application either at a local police station or directly at the Criminal Record Centre in Schoeman Street, Pretoria. The application then takes 7-10 working days to be processed.

2. Members of the public abroad may send their applications (for Police Clearance Certificates) via any courier service directly to the Criminal Record Centre. It is crucial that the courier is prepaid for a round trip from wherever the documents are sent.

3. The SAPS has advised that, although a completed application form for a Police Clearance Certificate is preferable, it is not necessary for such document to be completed. Should an application form not be available, the applicant must provide the following details in a letter:

•Surname

•Maiden name (if applicable, also, specify in which surname the certificate has to be issued)

•Given names

•Date of birth

•Place of birth

•South African ID number (if applicable)

•Last residential address in South Africa

•Last South African business / employer's address

•Telephone number of the above-mentioned

•Date

•Signature

•Mailing address in the country of application

•Zip/postal codeTelephone number

4. The application form or letter has to be accompanied by a full set of fingerprints obtainable from the applicant's closest police station and a fee of R41 (either banker's draft or money order is acceptable) made payable to the South African Police Service.

The application can be sent to either Sgt. du Preez, Insp. van Hagen or Capt. van Wyk at the *Criminal Record Center, SAPS, Room 421, Sanlam Plaza West, 271 Schoeman Street, Pretoria, South Africa, 0001.

Tel: (012) 39393713 /4 7(012) 39393718/9.

6. Once the certificate has been issued, the Criminal Record Centre will courier the certificate to the applicant (prepaid parcel).