London: your local starting point

LDN · ENGLAND

Living in London starts with your postcode

London has 33 local authorities, each with its own bills and schools. This page sets out your first week: council, Council Tax, transport, a GP and school places.

Living in London: what to sort out first

If you are moving to London, first find out which council your address belongs to. That council sends your Council Tax bill and handles state school applications. Next, register with a GP; in England you do not need proof of address or immigration status to do so. Then pay for buses and the Tube with one contactless card, phone or Oyster card, so the daily cap is applied for you.

This guide is for anyone who has just arrived to work, study or join family, or who is comparing areas before signing a tenancy. It covers the rules in England.

33 local authorities: how to find yours

According to London Councils ↗, local government in the capital is 32 boroughs plus the City of London Corporation. Above them, the Greater London Authority (GLA), led by the Mayor, covers transport, policing and the fire service. The name people use for an area is not enough: two neighbouring streets can be in different boroughs.

Get the full postcode from your tenancy agreement.
Enter it in Find your local council on GOV.UK ↗.
Bookmark the council’s Council Tax and school admissions pages.

Council Tax in London: who pays and how the bill is made up

You will usually pay Council Tax if you are 18 or over and live in the property (GOV.UK ↗). Every home has a band, which you can look up with the band checker ↗, and each council sets the charge for each band.

A London bill has two parts: your borough’s share and the GLA precept, which City Hall ↗ says helps fund the Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade and TfL. For 2026–27 the precept is £510.51 for a Band D home in the 32 boroughs and £176.38 in the City of London, which has its own police force. So there is no single “London Council Tax”: the right figure is the one your council publishes for your band.

Your situation	Effect on the bill in England
You live alone, or everyone else is disregarded	25% off
Everyone in the home is disregarded	50% off
Everyone is a full-time student	Nothing to pay; apply for an exemption if a bill arrives
You are on a low income	You may get Council Tax Reduction ↗

A full-time student course must last at least 1 year and involve at least 21 hours of study a week (GOV.UK ↗). Discounts are not automatic: you must apply.

Getting around: how TfL fares work

Transport for London (TfL) runs buses, the Tube, DLR, London Overground, the Elizabeth line and trams. Pay with a contactless card or phone, or an Oyster card. Touch in at the start of every journey; on the Tube and trains, touch out at the end too.

Buses and trams, adult pay as you go	Price
Hopper fare: unlimited journeys within one hour of touching in	£1.75
Daily cap	£5.25
Weekly cap (Monday to Sunday)	£24.70

Source: TfL bus and tram fares ↗. Tube and rail fares depend on zones and time. TfL ↗ charges peak fares Monday to Friday (not public holidays) from 06:30 to 09:30 and 16:00 to 19:00. Tube and Elizabeth line journeys to or from Heathrow are peak if they start, end or pass through Zone 1.

Use the same card or device all week, or your journeys will not count towards one cap.
Children aged 5 to 10 travel free on buses and trams, and so do holders of an 11-15 Zip Oyster photocard. A 16+ Zip Oyster holder who lives in London also travels free on buses and trams.
An 18+ Student Oyster photocard gives 30% off 7 Day, Monthly and longer Bus & Tram Pass season tickets.

Our transport guide helps you compare two homes by commute.

Healthcare: registering with a GP in London

London is covered by the NHS in England, and your GP is your first point of contact. The NHS ↗ says registration is free and you do not need ID, proof of address, proof of immigration status or an NHS number. For a child, you may be asked for proof of their ID and address, and that you are their parent or guardian.

Find surgeries that cover your address with Find a GP ↗.
Register everyone in your household.
For urgent help that is not an emergency, use NHS 111 ↗. In an emergency, call 999 or go to A&E.

A prescription costs £9.90 per item ↗ unless you are exempt. If you paid the immigration health surcharge, GOV.UK ↗ says you can use the NHS from the date your visa starts but still pay for things like prescriptions, dental treatment and eye tests. More in our healthcare guide.

Schools and universities in London

Most children start Reception full-time in the September after their fourth birthday (GOV.UK ↗).

Stage	Applications close	Offers sent
Primary school	15 January	16 April
Secondary school	31 October	1 March

Source: GOV.UK ↗. Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in another borough or you have just moved to England. Arriving mid-year? Ask your council about an in-year application. See our schools guide.

London’s universities include UCL, King’s College London, Imperial College London, LSE, Queen Mary University of London and SOAS University of London. Before paying fees, use the GOV.UK recognised degree checker ↗. Visa and budget planning are in our study in the UK guide.

Muslim and Arab communities, and halal services

In the 2021 Census ↗, 15.0% of London residents described themselves as Muslim. Brent Council’s census report ↗ says around 1 in 20 Brent residents belong to the Arab ethnic group. These are population figures, not a ranking of areas, and they do not tell you what is on your street.

To find services, open our directory and choose mosques or halal restaurants. Confirm details with the business before you go.

Your first week in London

Day 1: find your council from your postcode, and set up one contactless card, phone or Oyster card for travel.
Day 2: register your household with a GP.
Day 3: tell the council you have moved in, and apply for any discount or student exemption.
Day 4: if you have children, contact the council’s admissions team.
Day 5: get a share code to prove your right to work or rent, using our share code guide.
Before signing a long tenancy: compare rent and travel in the cost of living planner.

Common mistakes when moving to London

Going by area name, not postcode. Bills and schools can differ between two streets.
Switching between card and phone. Each is counted separately, so the cap does not work.
Registering with a GP only when you fall ill. Do it in your first week.
Not applying for the single person discount. The 25% is not applied automatically.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Council Tax in London?

There is no single figure. Each borough and the City of London sets its own charge per band, and the GLA precept is added: £510.51 for Band D in the 32 boroughs for 2026–27. Check your council’s website.

Do I need proof of address to register with a GP?

No. The NHS says you do not need ID, proof of address or immigration status. A surgery may ask for documents for other reasons, such as finding your records.

Is Oyster or a contactless bank card better?

Both get the bus and tram caps. Oyster matters if you qualify for a discount, such as a Zip or 18+ Student Oyster photocard.

Do students pay Council Tax in London?

Not if everyone in the home is a full-time student. If someone is not, a bill will come, but a discount may apply. Send your student certificate to the council.

When should I see an immigration adviser?

This page is not legal advice. For a complicated case, use a regulated adviser: an SRA-regulated solicitor or an OISC/IAA-registered adviser, via our immigration lawyers directory.

Sources

Your next step

Find your council and plan its bill in our Council Tax tool, then apply for your National Insurance number. For a complicated immigration situation, speak to an SRA-regulated solicitor or OISC/IAA-registered adviser through our immigration lawyers directory.

Reviewed 24 September 2026.