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How to immigrate pets to the UK

What about my beloved pet when immigrating to the UK?

Immigration to the UK has to deal with as many tasks as there are stars. In addition to the family who has to fly to the UK, family members also include beloved pets. To apply for pets to immigrate to the UK such as cats, dogs or even ferrets (other pets have different immigration conditions), the following requirements must be met:

  • has been micro-chipped
  • has a pet passport or third-country official veterinary certificate
  • has been vaccinated against rabies – it will also need a blood test if you immigrate from an ‘unlisted country’

Dogs must also have a tapeworm treatment.

Your pet may be put into quarantine for up to 4 months if you do not follow these rules – or refused entry if you travelled by sea. You’re responsible for any fees or charges.

Before leaving for the UK:

  • Please check if your Airline/ Vessel can accept your pet for travel. If you bring more than one pet, how many pets will they accept?
  • You need a pet health certificate to ensure that your pet is fit for travel and healthy, such as a certificate from a veterinarian or a pet passport centre.
  • Note that you are not allowed to bring more than 5 pets to the UK, except for competitions, performances, or sports events. Please click here for more detailed requirements.

How to get a pet passport:

You can get a pet passport from a vet authorised to issue them in countries the UK accepts pet passports from.

When you get a pet passport you’ll need to take:

The passport is only valid if you meet the entry requirements.

You should travel with previous pet passports in some cases, for example, if your pet has had a blood test. Ask your vet if you think this applies to your pet.

Only vets in countries that the UK accepts pet passports from can enter information into the pet passport (except for tapeworm treatments).

When all treatment spaces in the pet passport are filled, you need to exchange for a new pet passport.

Before you travel

Check that the vet has filled in the following sections in the pet passport:

  • details of ownership – you must sign section I if your pet passport was issued on or after 29 December 2014
  • description of pet
  • marking or identification of pet
  • vaccination against rabies
  • rabies blood test (if needed)
  • details of the vet issuing the passport (for passports issued from 29 December 2014)
  • your dog’s tapeworm treatment (if needed)

The UK accepts pet passports from the following countries:
All EU countries and the following countries/regions outside the EU (excerpt, please click here for a list of all regions):

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Hong Kong
  • Japan
  • Malaysia
  • New Zealand
  • Singapore
  • Taiwan
  • United States (including American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands),

For the full list of countries/regions that accept pet passports in the UK, please refer to the following UK government website:
https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad/listed-and-unlisted-countries

Here are some pet immigration companies. You can compare the prices and service plans before deciding which one to use. (We are not affiliated with any of these companies and can’t vouch for the quality of their work.)

Petcific https://www.petcific.com.hk/

PetHoliday https://petholidays.hk/

Ferndale https://www.ferndalekennels.com/zh/

Pet Mover http://www.petmovershk.com/

Export a Pet https://www.export-a-pet.com/zh-hant

Pets are part of the family. Please arrange pet immigration in advance so that you can start a new life in the UK with your owner.

＊Please note that if you plan to rent a house for the first time in the UK, please confirm with the landlord/rental agent that pets are allowed in the house. Some owners indicate that pets are not allowed.

 

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Jacqueline Ma No Comments

New Hong Kong BN(O) Visa Route Announced by UK Home Secretary

Today (July 22nd 2020), the Secretary of State (Priti Patel) and the Foreign Secretary (Dominic Raab) announced the new Hong Kong BN(O) visa route.

Those eligible for the visa will be able to apply from January 2021.

On July the 1st 2020, the Foreign Secretary made its first statement regarding China’s controversial national security legislation. The UK government’s position is that it is a clear breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

Signed between China and the UK on the 19th of December 1984, the Joint Declaration promised to preserve Hong Kong’s existing capitalist system and way of life until 2047.

According to the Foreign Secretary, the legislation recently enacted by Beijing is also in direct conflict with Article 23 of China’s Basic Law which allows Hong Kong to establish its own national security legislation.

Today’s announcement allows Hong Kong citizens who are BN(O) to apply for the new Hong Kong BN(O) visa. An estimated 2.9 million people will be able to apply for visas which last 30 months and extendable for another 30 months (or single period of 5 years), after which they can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (and citizenship a year after).

Standard requirements still apply:

  • be ordinarily resident in Hong Kong, which includes those currently in the UK but who are ordinarily resident in Hong Kong;
  • be able to demonstrate their ability to accommodate and support themselves in the UK for at least six months;
  • demonstrate a commitment to learn English in the UK where appropriate – on entry, there will be no English language requirement but applicants will require a good knowledge of the English language if they choose later to make an application for settled status (indefinite leave to remain) after five years;
  • hold a current tuberculosis test certificate from a clinic approved by the Home Office
  • pay a fee for the visa and the Immigration Health Surcharge both payable in full at the point of the visa application; and
  • have no serious criminal convictions, have not otherwise engaged in behaviour which the UK Government deems not conducive to the public good, and not be subject to other general grounds for refusal set out in the Immigration Rules. 

This is a direct link to the Policy Statement (Note: PDF document)

 

Jacqueline Ma
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How to move the personal Stuff to UK

What do you need to do before moving to the UK?

Once you confirm to relocate to a new country, besides the whole family member moving to the UK, you also need to move your stuff to your new home.

Here are some hints to moving your stuff to the UK:

  1. You need to consider which one needs to send to the UK, and which one should be given up (give to friends, donate to charity, or send to the dump)
  2. If you want to send the appliance to the UK, please make sure the voltage is suitable in the UK.
  3. Do you need to move the furniture, or particularly large objects, such as Piano, bicycle, mattress?
  4. Before packing the carton, make sure you can mark down the content, carton number, and where should put the carton, in the living room, or bedroom? It would help you to unpack the carton after moving to a new home.
  5. Make sure the carton is full stuff, it would be damaged if the carton only half stuff.
  6. For all fragile stuff, make sure to protect it carefully.
  7. If you need to ship lots of books, need to ensure each carton didn’t overweight.

Normally, the personal stuff ship to the UK by sea need around 2 months. So, make sure your daily items or important personal belonging come with you. Or, you need to purchase a new one in the UK. After deciding what items you would like to ship to the UK, you need to pick an international relocation company. You can ask them to quote a rough price for you, quotation are based on how many cartons, any furniture / large items.

Before book the international relocation service, please check:

  1. Any handling fee
  2. Any document fee
  3. Is the quote including packing material?
  4. Is the quote including door to door service?
  5. Any extra cost for moving up the stairs?
  6. The extra cost for storage if can’t be delivered to the UK new home immediately.

Mostly, the final cost is based on the final total volume, plus any handling fee/document fee / extra service charge, please check the quote detail if any additional charge.

Here are some international relocation companies for your reference, you can compare the quote and terms before making a decision.

When the moving company removes all the belongings, the moving company should prepare the shipping information and hand it to you together with the packing list. As the UK has an import tax, personal items can be shipped to the UK tax-free during the first year of immigrating to the UK. To avoid the import tax, you must apply for a Transfer of Residence number before the stuff arrives in the UK. After a successful application, the authorities will issue a Tor No to the applicant. Once received the ToR No, please contact your relocation company, and they could arrange the clearance of your stuff, and arrange the shipment to your new home.

For how to apply for Transfer of Residence, please refer to the following British government website.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-transfer-of-residence-tor-relief-tor01

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How to exchange non-UK driving licence for UK driving licence?

How to exchange a non-UK driving licence for a UK driving licence?

There are conditions to exchanging a non-UK driver’s licence for a Full UK driver’s licence:

  • Must hold a driving licence from a country accepted by the UK
  • Be a British resident
  • Have a UK address
  • Have lived in the UK for at least 185 days

The DVLA only accepts driving licences from the following countries/regions:

1) Driver’s licences issued by EU countries and three other countries in the European Economic Area are accepted. Drivers from the following countries/regions can exchange their driver’s licence for a British licence:

Andorra / Austria / Belgium / Bulgaria / Czech Republic / Denmark / Estonia / Finland / France / Germany / Greece / Hungary / Iceland / Ireland / Italy / Latvia / Liechtenstein / Lithuania / Luxembourg / Malta / Netherlands / Norway / Poland / Portugal / Republic of Cyprus / Romania / Slovakia / Slovenia / Spain / Sweden

If your licence was issued from a country in the EU or EEA, then you’re officially allowed to drive in the UK on your original licence until you’re 70 and your licence expires. If you’re aged 68 or over when you officially become a resident in Great Britain, you’ll be allowed to drive for 3 years. Once this time has passed, you will need to exchange your licence.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-the-eu-after-brexit-driving-licence-exchange

2) Designated countries
The UK has driving licence agreements with a variety of ‘designated countries’. If you hold a driving licence from one of the countries below, you’ll be allowed to exchange it for a UK driving licence without taking any further tests.

Australia / Barbados / British Virgin Islands / Canada / Falkland Islands / Faroe Islands / Hong Kong / Japan / Monaco /New Zealand / Republic of Korea / Singapore / South Africa / Switzerland / Zimbabwe

If an applicant participates and passes the test in one of the above countries or in a member state of the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), they can exchange their driver’s licence for a full British driver’s licence.

The process to exchange a non-UK driving licence to a British driving licence:

  • Fill in the DVLA D1 form (You can get a DVLA D1 form from the Post Office)
  • Paste a photo on the DVLA D1 form
  • Prepare a cheque
  • Send all the required documents back to DVLA

Don’t forget that you will need to send your original non-UK driving licence to DVLA too and it will NOT be returned to you.

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How do I Apply for an NI Number?

What is an NI Number?

An NI Number (National Insurance number) is your own personal identifier assigned to you by the UK governemnt.

Who needs NI Number?

Anyone would like to work in the UK needs an NI Number. You need a NI number to make sure the National Insurance contributions and tax that you pay are properly recorded on your account. Also, it is a reference number for the social security system. Your NI Number is made up of letters and numbers, and it will never change.

Where can I find the NI Number?

  • Payslip
  • P60
  • Letters about Tax, Pension or Benefits

I don’t have NI Number, how to apply for NI Number?

To apply for an NI Number in England, Scotland or Wales, you need to have:

  • Entered the UK on a Visa
  • Have the right to work in the UK

You can call the National Insurance number application line (England, Scotland, and Wales) as below, and book for an interview.
Telephone: 0800 141 2075
Textphone: 0800 141 2438
Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 3 pm

You need to bring proof of your identity and your right to work or study to the interview.

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