The essentials for a life across borders
A curated shortlist of the services worth signing up for — organised by what you’re sorting out.
Banking & money
Insurance
Connectivity & security
Tools to work anywhere
Learning
Setting up life between the UK and Europe
Living between the UK and the rest of Europe means juggling pounds and euros, two health systems and a phone bill that suddenly stops making sense. The tools above are the ones we’d set up first: accounts that hold more than one currency, cover that follows you across borders, and a SIM you switch on the moment you land.
Everything here is what we’d actually use ourselves. We only list a service once we’d be happy to recommend it to a friend who’s about to move.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open and use Wise or Revolut with a UK address?
Yes. Both work with a UK address, give you a local pound account and a euro IBAN, and let you hold and convert between pounds, euros, dollars and other currencies at the real exchange rate. That is what makes them useful when you earn in one currency and pay in another.
Do I still need international health insurance if I have the NHS?
The NHS covers you while you are in the UK, but it stops at the border. If you spend long stretches abroad or you are between countries, a policy like SafetyWing or Genki fills the gap a short GHIC card does not, including private treatment and repatriation. It complements the NHS for time abroad rather than replacing it.
Will an eSIM like Airalo or Holafly work on my phone in the UK and Europe?
If your phone supports eSIM (most models from the last few years do), yes. You install a regional plan before you travel and switch to it on arrival, so you have data the moment you land without hunting for a local SIM or paying roaming.
Does it cost me anything to use your links?
No. Some links are affiliate links: if you sign up we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you and without changing the price you pay. We only recommend things we would use ourselves.
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