Before travelling to the UK; make sure the travel document and any required permission are valid for the journey and stay.

GOV.UK entry and immigration services.

Nationality, passport or other eligible travel document, purpose and expected length of stay, and details of any existing UK immigration status.

Entry permission is not the same as permission to work or study. Check the route that applies to what you plan to do in the UK.

After you have a UK address and when a council-administered service or Council Tax account needs action.

The council responsible for your postcode, found through GOV.UK.

Your postcode, address and any account or tenancy details requested by the council.

Local-government responsibilities and charging systems differ across the UK. Follow the route for your actual address and nation.

After you know where you will be living in England, if you want ongoing primary-care access.

An NHS GP surgery in England.

Basic personal information such as your name, date of birth and address. An NHS number can help locate records but is not required.

This is a practical Lili tip, not an immigration or residence requirement. GP registration does not by itself determine whether other NHS treatment is chargeable.

For the tax year in which you move or return, and before any Self Assessment registration or filing deadline that applies to you.

HMRC/GOV.UK residence guidance and Self Assessment services.

Days spent in the UK and abroad, work pattern, homes, family ties and details of UK and foreign income or gains.

Do not use 183 days as the only rule. Split-year treatment and foreign-income rules can apply when you move during a tax year.

Before employment starts, and again later if your right to work is time-limited and a repeat check is required.

GOV.UK right-to-work service and your employer.

Eligible passport or immigration documents, or a share code and date of birth where the online service applies.

A National Insurance number on its own is not proof of the right to work. Use the evidence route that applies to your status.

Before travel or before your current immigration permission expires, using the official application window for your circumstances.

Your education provider and the GOV.UK Student visa route.

Passport/identity details, Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) where required, and financial, English-language and other evidence required by the route.

Do not assume admission to a course gives immigration permission. Different rules can apply depending on nationality, course and existing status.

Before travel where entry clearance is required, or before your current permission expires when applying in the UK.

Home Office/GOV.UK family immigration services.

Identity, relationship evidence, sponsor/status details and any financial, accommodation or language evidence required for the chosen route.

Do not assume every family relationship uses the same visa route. Check the route that matches both your relationship and the sponsor’s status.

Before registering or starting to trade under a structure.

GOV.UK business setup guidance.

Who will own and run the business, expected activities and whether you want to operate personally, in partnership or through a company.

Choose the structure first because the later registration and tax steps depend on it.

When starting the business and before any structure-specific registration deadline.

GOV.UK, HMRC and Companies House where the chosen structure requires it.

Business name, owners/directors/partners, address and the details required by the relevant registration route.

Do not use a company-registration step for a sole trader or partnership unless you are actually forming a company.

From the start of trading and for as long as the relevant record-retention rules require.

HMRC/GOV.UK and, for companies, Companies House requirements.

Income and expense records, invoices, bank information and structure-specific accounting records.

The correct records and retention period depend on your structure and taxes. Use the official rules for the route you selected.

If you exceed the rolling 12-month threshold, register within 30 days of the end of the month in which you exceeded it. If you expect to exceed the threshold in the next 30 days, register within that 30-day period.

HMRC VAT registration service.

Taxable turnover for the previous 12 months, expected taxable turnover for the next 30 days and business/tax details.

The threshold is based on taxable turnover, not profit. Special rules can also apply to overseas businesses and certain transactions.

Before carrying out any activity that needs a licence or permission.

GOV.UK licence finder and the responsible authority shown for the activity.

Business activity, location/premises and details requested for the relevant licence or permission.

There is no single licence that applies to every business. Check the actual activity and location.

Before the activity, vehicle use, employment or professional work that makes specific cover necessary.

Check the official requirements, then arrange any required policy with an insurer or broker.

Business activities, staff, vehicles, premises, professional risks and any sector-specific requirements.

Do not assume every type of business insurance is compulsory. Check which cover is legally required for your circumstances.

Before or when you start processing personal information for the business, and before any ICO fee payment becomes due.

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

How and why you use personal information, whether you are a controller, organisation details, staff numbers and turnover for the fee assessment.

Not every organisation has to pay the fee. Use the ICO self-assessment; an exemption from the fee does not remove other data-protection obligations.

Before the employee starts and at the points specified by the PAYE and workplace-pension rules.

GOV.UK/HMRC, The Pensions Regulator where applicable, and your workplace.

Worker details, payroll information, employment terms, right-to-work evidence and pension-assessment information.

Employment status matters: employee, worker and self-employed arrangements can create different duties.

Complete this before DVLA registration or road use at the stage shown in the official import sequence.

HMRC/GOV.UK vehicle-import services.

Vehicle purchase/import evidence, customs or VAT information, foreign registration/VIN details, identity and any approval or insurance documents required for this stage.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland can follow different import/tax routes. Use the branch in the official guidance that matches where the vehicle is being imported from and where in the UK it is going.

Within 14 days of bringing the vehicle into the UK.

HMRC/GOV.UK vehicle-import services.

Vehicle purchase/import evidence, customs or VAT information, foreign registration/VIN details, identity and any approval or insurance documents required for this stage.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland can follow different import/tax routes. Use the branch in the official guidance that matches where the vehicle is being imported from and where in the UK it is going.

Complete this before DVLA registration or road use at the stage shown in the official import sequence.

HMRC/GOV.UK vehicle-import services.

Vehicle purchase/import evidence, customs or VAT information, foreign registration/VIN details, identity and any approval or insurance documents required for this stage.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland can follow different import/tax routes. Use the branch in the official guidance that matches where the vehicle is being imported from and where in the UK it is going.

Complete this before DVLA registration or road use at the stage shown in the official import sequence.

The vehicle-approval route that applies to the vehicle.

Vehicle purchase/import evidence, customs or VAT information, foreign registration/VIN details, identity and any approval or insurance documents required for this stage.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland can follow different import/tax routes. Use the branch in the official guidance that matches where the vehicle is being imported from and where in the UK it is going.

Complete this before DVLA registration or road use at the stage shown in the official import sequence.

DVLA.

Vehicle purchase/import evidence, customs or VAT information, foreign registration/VIN details, identity and any approval or insurance documents required for this stage.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland can follow different import/tax routes. Use the branch in the official guidance that matches where the vehicle is being imported from and where in the UK it is going.

Before driving the vehicle on UK roads.

An authorised motor insurer/provider.

Vehicle purchase/import evidence, customs or VAT information, foreign registration/VIN details, identity and any approval or insurance documents required for this stage.

You normally cannot use the vehicle on public roads until the import, approval, registration, tax and insurance steps that apply are complete; the official guidance provides a limited exception for travel to a pre-booked MOT or vehicle-approval test. Lili does not recommend a particular insurer.