Moving & Living - Falkland Islands - Complete Guide

01Choose Stanley or a posting in Camp around the actual job

The first housing decision is usually tied to the job. Stanley is the main town, with the hospital, schools, bank and many everyday services. Camp means the rural areas outside Stanley, including settlements and outer islands; a Camp appointment is not a quieter suburb with the same daily service access.

Ask for the accommodation address, photographs, furnishing inventory and the commute before accepting the offer. For a family, discuss bedrooms and practical access to education and healthcare. A promise to “find something after arrival” does not answer the work-permit requirement for suitable accommodation.

If you need a short stay, the Tourist Board’s accommodation directory identifies Stanley and Camp providers, including Port Howard and Goose Green. Obtain a direct booking confirmation and cancellation terms. A directory entry is a starting point, not evidence that a long-term rental is available.

Put the place of work, home, school and arrival airport on one map. That simple exercise exposes a transfer or school journey that may otherwise be missing from a contract discussion.

02Choose the sponsored permit before booking the move

The Falkland Islands have their own immigration permit system. British citizenship does not itself provide an ordinary right to arrive and take a local job. Establish whether you need a work permit, an accompanying dependent permit or another category; a UK immigration document is not a substitute.

1. For an employment move, use the work-permit service and the authority’s application forms. First applications normally must be made from outside the Islands, subject to the specified exceptions for existing or recent permit holders and certain lawful residents.
2. Have the employer confirm the sponsored job and housing. A work permit is linked to that job and employer; the stated maximum total validity, including extensions, is four years.
3. List accompanying family members and agree sponsorship. The accompanying dependent permit is sponsored by the main worker’s employer.
4. Complete the relevant document, medical and character evidence before arranging a fixed departure date.
5. Retain the issued approval and read every condition, including the dates and any limitation on employment.

The visa-national distinction mainly concerns visitors: certain nationalities need a visa as well as a visitor permit. The official category overview says an approved work, accompanying dependent, dependent or volunteer permit does not require an additional visitor visa. Identify the actual permit rather than purchasing the wrong application.

A visitor permit is ordinarily issued for up to one month at arrival, while advance applications can seek a longer visit. It does not establish an ordinary settlement or employment route. The territory has no local ETA requirement in the current immigration FAQ; any UK transit or entry permission remains a separate journey question.

03Agree the appointment, benefits and permitted work

Begin with the actual vacancy and employment contract. The government careers service advertises roles, while private employers make their own appointments. Compare the work location, contract length, hours, salary, leave and end-of-contract arrangements, rather than comparing only annual pay.

1. Ask who is the sponsoring employer and whether it has completed the local labour and recruitment requirements. The immigration process requires the employer to address suitable available Falkland Islands Status or permanent-residence holders.
2. Confirm responsibility for repatriation costs. Include accompanying dependants expressly in the discussion instead of assuming they are included.
3. Get the housing charge, furnishings, utilities, relocation allowance and travel benefits in writing. The government’s overseas-contract benefits are for its eligible appointments, not a universal package offered by every employer.
4. Agree the first payday, the way pension and tax deductions work, and what happens if screening or the permit prevents the move.
5. Start work in the authorised role only once the relevant permission is in place. Coordinate a changed employer or job with Immigration before assuming the original permit still covers it.

An adult accompanying dependent may work in roles on the Workforce Shortage List under the published ADP conditions. For work outside that list, the dependent permit service requires separate permission. That distinction matters when a second household income is part of the budget.

For self-employment or a proposed business, take the activity and ownership proposal to Customs and Immigration before trading. The reviewed categories do not establish an unrestricted digital-nomad visa or a general right to work remotely on visitor permission. Explain where the work will be performed, who pays for it and what local operation is proposed, then obtain the applicable decision.

04Calculate the household budget and local tax deductions

Use Falkland Islands pounds for local spending and keep overseas travel and transfers on a separate line. Include heating fuel, connectivity, clothing for the posting and freight alongside rent. A contract with a furnished home can have a different starting cost from arranging a private rental and shipping a household.

The Taxation Office’s2026 guidance gives a personal allowance of £16,860, subject to tax-residence treatment. After allowable deductions, the first £18,000 of taxable income is charged at 21% and the remainder at 26%. Tax residence has its own 183-day test; it is different from immigration residence. Resident income reporting can include foreign income and taxable benefits.

The local tax year is January–December. Ask payroll about Payments on Account of Tax, or POAT, and use the 2026 individual guide for your circumstances. An employer-provided home or contract gratuity may affect taxation; ask for a payslip illustration rather than treating benefits as automatically tax-free.

For a hypothetical £700 monthly rent, rent plus the £62 connectivity example totals £762 before food, heating, electricity, transport and insurance. This is a calculation, not a quotation for an available property.

05Arrange school entry and realistic post-school study

Contact the relevant institution with the child's age, current year group, intended arrival and previous records. Infant Junior School and Camp Education is the primary starting point; Falkland Islands Community School handles secondary schooling. If an arrival is midway through a GCSE course, discuss subjects and examination arrangements before assuming a direct transfer.

1. Send the school the expected start date and ask what records and consent forms it needs.
2. Discuss language support, learning needs, medical arrangements and previous assessments early enough to plan support.
3. Confirm the school route, uniform, equipment and term dates directly. Match the school plan to the home offered by the employer.
4. For Camp, contact Camp Education about the exact settlement. Its network includes Goose Green, Fox Bay and Port Howard; provision and travel should be established for the actual posting.
5. Arrange childcare separately for younger children and for hours beyond the school day.

For adults and older learners, Falkland College provides a practical starting point for vocational learning, English courses and careers advice. The Islands should not be described as having a conventional residential university that any newcomer can join.

Overseas higher-education funding has explicit eligibility. The current linked FIG higher-education funding policy, approved in 2023, requires Falkland Islands Status and at least 12 months of ordinary residence before the course, alongside further conditions. A child's parent's new work permit does not establish this entitlement. Ask the Education Directorate about your household's position before budgeting on funded university study overseas.

Keep the immigration file and school file distinct. A school discussion can help prepare the move, but it does not issue the dependent permission or guarantee that the proposed household arrangements are approved.

06Separate pension planning from permission to remain

A pension income or a purchased home does not itself create a new retirement permit. At this review, the official permanent-residence announcement suspends new PRP applications from 1 September 2026, with 1 September 2027 the earliest stated date applications might be received again. A timetable from before that announcement should not be treated as an available application today.

1. If you already hold a local status or resident permission, ask Immigration what the change from work to retirement means for that specific document.
2. If you are considering a first move, identify an actual qualifying category before buying property or arranging an indefinite stay. Do not build a retirement plan around an invented pension-based visa.
3. Obtain your contribution record and pension forecasts from the paying institutions.
4. Arrange a bank account, payment method and contact address that will work if you later leave the Islands.
5. Assess continuing treatment and insurance separately from the pension calculation.

The government pension services distinguish the state Retirement Pension Scheme from the defined-contribution Falkland Islands Pension Scheme, or FIPS. These are different arrangements; ask which deductions and employer contributions apply to your appointment.

Under the 2026 retirement scheme information, applicable resident workers between 17 and their retirement age contribute when earnings exceed £386.40 per week. The total contribution is £47.80 weekly, split equally between employee and employer for qualifying employment. Self-employed treatment differs. Contributions are not simply refunded when a short contract ends; request an explanation of your record and future options before treating the deduction as recoverable savings.

07Complete medical screening, character checks and shipment clearance

Prepare a document file for each applicant: passport, relevant application, job and sponsor evidence, accommodation arrangement and family relationship evidence where needed. Keep the originals accessible during travel and a separate secure copy of the approved documents.

1. Arrange the medical and dental assessment required for the application. The 2026 immigration health policy assesses needs against local resources and considers cases individually. Give accurate treatment and medication information early, so the sponsor can address a practical issue before you resign or ship belongings.
2. Use the detailed criminal-record guidance for the check level and countries. Applications lasting 150 days or more require the relevant check; permits of two years or more can require checks from multiple prior countries. The detailed guidance uses a three-month age for applicable police/ACRO checks, so do not rely on the FAQ's older six-month summary.
3. Obtain the declaration and checks through the relevant police authority. Discuss a safeguarding role's additional employer check separately.
4. Give the shipping agent a detailed inventory and ask about biosecurity permits and import protocols. Clean machinery, vehicles and outdoor equipment as the category requires, rather than shipping soil-contaminated items.
5. Agree freight collection, arrival notification, clearance and delivery costs before the shipment leaves.

For pets, contact Veterinary Services before making transport arrangements. Live animals require its import licence and undergo quarantine; the service will specify the vaccination, testing and treatment conditions for the animal and departure country. Build those dates into the flight plan and confirm landlord acceptance too.

Pack medicines, essential work items, waterproof layers and a few days' household necessities in the travel allowance. Freight may arrive separately; an item listed on a shipping inventory will not help with the first morning's work or a child's first school day.

08Coordinate the flight, airport transfer and first essentials

Book through the route and sponsor agreed for your appointment. For the UK South Atlantic Airbridge, the government's current temporary notice places departures and arrivals at East Midlands Airport during 25 July–15 November 2026, subject to amendment. Do not travel to RAF Brize Norton on the strength of an older moving guide.

1. Use the agreed booking contact. The temporary notice says Airbridge tickets remain bookable through FIC or FIGO, rather than East Midlands Airport's retail booking site.
2. Read the official RAF passenger information for the current departure and check-in. Allow for changes when buying onward connections.
3. Check the baggage allowance printed on your own confirmation. An allowance for another resident or another carrier is not automatically yours.
4. Carry passport, permit approval, sponsor contact, accommodation address and insurance evidence where required.
5. Arrange the transfer from Mount Pleasant before arrival. It is not Stanley Airport, where internal FIGAS services operate.

At entry, present the permission matching the actual move and retain the arrival record. Then meet the person responsible for the house handover, establish a usable phone contact and confirm the first workplace appointment.

Record flight changes and keep essential medicine and paperwork in accessible luggage. If a connection or weather changes the arrival, notify both the sponsor and accommodation contact. The person holding the key needs the revised plan, not just the original itinerary.

Departure planning also belongs in the move budget: the current fee schedule shows £40 embarkation tax through 31 December 2026, increasing to £41 from 1 January 2027 for non-exempt departing passengers. Ask the booking contact whether it is included in the ticket or collected separately.

09Set up payroll, tax and pension records after entry

Your permit approval is one record; payroll and pension administration create others. Ask the employer to identify the person handling each task and obtain the contact details before your first salary is due. Use the same legal name and address across forms.

1. Give the employer the entry and permission details needed for its onboarding. Compare the approved job, sponsor and dates with the appointment you are starting.
2. Complete the tax information requested by payroll and the Taxation Office. Record arrival and absence dates so tax residence and the personal allowance can be assessed correctly.
3. Confirm the employer has registered you for the applicable Retirement Pension Scheme. The scheme's published process makes the employer responsible for registering new employees; self-employed and voluntary contributors arrange their own registration.
4. Obtain the pension reference and an explanation of deductions. Check the first payslip against the agreed salary, housing and other authorised deductions.
5. Keep the permit expiry, contract end and insurance date separately. Ask when an extension file must be prepared and who requests it.

The Taxation Office normally issues individual returns after the tax year, with a 31 July deadline or 60 days after issue if later. Tax payment has its own deadline of 1 October or 30 days after assessment if later. Keep notices and receipts; being on payroll does not mean every overseas income question has been resolved.

There is no need to invent a universal newcomer identity card or address-register appointment. Complete the records your actual permit, employer and services require. If you move house, give the new address to the responsible offices and bank, retaining a dated record of the change.

10Arrange a local account and dependable payment methods

Standard Chartered's Falkland Islands current account is a practical starting point for day-to-day banking. Its published product has no minimum balance requirement and offers a Visa debit card. Account approval and the documents for your circumstances still need to be established with the local branch.

1. Contact the Falklands banking service before or shortly after arrival and ask for the current newcomer checklist and an appointment.
2. Prepare your passport, permit, address and employment details for the bank to assess. Obtain confirmation of any additional proof it needs instead of using a Standard Chartered form intended for another country.
3. Arrange the card, statements and payment access you need. Find out how replacement cards and a changed phone or address are handled.
4. Test a small deposit or transfer, then a local payment. Give payroll the verified account details in time for its processing date.
5. Use the bank's actual local and international transfer forms for the relevant payment and confirm the charges and recipient instructions before sending a large sum.

Ask your existing bank how it handles transfers to the Islands and whether its card works for your planned local purchases. Keep a second payment method while the new account and card are being arranged. Explain any large incoming amount and preserve the supporting records.

Use the agreed payee details for rent and utility payments, retaining receipts. Where the employer deducts rent from salary, compare the deduction with the housing agreement. A debit card makes everyday payment easier, but it does not remove the need to understand a standing order, salary deduction or overseas-transfer fee.

11Confirm the tenancy, inventory and heating arrangements

For a government overseas contract, complete the housing preference process early and obtain the actual property allocation. The contract benefits page describes housing for eligible officers; it does not establish a right to government housing for every new private employee.

1. Read the tenancy before arrival where provided. Confirm the current rent, start date, deposit or deductions, service charge and end-of-contract arrangements.
2. Establish whether furniture and white goods are included and separately charged. The dated November2024 staff welcome guide explains the government inventory and loan-kit approach; obtain the current inventory for the assigned home.
3. At handover, inspect with the responsible person. Photograph existing damage, compare the inventory and record meter readings.
4. Learn the heating and hot-water controls and identify the fuel tank or cylinders. Ask who orders refills, the account used and the level at handover.
5. Save the routine maintenance and urgent repair contacts, then return a copy of the signed inventory.

For a private tenancy, make the arrangement directly with the owner or authorised representative. Put rent, notice, repair responsibilities, pets, furnishing and all included services in writing. No verified universal private deposit cap or mandatory newcomer lease registry is asserted here.

Compare the complete cost. A home with a lower rent may have different fuel, furniture or connectivity charges. Do not quote an old staff-guide range as the current private market: ask for the actual property's offer and a recent explanation of its heating expenses.

Before buying or shipping furniture, establish what is already in the house and whether storage or removal is possible. For a fixed posting, plan the final handover at the same time: who returns keys, checks the inventory and settles the last bills?

12Complete medical registration and an evacuation plan

The Health Department provides the Islands' services, centred on King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Stanley. Hospital capacity and off-island treatment make the immigration medical assessment a real part of planning. A policy covering a short trip should not be assumed to meet a longer contract's requirements.

1. Complete the required screening and discuss ongoing medication with the receiving medical service before departure.
2. Obtain the written care and insurance arrangements for your permit, including dependants. For a work permit of nine months or less, the published work-permit conditions specify medical self-declaration and evacuation cover of at least USD 2 million equivalent.
3. After arrival, contact KEMH primary care about registration and records. Its published appointment contact is 28000, or +50028000 from outside the Islands.
4. Provide relevant prescriptions, treatment summaries, allergies and monitoring requirements. Arrange continuing supplies rather than waiting until the last dose.
5. For a Camp posting, establish the consultation, emergency communication and transfer arrangements with the service and employer.

The medical service describes remote medicine chests, telephone consultations and flying-doctor provision for rural patients. Find out how these apply to your actual location. Do not treat an internal flight ticket as a guaranteed emergency evacuation plan.

The immigration insurance guidance explains that the UK reciprocal arrangement for eligible NHS-entitled UK residents does not cover medical repatriation or treatment during transit through a third country. Nationality alone should not be used to infer the complete entitlement.

Save emergency and after-hours instructions with the household address and insurer's authorisation contact. In an emergency the official immigration safety guidance gives 999. Make sure another adult can find the records and knows the planned route to care.

13Connect the home and organise island transport

For connectivity, start with Sure's current broadband packages. The plans introduced in December 2025 advertise Unlimited 50 at £50 monthly with speeds up to 5 Mbps and Unlimited 115 at £115 with speeds up to 15 Mbps. Residential line rental with a broadband package is £12. Speeds are maximum advertised values, not a promise for every call or home.

1. Give Sure the installation address and request the connection, equipment, deposit and monthly charges together. The connection page lists a £20 broadband setup fee, with other costs depending on the installation.
2. Choose the mobile contract for your actual duration. Sure offers resident/long-term 12-month plans and short-term 3-month plans; confirm the current allowances rather than copying a 2025 promotion.
3. Check handset compatibility and coverage. The mobile FAQ identifies LTE Band 20 and service locations including Stanley, Mount Pleasant, Goose Green, Port Howard and Fox Bay; that is not blanket coverage for every Camp journey.
4. Record the electricity account and meter, and contact Public Works power services about billing. Allocate water and municipal charges according to the tenancy and the Public Works service contacts.
5. Practise the workplace and school journey, then establish transport for appointments and shopping.

For internal travel, FIGAS and its published fares are separate from international Mount Pleasant flights. Confirm the resident category, baggage limit and actual booking before planning a connection. Eligible resident fares and the 14 kg resident baggage allocation do not describe all tickets.

The Concordia Bay ferry links New Haven on East Falkland and Port Howard on West Falkland. Book foot or vehicle travel in advance; freight work can affect availability. If driving for a posting, resolve your licence, vehicle, insurance and the road conditions with the responsible local service before buying or importing the vehicle.

14Finish the first month and plan the life of the contract

In a small community, the person serving you at a shop may also be a colleague or another school parent. Build a practical routine around work, local opening times, weather and household supplies. Learn which journeys need booking and which items need ordering, so a delayed delivery does not become a recurring crisis.

1. First week: complete the house handover, meet the employer, establish phone access and confirm school and medical contacts.
2. Second week: complete banking and payroll tasks, inspect the first deductions and record the fuel and service accounts.
3. By the end of the month: compare actual spending with the budget, establish the shopping routine and schedule any continuing healthcare.
4. For the following months: plan leave and travel around the contract, actual flights and any internal connections. Check how family travel and pet care will be arranged.
5. Before a renewal or departure: coordinate the permit, contract, tenancy, school notice, bank instructions, shipment and final bills rather than handling them independently at the last minute.

For community and learning, investigate Falkland College's activities and services, school contacts and local groups relevant to your interests. Attend something you can reach regularly before committing to several memberships. In Camp, ask the employer and neighbours about shared travel and supplies and how communications work outside normal hours.

Keep a household administration sheet with expiry dates, contacts, references and who is responsible. Review the pension record and tax position before leaving, including any final return or overseas payment instruction. The move is functioning when the household can manage a normal week and knows how to respond when a flight, a connection or the original organiser is unavailable.