London is the capital city of the United Kingdom - an island country with a total land area of approximately 94,060 sq miles.
More than 50% of days in the UK are overcast, but the temperate climate is moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current.
London has been a major settlement for 2,000 years, having been founded by the Romans.
For the last 200 years the name ‘London’ has also denoted the wider metropolis that developed around the city.
This huge conurbation now forms the Greater London administrative area, which has its own elected mayor and assembly.
Today London is easily the largest metropolitan area in the UK, and is home to a great diversity of people, cultures and religions.
Approximately 8 million people live within the boundaries of Greater London, and together they speak over 300 languages.
After the Second World War London moved to become a predominantly service-based economy.
In the 1990s the financial services sector became increasingly important to the economy not just of the city, but also the entire UK, and today the London metropolitan area generates approximately 30% of UK's GDP.
The headquarters of most of the UK's top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100), and a fifth of Europe's 500 largest companies have their headquarters in London.
There is a heavy concentration of insurance companies, banks, and futures exchanges in the City, and London has become a major financial centre for international business and commerce.
As one of three "command centres" for the global economy, it is a leading global city, with a central time zone that makes it uniquely placed to act as a bridge between the US and Asian markets.
Foreign professionals wishing to work in the UK will need to apply for a work permit. Application procedures and requirements are dependent on your experience and qualifications.
For more information on work permit requirements and application details visit www.ukvisas.gov.uk
The UK is a very safe country, with careful controls in place to safeguard against everything from accidents at work to the introduction of foreign diseases like rabies.
The UK’s National Health Service provides free healthcare and is accessible by anybody with a Visa for six months or longer. The spouse and children of the Visa holder are also entitled to care under the NHS.
To access services, Visa holders must be in possession of a health card, which is available from their nearest Local Health Authority on completion of the relevant form. Once you have the card, it will be necessary to register with a GP surgery.
The following link is for a foreign exchange website : www.xe.com
1. Passport and appropriate visa
2. A copy of your birth certificate
3. Photo ID
4. Driver's licence
5. Debit/credit card for account you hold
6. Statements of other accounts you hold
7. A copy of your CV
8. Sample cover letter
9. Reference letters and contact details of your referees
10. Proof of qualifications
11. Academic transcripts
12. Ongoing prescriptions
13. Contact details of your local doctor
14. Relevant medical history or files
15. Travel insurance policy (including health option)
16. Vaccination certificate