Marcio and his wife Carol moved from Brazil to the UK for a better life. We caught up with Marcio to find out more about his move and his tips for settling in to London life.
Why did you decide to relocate to the UK?
I felt that living in Brazil did not give me enough progression in life. Moving from Brazil to the UK was something that my wife and I had agreed on for a better life. Sometimes thinking about your life in the future is more important than living in the present, and the UK seemed like a country full of opportunities.
How did you decide which area of London to move to?
Finding a place was really easy as a friend of ours from church wanted to rent a house to us. This house was in Hoxton, due to her being a friend from church the amount of rent was reasonable for us. After finding a job I realised the commute was too long so we decided to move closer to my work.
How was your moving experience?
Moving from Brazil to the UK was a great experience. The move was easy and stress free so we could focus on settling in to our new lifestyle.
What was the easiest and hardest part of your move?
The easiest part of moving was when my wife and I finally made the decision to move to the UK. The hardest part about moving from Brazil to the UK was the length of the visa process. For my wife it was very difficult and she had to stay in Brazil for a longer amount of time. Being away from each other was hard.
What are the main benefits to living in London?
London has many great opportunities. The pace at which life moves in the UK is slower than Brazil. This is something that I really enjoy. There are also many different things to do and places to see in the UK. It is definitely a very different lifestyle to Brazil as there is such a big change in culture. It has been a great experience so far!
Was it hard to find a job in the UK?
Finding a job for me wasn’t difficult. However, going to interviews and understanding the range of accents in the UK was hard at first. One thing I found when job hunting is many jobs in the UK require a lot more skills and knowledge than jobs in Brazil.
What are some of your favourite places to visit in London?
Since moving from Brazil to the UK I have tried to visit as many places as I can! I would recommend visiting as many museums as you can. They are so interesting and offer such a great experience of British culture from the past. I also think people should visit the Tower of London, all the Royal palaces, and my personal favourite place Hampton Court. There are many other seasonal places you can visit such as Winter Wonderland and the many food festivals that pop up around London.
How do you find using public transport in the UK?
Travelling around London is great. The transport available means I can get to anywhere in London with ease. Navigating is really easy as there are always signs and maps around to show you where you are going. I also find local people very helpful if I have ever needed help getting somewhere I wasn’t sure of.
How do you stay in touch with family back in Brazil?
Since moving from Brazil to the UK I have kept in contact with my family through WhatsApp. We tend to text a lot as that is the best form of communication for me. Keeping in contact is something I find very easy. There is also normally public WI-FI in London to help me keep in contact with people throughout the day.
What has been the highlight of living in the UK so far?
My highlight has been the chance to finally see the things before I’ve only been able to read about! It’s great to travel around and see different places that you hear about in British history. Seeing London’s sights and attractions is really great. It is much more exciting than reading the books.
What advice would you give to someone moving to the UK?
I would suggest taking a couple of months to learn English. A top tip of mine would be to avoid learning American English as it can be quite different when you get here. You should get to know the local terms as well so that you are familiar with them when you get here. Also get to know the different areas of London, this will help you decide on the best area to move to that will suit your lifestyle.
We hope you found Marcio’s moving story useful if you are planning your own move to London. Already living in London? What are some of your favourite things to do?
Click here to find out more about living in the UK.
