Have you ever thought of travelling to the United Kingdom (UK)? or you’re about to travel there? If that is you, then you need to read this article to the end.
The United Kingdom is one of the countries many foreigners want to visit or even settle down in due to the system of government over there. The social lifestyle, economy, security, and available jobs are some of the major reasons why people love to visit the country. The standard of living there could be regarded as one of the highest standards in the world and this has made a lot of people to pick interested in the country no matter their social and financial background.
Before you think about travelling to the United Kingdom, you need to know some essential things about the country such as the social life of the people living there, their culture and history, their food, laws and many more. As a migrant, tourist or business person or even an asylum seeker travelling there, you need to make sure you have a deeper understanding of the country before you travel there.
In this article, I’ll be covering almost everything you’ll need to know about the UK and its people. This will serve as a guide to help you navigate around and fit into any part of the country you find yourself in.
Without wasting much time, let us dive into the things you need to know about the United Kingdom before travelling there.
Things You Need To Know Before Travel To The (UK) United Kingdom
Below are the primary important things you need to know about the United Kingdom before travelling there.
- Culture and History
- Security
- Types of foods or dishes
- Education
- Economy
- Politics/ Government
- Restrictions on travel to the United Kingdom (UK)
Culture and History of The United Kingdom
The culture of the United Kingdom is a combination of different nations’ histories. The country is built under the foundation of Christianity. The British empire was formed as a result of interactions with different cultures of Europe, and the traditions of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Britain has also made notable contributions to music, cinema, art, architecture and television. The UK is also the home of the Church of England, the state church and the mother church of the Anglican Communion, the third-largest Christian denomination. Britain contains some of the world’s oldest universities, has made many contributions to philosophy, science, technology and medicine, and is the birthplace of many prominent scientists and inventions.
The Industrial Revolution began in the UK and had a profound effect on the family socio-economic and cultural conditions of the world. As a result of the British Empire, significant British influence can be observed in the language, law, culture and institutions of its former colonies, most of which are members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Security
The United Kingdom has one of the most advanced securities that one can ever think of. This has given the country an edge over other countries that can boast security.
The national security secretariat provides coordination on security and intelligence issues of strategic importance across the government. Separately, the Joint Intelligence Organisation produces independent all-source assessments on matters of national security and foreign policy importance. By supporting the work of the National Security Council and the Joint Intelligence Committee respectively, they provide advice on these issues to the Prime Minister and other senior ministers.
This national security ensures that they provide policy advice to the National security council, where ministers discuss national security issues at a strategic level. They also ensure that they coordinate and develop foreign and defence policies across the government.
The securities of the united kingdom are also known for developing effective and proactive security policies and capabilities for the government. As a traveller moving into the UK, be rest assured that you’re safe in the country.
Types of foods or dishes
According to EF.COM. There are different dishes one can actually find in the united kingdom. The country is known for its fine-dining reputation. The dishes in the UK are not about being fancy or expensive, they are just simply the best any foreigner can ever wish for.
The menu in the UK changes based on your location due to the multicultural nature of life over there.
Below are some popular dishes in the United Kingdom.
Fish and Chips
Fish and chips are very popular dishes in the United Kingdom. This dish is considered the staple of the Great British Summer. The people of the UK are known to be good at preparing this dish. No matter who you are, or where you’re from, you will surely love the way it is being prepared.
The fish is deep-fried in batter and serve with a huge pile of thick-cut chips. It’s up to you to cover it in salt and vinegar or smother it in ketchup and find the nearest beach to eat at.
You can get your hands on this delicious meal in places like Bournemouth and Brighton because they are the two original seaside towns.
Falafel
Falafel is not an original British delicacy, but it is one of the most widely consumed dishes in some places in the UK. The dish is placed on a salad, stuffed in a wrap, or hot in a flatbread sandwich, these balls of gently spiced Middle Eastern chickpea mash are delicious (and kinda healthy), no matter how you choose to devour them. This delicacy can be found in places like Bristol.
Cream Tea
Cream tea is very popular in the southern part of England, one of the sunniest regions in England. When consuming this, you’ll need to tuck it into a cream tea. For this world-famous delicacy, a steaming teapot of the brown stuff accompanies two huge scones, each lovingly topped with jam and thick, clotted cream. You can find this dish in Torquay, Devon.
Education
The educational system of the UK is divided into four different parts. These are primary education, secondary education, further education and higher education. The system made it mandatory for children in the UK to attend primary and secondary education which runs from about 5 years until the student becomes 16 years.
Below are the key stages of the UK education system.
Key Stage 1: 5 to 7 years old
Key Stage 2: 7 to 11 years old
Key Stage 3: 11 to 14 years old
Key Stage 4: 14 to 16 years old
Economy
According to Wikipedia. The United Kingdom’s economy is a highly developed social market and it is a market-oriented economy. The country’s economy is regarded as the sixth-largest economy in the world base on the gross domestic product (GDP), eighth-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP), and twenty-fifth-highest by GDP per capita, constituting 3.3% of world GDP.
The country’s economy is regarded as the most globalised economy and comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you want to know more about the country’s economy,
you can read more from Wikipedia.
Politics/ Government
The United Kingdom is well known as a unitary state with devaluation that is governed within a framework known as the parliamentary democracy which is under a constitutional monarchy. In this system of government operated by the UK, the monarch, which is currently Queen Elizabeth II, is known as the head of state while the prime minister of the UK is the head of government.
In the United Kingdom, all executive power is exercised or carried out by the British government on behalf of the monarch. This action must be carried out with the consent of the monarch, and the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The legislative is vested in the two chambers of the parliaments. Parliament of the United Kingdom, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, as well as in the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.
The country has practised a two-party system for centuries and this has proven to be effective even up to date. This system has been operating for 102 years today. It was put into practice in 1920 because two major parties are Conservative Party and the Labour Party have been the dominant parties ever since.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the United Kingdom’s political history, you can read from
Wikipedia
Restrictions on Travel to The United Kingdom (UK)
The covid-19 virus that almost brought the world to its knee was one of the primary reasons why there were some strict travelling restrictions in the UK.
According to CNN. The United Kingdom experienced one of the highest numbers of death as a result of the covid-19 pandemic in the world. This pandemic resulted in multiple lockdowns which lead to so many activities being ignored and businesses being shut down.
Earlier in 2022, the Omicron coronavirus variant spread rapidly across the UK. This made the government of the UK to placed different travel restrictions on visitors to the United Kingdom.
COVID-19 restrictions on entering the UK
COVID-19 – Restrictions and preventative measures were taken during the pandemic and are still in effect in some destinations.
These seem to incorporate the following:
- Mandatory mask use mask.
- Lockdowns, curfews and the restrictions movement.
- Required verification of inoculation or COVID-19 test results, to get access to private and public administrations or places.
- Make sure that you verify if specific requirements or restrictions are still in effect.
Although all COVID-19 restrictions and requirements have been removed since March 2022 from the UK. Arrivals from overseas are not subject to any restrictions.
Is it necessary to fill out a passenger locator form in the UK?
Absolutely No!
We must first understand what a Passenger Locator Form is before diving into this.
What is the Passenger Locator Form?
In 2020, a special form was introduced to keep track of those returning to the UK in case they test positive for Covid or come into contact with someone who does. It was updated to include vaccine information in 2021.
Is it necessary to fill out a passenger locator form in the UK?
There has been no travel restriction for anyone flying into the UK since 18 March 2022, regardless of vaccination status.
All remaining Covid19 travel measures, including the Passenger Locator Form and tests for all arrivals, will be stood down for travel to the UK as of 4 am on 18 March, wrote Transport secretary Grant Shapps on Twitter.
While you don’t have to do anything Covid-related when flying into the UK, it’s always a good idea to check government advice before travelling. It has been suggested that the passenger locator form will be kept as an option, and might be brought back if Covid-19 cases rise again.
All standard entry procedures for entering the country with a visa, a visa waiver such as the UK ETA, or just a passport are still required.
To stay updated with the UK travel restriction, you can
check here.
Conclusion
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