Change of Address Checklist UK: Who to Notify First (2026)

The short answer to a change of address checklist UK query is this: sort your DVLA licence and V5C, electoral roll, council tax and TV Licence first, since these carry fines or legal duties, then move on to money (bank, mortgage, insurers, pension, HMRC), then services (energy, broadband, water), and finish with the smaller everyday updates. Missing the legal items is the costly mistake, since an out-of-date driving licence alone can carry a fine of up to £1,000, according to the Road Traffic Act 1988.

This checklist works through everything in that order, with timing advice for Royal Mail redirection woven in, so you can print it, work down it, and tick things off as you go.

Change of Address Checklist: Legal Duties First

These are the items where getting it wrong isn’t just inconvenient, it’s a fine or a legal problem. Do these in the first week you’re at your new address.

Update Address DVLA: Driving Licence and V5C

Two separate DVLA updates are needed if you drive, and people often only do one of them.

Your driving licence must show your current address. Update it free at gov.uk, using your licence number, National Insurance number, and the addresses you’ve lived at over the past three years. It takes about five minutes online, and your new photocard arrives within one to two weeks. Skip this and you risk a fine of up to £1,000 under the Road Traffic Act 1988, and in the event of an accident, an insurer could argue your policy is invalid because your licence details were wrong.

Your V5C vehicle log book is a separate document from your licence, and updating one doesn’t update the other. You can change your V5C address free online at gov.uk, or by filling in section 6 of the paper V5C and posting it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BD. Neither the licence nor the V5C update costs anything through the official GOV.UK service; any site charging a fee for this is a third-party reseller, not DVLA itself.

Electoral Roll

You need to re-register on the electoral roll at your new address, both to keep your right to vote and because it affects your credit history and how easily lenders can verify your identity. We’ve covered the full process separately, so here it’s just the one-line reminder: register at gov.uk/register-to-vote, it takes about five minutes.

Council Tax

Tell your new local council you’ve moved in, and tell your old council you’ve moved out, since council tax is billed by the local authority, not transferred automatically between them. Most councils let you do this online through their own website, and you’ll usually need your moving date and the estate agent or solicitor’s details to confirm it. Do this promptly since you’re liable for council tax from your actual move-in date, whether or not you’ve told anyone yet.

TV Licence

A TV Licence is tied to an address, not a person, so if you’re moving into a property where the previous occupant already had one, don’t assume you’re covered. Update your details at tvlicensing.co.uk as soon as you have your moving date, since watching or recording live TV, or using BBC iPlayer, without a valid licence at your new address risks a fine of up to £1,000, the same statutory maximum as the DVLA driving licence offence, though this is prosecuted under different legislation.

Money: Banks, Mortgage, Insurers, Pension, HMRC

Once the legal duties are covered, move on to anything involving your finances. These providers often send time-sensitive post like statements, renewal notices and tax documents, so a wrong address here can mean missed payments or lapsed cover.

Bank and building society: update your address through your banking app, online banking, or by phone, ideally before your move so your new debit card and any replacement cheque book go to the right place. Mortgage or landlord: if you’re a homeowner, tell your mortgage lender directly. If you’re renting, this isn’t relevant to you here, but do check your tenancy paperwork is filed with your new address for reference.

Insurance policies need updating before you move, not after, because cover can be invalidated if your insurer doesn’t have your current address, particularly for car and home contents insurance. Ask whether there’s an admin fee and whether your premium changes, since a new postcode can shift your risk rating either way. Pension providers: contact any workplace or private pension schemes directly, since annual statements and retirement paperwork are easy to lose track of if they’re going to an old address for years without you noticing.

HMRC: update your address through your personal tax account on GOV.UK, or by phone, particularly if you’re self-employed or expecting any correspondence about tax credits, Child Benefit, or a tax return. This matters more than people expect, since missed HMRC letters can lead to penalties for late responses that you never saw.

Services: Energy, Broadband, Water

Utilities need handling carefully around the move date itself, not just afterwards.

Energy: take a meter reading on the day you leave your old property and on the day you arrive at the new one, then contact both suppliers with the readings. If you don’t actively choose a supplier at your new address, you’ll usually be placed on the existing occupier’s tariff by default, known as a deemed contract, which is often more expensive than a tariff you’d pick yourself, so switch once you’re settled if it looks poor value.

Broadband and landline: providers typically need two to three weeks’ notice to move your service, and some properties aren’t served by your current provider at all, so check availability at your new address before assuming a simple transfer. Water: unlike energy, you can’t choose your water supplier in most of England and Wales, it’s determined by location, so simply notify the relevant regional supplier of your move-in date with a meter reading if the property has one.

Moving House Checklist: Everything Else

With the essentials done, work through the smaller list. None of these carry fines, but forgetting them causes ongoing annoyance rather than one-off problems.

• Employer, for payroll, P60s and any benefits correspondence
• GP, dentist and any specialist you see regularly, particularly if you’re moving out of the catchment area
• Children’s school, or the local authority if you need a new school place
• Student Loans Company, if anyone in the household has a student loan
• Vehicle breakdown cover and any other membership schemes
• Subscriptions: streaming services, magazines, and regular online deliveries
• Vet, if you have pets registered at a local practice
• Friends and family, so they’re not sending things to an empty house

Royal Mail Redirection: Timing and Cost

Set up a Royal Mail redirection as a safety net for anything you miss on this list, not as a substitute for updating people directly, since some post, particularly anything sensitive, may not be forwarded reliably by every sender in the first place.

Apply at least five working days before your move date, and Royal Mail recommends doing it around three weeks ahead if you can, since giving less notice means some post may still land at your old address in the meantime. Redirection runs for 3, 6 or 12 months, with personal pricing starting from around £45 for the shortest option, and a reduced concession rate available if you receive Universal Credit or Pension Credit. Prices are reviewed annually by Royal Mail, so check royalmail.com for the current figures before you apply, since these can shift from year to year.

Change of Address Checklist Table

FAQs

Who do I need to notify when moving to the UK? 

Prioritise the DVLA (licence and V5C), the electoral roll, council tax and your TV Licence first, since these carry fines or legal duties, then move on to your bank, insurers, pension providers and HMRC, followed by energy, broadband and water suppliers, then everything else like your employer, GP and subscriptions.

How much is the DVLA fine for not updating your address? 

The maximum fine for failing to update your driving licence address is £1,000 under the Road Traffic Act 1988, though it’s not applied automatically and is usually only enforced if the DVLA has grounds to check, such as after an accident or a stop by police. Updating is free, so there’s no financial reason to put it off.

Is it free to change my address with the DVLA? 

Yes, updating both your driving licence and your V5C vehicle log book with the DVLA is completely free through the official GOV.UK service. Any website charging a fee for this task is a third-party service, not DVLA directly, so use gov.uk to avoid paying unnecessarily.

How long does Royal Mail redirection take to set up? 

Royal Mail needs at least five working days to activate a redirection, though it recommends applying around three weeks before your move date for the smoothest handover. Giving less notice means some post could still arrive at your old address before the redirection kicks in.

Do I need to tell HMRC when I move house? 

Yes, especially if you’re self-employed, claim tax credits or Child Benefit, or expect any tax correspondence, since missed letters can lead to penalties for a late response you never actually saw. Update your address through your personal tax account on GOV.UK or by phone.

What happens if I don’t update my address on my car insurance? 

Your insurer may treat your policy as invalid if your address is wrong, which can mean a claim gets refused after an accident or theft. Update your insurer before you move, not after, and check whether your premium changes with the new postcode.

Do I need a new TV Licence when I move house? 

Not a new licence exactly, but you do need to update your address at tvlicensing.co.uk, since a licence covers an address rather than transferring with you automatically. Don’t assume a licence at your new property covers you just because a previous occupant had one.