Living in Scotland

The country is brimming with monuments, castles, museums and striking architecture, paying homage to a long and storied history. Many of Scotland’s galleries and museums are free of charge and, whether it is hearing kilt-wearing bagpipe players or traditional ceilidh dances, your time working and living in Scotland will be a memorable one. Scotland is a great country in which to make a career in healthcare, with opportunities for a varied and fulfilling working life. Here, you will have the chance to work in one of the most advanced health services in the world, in a country with a medical research record second to none.

Living and working in Fife

Read more about living and working in Fife, with NHS Fife in our Live Life in Fife guide. 

Live life in Fife Brochure

Finance & Money

Bring with you some money to spend on expenses and shopping when you get here.  You should aim to bring this money in cash, in GBP.  You should aim to bring approximately £500 to ensure that you will have enough money to see you through to your first salary payment from NHS Fife.  As employees are paid monthly on the last Thursday of the month, you could be here a month before getting paid for the first time.

Opening a bank account

A representative will make the necessary arrangements for you to open a bank account. You will require an appointment for this but this has already been set up for you and the contact person will know the time of the appointment and will arrange transport to get you there.  You will need the following documentation for this;

• Passport/Visa
• Letter provided by NHS Fife with your address in Scotland,

In Scotland, the unit of currency is the pound (£), which is used throughout the entire UK. All major credit cards can also be used across Scotland, with Visa and MasterCard being most widely accepted.

Family and Children

Dependants visas 

Under the Health and Care Worker visa, eligible family members can apply as your dependants.  Please check  with the rules at the the UK Government site below. 
Health and Care Worker visa: Your partner and children - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Childcare and early years education 

All Childminders in the UK are required to be registered by the Care Inspectorate and this is applicable to anyone looking after a child for 2 hours or more a day. Childminders are regulated under the Health and Social Care Standards and the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. 

For international employees bringing younger children to Fife, the local council website is a trusted source of invaluable local information.  Early years, nursery and school education is run by Fife Council. The Fife Council website explains what government/school nursery placement your children will be entitled to within Fife. It also gives detail on how you can apply for these.

Nurseries and childcare

Early Learning & Childcare (Admissions) | Fife Council

Fife Council has 107 early years establishments which include nurseries, early learning and childcare centres and family nurture centres offering a range of services. 

Private nursery

You can also use private nurseries and childminders to support you when working.

Childminders

Scottish Childminding Association website - You can search this site to find childminders

Nursery and Admissions Management System Team at Fife Council
Contact details:
Email: NAMS@fife.gov.uk   This email is for the admissions.
Tel: 03451 555555 ext 442803

School age children (5-18)

School catchment area

Use this link to find out which local school your child can attend.

Schools in Fife

Use this link for general school information in Fife.

Applying for a school place in Fife

Use this link to apply for a school place for your child. Note that applications for 2022/23 are now closed. You can email education.services@fife.gov.uk however for information and support.

Other useful links

Care Inspectorate  - An independent organisation that inspects nurseries, childminders and schools. You will find a nursery here by searching nursery/Kirkcaldy

Childcare.co.uk Registered Childminders by area. There is also a link that gives tips and guidelines on what to look for, staying safe and for taking references.

Travel in and around Fife

There are a number of local travel options. Stagecoach provide many local bus services across Fife.  

For information on Stagecoach services

For information on Bay Travel services 

For information on Moffat & Williamson services 

Information is also available on the Traveline Scotland website or by calling 0871 200 22 33.

For rail information see the Trainline website.

Plan your journey by bus, train, ferry or (internal) plane across Scotland using the Traveline Scotland Journey Planner 

Getting around in Fife 

Bus Pass

Please note that our new candidates will receive a bus pass to pay for their travel to work (if required) for their first week and beyond this it will be their own responsibility to pay for travel to work.

Sim Card

Our candidates will receive a UK SIM card on their first day when they arrive in Scotland together with a top-up voucher.

Your health

Find your nearest doctor or other health professional

Find health services near where you live in Fife. Follow the link below and use your postcode to find GPs, Dentists and other services.

Find you nearest

Registering with a doctor or health service

You will need to register with a  doctor and a dentist whilst you are resident.  Find out more on how to do this here.  

Register with a doctor

Know who to turn to for health advice

For general healthcare advice, see our right care, right place webpages which cover everything from over the counter medicines you can buy from any local pharmacy to advice and self help guides on a range of symptoms such as backache and more serious conditions which may require you to go to hospital.

Right care, right place

Pregnancy 

What you need to know if you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy

Pregnancy Guidance NHS Scotland

Domestic Abuse

Help or advice available if you are affected by domestic abuse and/or sexual violence in Fife.

Domestic abuse and violence cannot be excused as culture and tradition. In the UK it is a crime and there are laws protecting victims of domestic abuse and abusers are prosecuted.

Domestic violence is physical, psychological (emotional), sexual or financial abuse that takes place within an intimate or family-type relationship and usually forms a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour.  Some examples are: Forced marriage, Threats regarding ‘honour’, Destructive criticism or verbal abuse, disrespect and humiliation, breaking trust and sexual violence.

The local Fife Gender Based Violence team are here to offer help or advice if you are, or have been, affected by domestic abuse and/or sexual violence.

End Domestic Violence
Contact us: 01592 729258  (Lines open Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5pm) or by email: Fife.gbvteam@nhs.scot

Shopping

For shopping such as clothing and home items, there are shopping centres in all the major towns in Fife including:

The Mercat Shopping Centre, Kirkcaldy

The Kingsgate Shopping Centre, Dunfermline

The Kingdom Shopping Centre, Glenrothes

For a much wider selection of shopping and international retailers, you can visit Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Groceries and food

For practical shopping such as groceries and food shopping, Fife offers a number of supermarkets as well as some speciality food retailers. See also the list below.

Wing Fung Ltd  Cash and carry Wholesaler in Kirkcaldy, Scotland - Hayfield Industrial Estate, Unit 9 Hayfield Pl, Kirkcaldy KY2 5DH

Al Falah Halal meat, vegetables and groceries - 41 Allan Cres, Dunfermline KY11 4HE

AYT Foods African-Carribbean Grocery Store, 24 Bridge Street, Dunfermline, 01383 325169

C Sinclair, Fish shop, ​178 High St, Kirkcaldy .KY1 1JW Tel:01592 328 377 and at 182 High St Burntisland KY3 9AP Tel:01592 873 568  Contact@csinclairfish.com

Cost of Living

Prices will vary depending on where you shop, and there is no set cost for most things in Scotland. To make it a little easier, below is a list of some items and rough guides to what you may pay for them:

• 1 litre of milk: £0.70 - £1.00
• 1 litre of petrol: £1.40 - £ 1.60
• 1 loaf of Bread: £1.00 - £3.00
• 1 coffee from a coffee shop: £3.00 - £5.00
• 1 sandwich from a sandwich shop: £2.00 - £5.00
• 2 course meal for 2 in a budget restaurant: £30 - £50
• 2 course meal for 2 in a fancy restaurant: £60 - £90
• 1 pint of beer in a bar: £4.50 - £6.00
• 1 can of Diet Coke: £0.70 - £1
• 1 single bus journey: £3
• 1 cinema ticket: £12.00 -£16.00 in Fife. (Cinemas are less expensive outside Fife).

Entertainment and things to do

There is plenty to do here in Fife. We have 300 miles of coastal path for walking, many parks and green spaces and lots of activities are on offer in the main towns and villages. Fife council have a What’s on section for inspiration on things to do and Fife Cultural Trust provide indoor entertainment across their theatres, libraries and other venues for days when the weather may push you indoors. 

https://www.fife.gov.uk/whats-on

https://www.onfife.com/

Faith Groups and Churches