A2.2 Luggage Preparation¶
Packing for the UK (202510)
How time flies. It feels like the school holidays are over in a blink, and the days seem to rush by for adults, too.
A note on packing: Focus on items you truly need that are either difficult to find in the UK or come with a significantly higher price tag. Pack according to your personal requirements.
Check your baggage allowance: Well before you travel, check and confirm your flight's baggage allowance. This includes the number and weight of checked bags, the size dimensions for suitcases, and the permitted size, weight, and number of carry-on bags.
Important documents: Keep all important documents and materials in your hand luggage, not in your checked baggage. Have backup copies (both photocopies and digital scans) and store them separately in an easily accessible place. We also recommend contacting the official authorities or your airline to confirm the latest boarding and entry requirements, for example, which documents you need to present at check-in.
Prohibited items: Please familiarise yourself in advance with items that are prohibited from being brought into the UK, as well as items strictly forbidden on aircraft. Our guide on the ukstudying.com website contains this information.
Keep all crucial documents you'll need for border control – such as your passport, university offer letter, flight itinerary, any test reports, and your UK address – in an easily accessible place. You can bring your Chinese ID card if you think you might need it for matters back in China.
Suggested Packing List
A jumper or jacket: Airports and planes can often be quite chilly, so dressing in layers is wise. Check the local weather forecast before you travel.
Essential medication: Any medication you might need to take during the flight or your journey.
Cash: Have some Sterling cash and Renminbi cash, including small notes and coins.
Other payment methods: For larger sums, a banker's draft is a secure and convenient option, though it incurs a fee. You can pay it into your UK bank account once you open one, with funds typically available within a day or so. Also, bring a globally accepted bank card (e.g., Mastercard). You'll need some small Sterling notes and coins for things like airport trolleys. Bringing a moderate amount of Renminbi cash, including coins, is also sensible.
Electronics:
Mobile phone(s) and a couple of SIM card ejector tools.
A backup phone (if you use an iPhone, consider an Android model as a spare; a dual-SIM phone is handy).
Laptop, camera, tablet, USB drives, portable hard drives, a power bank, and all necessary data cables (a good time to delete any unnecessary data).
Charging cables and plugs.
Multi-function travel adapters (it's wise to bring a few; pack most in your hold luggage but keep 1-2 in your hand luggage. If transiting via the EU, note the sockets are different, so a multi-function adapter is particularly useful).
Headphones (not necessarily cheaper to buy in the UK).
Stationery: Pens, notebooks, and books are worth bringing. Some stationery items are pricier in the UK, and books are generally very expensive. A calculator if required for your course.
Comfort items: A travel neck pillow, earplugs, and an eye mask.
Optional items: A disposable raincoat, disposable toilet seat covers.
Snacks: Chocolate, easily opened beef snacks, sweets, and other convenient nibbles.
Luggage identification: Luggage tags or a distinctive mark to spot your suitcase easily.
Phone accessories: Phone cases, screen protectors, camera lens covers.
Optional items: A voice recorder.
Thermos flask: A vacuum flask – some compact types can also heat water.
Sewing kit: A small, multi-functional one.
Clothing & Shoes: Bring 1-2 sets of everyday clothes. You might also pack formal wear or occasion wear. While hats and similar items can be bought in the UK, they are often more expensive. Consider bringing two sets of thermal underwear/base layers if you feel the cold. The UK weather is frequently cool, with often windy and rainy conditions. Summer temperatures are rarely very high, with only brief hot spells in recent years. As clothing and shoes are readily available here, and branded items can be cheaper during sales, we advise against over-packing – you can shop when you arrive.
For specific styles: Students who prefer Japanese, Korean, or other specific fashion styles can use '转运' (transit shipping). This involves having online purchases delivered to a logistics company's warehouse in China; they then consolidate your parcels and ship them to the UK for a fee.
Your Chinese mobile SIM: Before departing, contact your provider to activate international roaming and switch to the lowest-cost monthly plan. This allows you to keep your Chinese number for receiving verification codes.
A UK SIM card: You can buy a pre-paid UK SIM in advance (e.g., on Taobao) to use upon arrival, or purchase one at UK airports (often from vending machines – remember scissors or a SIM adapter kit). Note that UK providers often have referral schemes offering free credit.
A rice cooker: A small, multi-functional rice cooker and chopsticks are worth considering, as they are more expensive and less varied in the UK. While you can buy second-hand from other students, be cautious, as some may sell faulty items.
Bedding: You could bring one set of bedding, then buy more locally for changes. Most rental accommodations do not provide bed linens. UK bedding styles can be limited, and fitted sheets typically have elasticated corners – check sizes carefully. If luggage space is tight, it's better not to bring any.
An umbrella: Bring a sturdy umbrella – or even two. The combination of frequent rain and strong winds often damages brollies. While UK umbrellas are decent quality, they are more expensive than comparable ones in China. Alternatively, many students opt for waterproof jackets with hoods or dedicated raincoats.
Items for women: Consider packing opaque tights, coloured contact lenses, long socks, hair ties, and clips you use regularly or suspect might be hard to find. Nail clippers, a small sewing kit, and a compact mirror are also recommended.
Shower slippers: This is personal preference; they can be bought in the UK.
A Chinese extension lead: A good quality one allows you to plug multiple devices from home into a single UK travel adapter.
Small gifts: Bring some modestly priced, characteristic Chinese gifts (e.g., Chinese knots, paper-cuttings, '福' characters, panda-themed items), ideally with a brief English explanation.
Medication: Important: The UK has strict rules on bringing in medicine. Check the official GOV.UK website for detailed guidance before packing.
Prescription drugs: Carry a doctor's letter/prescription, and the original packaging/leaflets for any prescription medication.
Chinese herbal medicines: There are strict limits and rules; some ingredients like musk or tiger bone are banned.
Contact lenses: For prescription lenses, bringing a personal supply is wise, as buying them in the UK requires an optician's prescription. Lens solution is readily available and cheap.
Over-the-counter medicine: Everyday remedies for colds or stomach upsets are easily bought here, so only small quantities are needed initially.
Insurance: If required, take out appropriate travel or other insurance in advance. Print the policy documents and save digital copies on your devices.
A Personal Anecdote from Shisheng Miao
On my first trip to the UK, I mistakenly tried using a Euro coin in a trolley, thinking it was accepted. A kind gentleman noticed and offered me a £1 coin. I declined, not wanting to trouble him – a decision I later regretted, as it could have been a lucky charm! I then struggled immensely with two heavy 20kg suitcases (one stubbornly two-wheeled), a cross-body bag, a rucksack, and a laptop bag, trudging up what felt like endless slopes. To top it off, just as I thought I was through border control, I was randomly selected for a baggage check. I had to heave my 20kg case onto a high inspection table myself. They rummaged through, found nothing, and finally let me enter.