Moving House Checklist UK: Who to Tell and When

When you move house in the UK, the essential organisations to tell are your old and new councils (for council tax), the electoral register, DVLA (for your driving licence and vehicle log book), HMRC, any benefits office, your GP and your energy suppliers. Some of these you can contact before you move, but others, such as HMRC, want you to wait until you have actually moved in.

Who do I need to tell when I move house?

There is no single government service that updates your address everywhere at once. GOV.UK's "Tell Us Once" service is often mentioned, but it is for reporting a death, not a change of address. That means you need to contact each organisation separately. The table below sums up the main ones.

Who to tell	When	How	Worth knowing
Old and new council (council tax)	Shortly before you move	Your council's website	Give your move-out and move-in dates so bills are split correctly
Electoral register	After you move	GOV.UK "Register to vote"	You must register again at your new address; it usually takes about 5 minutes online
DVLA: driving licence	When your address changes	GOV.UK online service	Free to do; you can be fined up to £1,000 for not telling DVLA
DVLA: vehicle log book (V5C)	When your address changes	Online or by post	Separate from your licence; contact DVLA if the new log book has not arrived after 4 weeks
HMRC	After you have moved	Personal tax account	Covers Income Tax, National Insurance, Child Benefit and State Pension
Benefits	As soon as it happens	The office that pays each benefit	Moving house is a change you must report
GP surgery	Once you know your new address	NHS online registration or the surgery	No ID or proof of address needed to register
Energy suppliers	Before you leave and when you arrive	Your supplier's website or phone	Take meter readings on both days

What should I sort out a few weeks before moving?

Start with the things that depend on dates rather than on you physically being at the new address.

Council tax. Contact your current council to say when you are leaving, and register with the council for your new home. Council websites typically ask for your old and new addresses, the date you leave and the date your tenancy or purchase starts. If you are moving within the same council area, a single form usually covers both. You can find the right council for any postcode using GOV.UK's "Find your local council" tool.
Council tax discounts. If you get a single person discount or council tax reduction, check how your new council handles it. Some councils run council tax reduction separately from the main council tax account, so you may need to tell two teams.
Post. Consider setting up mail redirection with Royal Mail so letters you have forgotten about still reach you.
Energy. Let your gas and electricity suppliers know your moving date and give them a forwarding address so your final bill reaches you.

What should I do on moving day?

Moving day is mostly about evidence, so photograph your meters.

Read the meters at both properties. Citizens Advice recommends reading your meters on the day you move out and the day you move in, then giving the readings to the relevant supplier. Keep a note of the readings and the dates.
Check for a prepayment meter. If your new home has one, Citizens Advice suggests contacting the supplier before you put any money on it, so you do not end up paying off the previous occupant's debt.
Smart meters. A smart meter may not keep working in smart mode after a change of supplier, so be ready to submit readings manually for a while.

Who should I tell after I have moved in?

Several organisations either ask you to wait until you have moved or need your new address to be live before they will accept it.

HMRC. GOV.UK is clear that you need to wait until you have moved before telling HMRC. You update it through your personal tax account, which covers Income Tax, National Insurance, Child Benefit and State Pension. You may be asked to prove your identity, usually with photo ID such as a passport or driving licence.
Electoral register. Your registration does not move with you. GOV.UK says you need to register again if you change your address. The online form usually takes about 5 minutes. You will be asked for your National Insurance number, but you can still register without it.
DVLA. Change the address on your driving licence online. It does not cost anything, and if you apply online your new licence should arrive within a week. You can keep driving while you wait. Separately, if you are the registered keeper of a vehicle, update the address on its log book (V5C), either online or by writing the new address on the log book and posting it to DVLA. Not telling DVLA about an address change can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.
Benefits. GOV.UK lists moving house as a change you need to report. If you do not, your payments could be stopped or reduced, and you could be overpaid, have to pay it back and face a £50 penalty. Who you tell depends on the benefit; Housing Benefit changes go to your local council, for example.
Your GP. If you are moving out of your surgery's area, register with a new one. According to the NHS, you only need to give your name, date of birth and address, with no ID or proof of address required. Online registration takes about 15 minutes per person, and you are usually told you are registered within 5 days. If you are only moving temporarily, you can register as a temporary patient for up to 3 months.

Do I need to update my passport?

No. GOV.UK lists changing your address among the situations where you do not need a new passport. Just make sure the address on any passport application in future is correct.

What else is easy to forget?

Beyond the official organisations, it is worth running through the people and companies that send you post or take payments. A quick checklist:

Your bank, building society and credit card providers
Your employer or payroll team
Home, car and pet insurers, plus any life insurance provider
Your mobile, broadband and TV providers
Pension providers and any investment accounts
Your dentist, optician and any hospital clinics you attend
Schools or nurseries, if you have children
Subscriptions, online shops and delivery accounts
Friends and family who send cards at Christmas

Keep a simple list on your phone and tick off each organisation as you update it, so you know exactly who you missed if post turns up at your old address later.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one service that tells every government department I have moved?

No. The GOV.UK "Tell Us Once" service is only for reporting a death. For a change of address, you need to contact the council, DVLA, HMRC, the electoral register and any benefits office separately.

Is it free to change the address on my driving licence?

Yes. GOV.UK says it does not cost anything to change your address with DVLA. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA when your address changes.

Do I need proof of address to register with a new GP?

No. The NHS says you only need to give your name, date of birth and address. A surgery may occasionally ask for extra documents, for example to help transfer your medical records, but they are not needed to register.

When should I tell HMRC I have moved?

After you have moved, not before. GOV.UK says you need to wait until you have moved before telling HMRC about your new address, and you do it through your personal tax account.

Sources

General information only, based on official guidance available in October 2026. Rules can change, so check the linked official pages before you act.

Local Life Notes editorial team

Our editors research every article from GOV.UK, Ofgem, the Energy Saving Trust and Citizens Advice, and update it when things change. Read our editorial policy.