Change of Address Checklist: The 17 Places to Notify When You Move (UK 2026)

Updated August 2026·14 min read

The 17 places to notify, at a glance

This is the master list. Every organisation that needs your new address falls into one of these 17 places. Work through them in order of deadline, not list order. The “when to do it” column tells you which ones can’t wait.

When to do what: your change-of-address timeline

You can’t do everything the week you move. Some updates are only possible close to the date, while others reward doing them months ahead. Here’s the order that works.

Government & legal, places 1 to 6

These are the six with legal teeth. Three of them carry fines, and all six are free to update.

1. DVLA: driving licence, V5C log book and vehicle tax

Update your driving licence, your V5C log book, your vehicle tax Direct Debit details, and any personalised number plate or trailer registration documents at gov.uk/tell-dvla-changed-address. It’s free. Ignore any third-party site that charges.

For the V5C you’ll need the 11-digit reference from the log book itself; a new one arrives in around 5 working days. You can keep driving while the new documents are on their way. Failure to update is what carries the fine of up to £1,000.²

2. HMRC & DWP: tax, benefits and State Pension

One update at gov.uk/tell-hmrc-change-of-address through your personal tax account covers income tax, National Insurance, Child Benefit and the State Pension.⁷ If you claim Universal Credit or other DWP benefits, update your journal or contact the DWP separately so payments and review letters don’t go astray.

3. Electoral register: re-register, don’t “update”

This one catches people out: there is no “change my address” option. You re-register at your new address at gov.uk/register-to-vote. It takes about 5 minutes. You’ll be asked for your National Insurance number, though you can still register without one, and the system removes you from the old address.^3, 8

Paying council tax at the new property does not put you on the electoral roll. And it matters beyond voting: lenders use the electoral roll to verify your identity, so being registered at your current address genuinely helps your credit file.

4. Council tax: tell both councils

Notify your old council of your move-out date so they issue a closing bill (and refund anything you’ve overpaid), and register with your new council so billing starts correctly.^9, 10 Find either at gov.uk/find-local-council. If you’re moving within London, your new borough is also the place to sort a resident parking permit. Do it early if the removal van needs somewhere to stop.

5. TV licence

Free to update online, and you can set the change up to 3 months before you move. Left unlicensed at the new address, you risk prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000, one of the cheapest fines to avoid on this whole list.

6. Pet microchip database

In England the Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023 replaced the old 2015 rules, and they require you to keep your pet’s chip record up to date. Dogs must be microchipped and registered right across the UK; for cats the requirement applies in England only.^115, 4 Contact the database your pet is registered with (it’s on your microchip paperwork); some databases update details free, others charge a small fee. The fine for an out-of-date record is up to £500, and a chip pointing at your old address is useless if your pet goes missing mid-move.

Money & finance, places 7 to 9

7. Banks & credit cards

Update every current account, savings account, credit card and store card, including the ones you rarely use. Bank statements arriving at your old address are a gift to fraudsters, and the risk isn’t theoretical: identity fraud using intercepted post at previous addresses is a well-established pattern.

Consistency matters for your credit score too. Lenders cross-check the address on your application against the address your accounts are registered to; mismatches cause friction and can flag you for extra checks.

8. Pensions & investments

Workplace pensions, personal pensions, ISAs and investment platforms. Old workplace pensions are the classic casualty: change address without telling the provider two or three moves in a row and you become one of the UK’s many “lost pension pot” statistics. Dig out the paperwork for every scheme you’ve ever paid into, not just the current one.

9. Insurers: car, home, life, pet

Car insurance is the urgent one: your premium is priced partly on where the car is kept overnight, so an out-of-date address can invalidate your cover, not just mis-price it.¹² Tell your insurer before moving day, and expect the premium to go up or down with the new postcode.

Home insurance needs handling at both ends: cover stopping at the old property and starting at the new one on the right dates. Update life, pet, gadget and travel policies in the same sitting.

Home & utilities, places 10 to 12

10. Energy supplier

Give your gas and electricity supplier at least 48 hours’ notice of your move-out date, then submit final meter readings on moving day. At the new property, find out who currently supplies it and give them your opening readings.

11. Water company

Tell your water company about two weeks ahead so they can close your account on a real reading rather than an estimate. If the new property is in a different company’s area, open an account with the new supplier. Water companies are regional, so unlike energy you don’t choose one.¹⁴

12. Broadband & mobile

Broadband is the utility most likely to leave a gap: providers typically need 2-3 weeks to move a connection, and a home move can involve a fee, typically up to around £60 depending on the provider and whether an engineer visit is needed. If your current provider doesn’t serve the new address, check whether the move lets you exit the contract without penalty.

Mobile is quicker: update the billing address in your account so bills, credit checks and any replacement SIMs go to the right place.

Health, work & everyday life, places 13 to 17

13. GP, dentist & optician

If you’ve moved outside your GP surgery’s catchment area you’ll need to register with a new practice. Do it in your first week, not when you’re ill. Update or register with a dentist and optician too, and check your address in the NHS app, which is the quickest way to see what the NHS currently holds for you. Screening invitations and referral letters go to the address on file, so this one has real health consequences.

14. Employer & payroll

Tell HR or payroll before moving day. Your address feeds your payslips, your P60, your pension scheme record and, in some jobs, your right-to-work and security documentation. It’s a two-minute email that competitors’ checklists routinely forget.

15. Schools & childcare

Tell your children’s school, nursery and any childminder as soon as your moving date is confirmed. If you’re changing schools, the in-year admissions process usually runs through the new local council and can take weeks.¹⁵ Start it the moment you have a confirmed address. Academies, free schools and voluntary aided schools are their own admission authorities, so check whether you need to apply to the school directly instead. Even if the kids are staying put, the school needs the new address for its safeguarding and emergency-contact records.

16. Subscriptions & online retail

Amazon and other retailers keep your old address as the default until you change it. Deleting it from your address book is the safest fix, because one distracted checkout sends a parcel to your old front door. Work through: online retailers, streaming services (billing address), meal kits and other recurring deliveries, gym membership, loyalty schemes, and any club or charity memberships.

17. Friends, family & everyone else

The catch-all that makes the list complete: family, friends, your landlord references, tradespeople you use regularly, your vet, your accountant or solicitor, and anyone else who writes to you. A short message with the new address and move date covers it, and it’s also the polite moment to warn neighbours about a removal van blocking the street.

Royal Mail redirection: 2026 prices and how it works

Redirection is your safety net for everyone the 17-point sweep misses. Royal Mail forwards letters from your old address to the new one for 3, 6 or 12 months.

Prices below are effective 7 April 2026. Check the current figures at royalmail.com before you buy.

Concession pricing is available if you receive Universal Credit or Pension Credit. To apply you’ll need the names and dates of birth of everyone included, both addresses, and (the detail that trips people up) a credit or debit card in your own name, registered at either your old or your new address. Royal Mail doesn’t accept American Express or pre-paid cards. Apply at least 5 working days before you move; you can set it up months in advance (Royal Mail has quoted windows of up to 6 months; check the current limit when you apply).

What redirection does NOT do

Two limits almost nobody mentions:

• It only covers Royal Mail post. Parcels from Evri, DPD, DHL, Amazon Logistics, UPS, FedEx and Yodel are not redirected. They’ll be delivered to your old address. That’s why place 16 (subscriptions and online retail) is on the list in its own right.
• It updates nobody’s records. Every sender still has your old address on file. When the redirection period ends, anything they send goes straight back to the old house. Treat each redirected letter as a to-do item.

Renters vs homeowners: what changes

If you’re renting

Add two notifications to the standard 17. Give your landlord or letting agent written notice per your tenancy agreement, and (the one renters forget) give them a forwarding address for your deposit return. Deposit schemes and agents need somewhere to send the money and any dispute correspondence; an old email address and no forwarding address is how deposits go unclaimed. If you’re also deep-cleaning before handing back the keys, our end of tenancy cleaning guide covers what agents actually check.

If you’re buying or selling

Your solicitor or conveyancer needs your new correspondence address for completion paperwork and any post-completion queries. Tell your mortgage lender where correspondence should go, and remember that under the standard conditions of sale used in most purchases the building is at your risk from exchange of contracts, not completion, so that is usually when buildings insurance needs to start. Check your contract and what your lender requires, then arrange the new policy against the new address before either date arrives.

Should you pay a change-of-address service?

Online services (SlothMove is the best known, at around £30) offer to notify many organisations from one form. Are they worth it? Honestly: it depends on your tolerance for admin.

Our honest take: the paid services are legitimate and save real time on the long tail (utilities, subscriptions, loyalty schemes), but they can’t do the ones that matter most: DVLA and electoral registration need you personally, and anything behind a login needs your password. Most people are best served by DIY for the critical six government items plus a 3-month redirection as the safety net.

Scotland & Northern Ireland differences

Most of this guide applies UK-wide, with three regional wrinkles:

• Scotland. Water: water and sewerage are charged through your council tax bill (Scottish Water doesn’t bill households directly), so telling both councils covers place 11 automatically.^16, 17
• Northern Ireland. Rates, not council tax: update your details with Land & Property Services via nidirect.18gov.uk, and check with NI Water whether anything is needed for water and sewerage at either address.
• Northern Ireland: electoral registration is run by the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland rather than your local council, and you’ll need a digital registration number and identity checks. The website is the same, though: you register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote, exactly as in the rest of the UK.⁸

Your printable 17-point checklist

Print this page (this section makes a tidy one-sheet) and tick each place off as you go. For the full week-by-week moving plan beyond address changes, see our other removal guides.

• 1. DVLA: licence, V5C, vehicle tax; free at gov.uk; fine up to £1,000
• 2. HMRC & DWP: one personal tax account update covers tax, NI, Child Benefit, State Pension
• 3. Electoral register: re-register at gov.uk/register-to-vote; helps your credit file
• 4. Council tax: tell the old council AND register with the new; claim your closing refund
• 5. TV licence: free update, up to 3 months ahead
• 6. Pet microchip database: legal duty; fine up to £500
• 7. Banks & credit cards: every account, including dormant ones
• 8. Pensions & investments: every scheme you’ve ever paid into
• 9. Insurers: car insurance first (address affects validity), then home, life, pet
• 10. Energy supplier: 48 hours’ notice minimum; dated meter photos on moving day
• 11. Water company: close the old account on a real reading
• 12. Broadband & mobile: book the broadband move 2-3 weeks ahead
• 13. GP, dentist & optician: register with a new practice in week one; check the NHS app
• 14. Employer & payroll: before moving day, so payslips and P60 follow you
• 15. Schools & childcare: as soon as the date is confirmed; in-year admissions take weeks
• 16. Subscriptions & online retail: delete the old default address, don’t just add the new one
• 17. Friends, family & everyone else: one message with the new address and move date

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to change my address?

Almost entirely. All the government updates (DVLA, HMRC, electoral register, council tax, TV licence) are free, as are banks, insurers, utilities and the NHS. The only common costs are Royal Mail redirection (from £45 for 3 months at the prices effective 7 April 2026), a possible broadband move fee of up to around £60, and optional paid services like SlothMove at around £30.

Who am I legally required to tell when I move?

The DVLA (driving licence, V5C log book and vehicle tax; fine up to £1,000), TV Licensing if you watch or record live TV or use iPlayer (fine up to £1,000), and your pet’s microchip database (fine up to £500). Your car insurer isn’t a legal requirement in the same way, but an out-of-date address can invalidate your policy, which effectively means driving uninsured.

How long before moving should I start changing my address?

Start 2-3 weeks out for anything with a lead time: broadband moves, Royal Mail redirection (at least 5 working days’ notice) and council tax. Some things can be done far earlier: TV licence up to 3 months ahead, redirection months in advance. The pure record updates (DVLA, HMRC, GP, electoral register) are best done in your first week at the new address.

What happens if I forget to tell someone?

If you have redirection running, their letters reach you and you update them as each one arrives. That’s the main reason to buy at least the 3-month option. Without redirection, their post goes to your old address, which is a fraud risk for financial mail and a fine risk for the legal ones. A quick fix: ask the new occupants to hold anything that arrives, and do an email search for accounts you’ve missed.

Does Royal Mail redirection forward parcels?

Only parcels sent through Royal Mail. Deliveries from Evri, DPD, DHL, Amazon Logistics, UPS, FedEx and Yodel are not covered and will go to your old address, so update your address (and delete the old default) in every shopping account separately.

Do I need to tell both my old and new council?

Yes. The old council needs your move-out date to issue a closing bill, and to refund you if you’ve paid ahead, which most people on monthly instalments have. The new council needs you registered so billing (and any single-person discount) starts correctly from day one.

Does updating my council tax put me on the electoral roll?

No. They’re separate systems. You must re-register to vote at gov.uk/register-to-vote (about 5 minutes; have your National Insurance number to hand, though you can register without one). It’s worth doing promptly because lenders use the electoral roll to verify your identity, so it directly supports your credit applications.

Sources

Figures, deadlines and rules in this guide are referenced below. Each source was checked on 10 August 2026. Links open in a new tab.

1. GOV.UK (DVLA), Change the address on your driving licence (2026).
2. GOV.UK (DVLA), Tell DVLA you’ve changed address (2026).
3. GOV.UK, Register to vote (2026).
4. legislation.gov.uk, The Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, regulation 3 (2023).
5. GOV.UK (Defra), Get your dog or cat microchipped (2026).
6. GOV.UK, TV licensing (2026).
7. GOV.UK (HMRC), Tell HMRC when you change your address (2026).
8. Electoral Office for Northern Ireland, Electoral registration (2026).
9. legislation.gov.uk, Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 6 (persons liable to pay council tax) (1992).
10. legislation.gov.uk, The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992, regulation 24 (1992).
11. legislation.gov.uk, The Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/468) (2023).
12. legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, section 2 (2012).
13. legislation.gov.uk, Electricity Act 1989, Schedule 6, paragraph 3 (1989).
14. legislation.gov.uk, Water Industry Act 1991, section 6 (appointment of relevant undertakers) (1991).
15. GOV.UK (DfE), Schools admissions (2026).
16. legislation.gov.uk, Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, section 37 (2002).
17. legislation.gov.uk, The Water Services Charges (Billing and Collection) (Scotland) Order 2012, article 8 (2012).
18. nidirect (NI Executive), Make changes to your rate account (2026).