Employment in Newcastle

Local Economy

Newcastle was traditionally a coal mining town, but heavy industry declined in the second half of the twentieth century. These days there are more jobs in offices and retail than there are in industrial environments.

Newcastle-Gateshead’s economy contributes 13 billion GBP to the UK GVA, and many important employers keep offices in the central business district of the city, between the Quayside, Haymarket and Central Station.

There are three hospitals within the city (Newcastle General Hospital, the Freemans Hospital and the Royal Victoria Infirmary or RVI). The various universities and colleges in the city are also significant employers.

Job Hunting in Newcastle

Salaries vary greatly, and, as in the rest of the UK, the National Minimum Wage applies. Check local newspapers The Chronicle and The Journal, and try any number of UK recruitment websites (examples include mynewcastlejobs.co.uk, reed.co.uk or totaljobs.com), which allow the user to filter by location.

Attending an InterNations Event may lead to contacts and employment opportunities, so take every chance to connect with fellow expatriates. There are positions available with banks, civic organizations, hospitals, cultural institutions and within the education sector.

Work Permits for Newcastle

Everyone who enters the UK from abroad requires a passport or national ID valid for the entire length of their stay.

If you are moving to Newcastle from a country within the European Economic Area (that’s all countries within the European Union as well as Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein) or Switzerland, you will not need a visa to move to Newcastle to work, and will be able to stay and work in the UK for as long as you choose.

If you are moving to Newcastle from anywhere else in the world, you will need to apply for a working visa. Your application will be assessed against a tier system, according to what skills you can bring to the UK. In many cases you will be required to provide proof that you have a job offer or sponsorship lined up from a UK company.

Please note that visas for the UK are relatively expensive and complicated to arrange (there are a lot of forms to fill in), so do allow enough time and money to organize these before you travel.