Liverpool - Documents – National Insurance Number

The National Insurance Number is a number that identifies you in the UK and it’s used for tax/benefits purposes. This means that you will need it most of the time if you are looking for a job or claiming benefits.
This number is strictly personal and will follow you for all your life. If you leave England and come back, your NIN will remain the same.

To apply for it you have first to call Jobcentre Plus at 0845 600 0643 from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday. They will verify that you actually need a NIN and will fix you an appointment in the nearest Jobcentre in order to submit your request (you’ll have to provide your address).
If your English is not sufficient for the interview one-to-one, you can request an interpreter.

The Jobcentre Plus in Liverpool that deals with NIN is situated at 249. St Mary's Rd - Garston, Liverpool, L19 and can be easily reached by bus although it’s outside the city centre.

All you have to present during the interview is your passport/national identity card and any document that will help you prove your identity and residency in the UK. Very useful are rental contract, job offers etc. You’ll be provided a NIN even if you cannot prove residency or work, as long as you are eligible to live in the UK.
Once you finish the interview, a document will be provided you, where it is stated that you attended that interview. The actual NIN card will be sent to you by post at the address you have provided to the interviewer.

Your NIN will be asked anytime you start a new regular job, as it is used to calculate the taxes you are going to pay, or when you claim benefits, in order to check how much in taxes you have paid in the past.

For further info you can visit the DirectGov web site.

Palma de Mallorca – Documents – NIE and residency card

When you decide to live in Spain, either you are a EU or non EU citizen, one of the first documents you’ll need is the NIE (Número de Identidad/Identificación de Extranjero). This is a number that is issued to all foreigners living in Spain and it’s necessary if you want to work, open a bank account, start a business, buy or sell goods or properties and almost any form or documentation you’ll fill during your life here will require it. In short, it is your identification number within Spain.

You can request your NIE alone or you will be given one when you request your residency card, which is mandatory if you are staying in Spain longer than 3 months. To submit your request you have to go to any police station with a foreigner’s department. The one in Palma is at the end of Calle Ciutat Querétaro (past the Kristian Krekovic park). There are works in progress at the moment at the Police station, so the best way to get directly to the office you need is to walk around the building and enter from the last door. If you enter from the front door, you can ask the guard, but he’ll give you directions in Spanish only and I actually got lost the first time I was there!

When you finally arrive to the correct office, you’ll enter a first room, where, queuing your way little by little, you’ll reach a quite energetic girl who will give you the documentation to fill in and your number to access the second room. Beware that this Charon will let you pass in the second room only if you have all what’s necessary to file your request. If not, she’ll advise you on what to do and very firmly send you away, even if you have been queuing for hours. So, be prepared!

This is what you need:

NIE

• An application form that you can either download here or get a copy from Charon and fill it out while waiting.
• A copy of your passport/National Identity card and the original one
• Receipt of the payment of the fee, which can be done in any bank (only the second time)

Residency Card

• An application form that you can either download here or get a copy from Charon and fill it out while waiting.
• A copy of your passport/National Identity card and the original one
• Receipt of the payment of the fee, which can be done in any bank (only the second time)
• 3 ID size photos
• Any document that will help you prove your residency (if you’re working bring along your contract, if you’re studying, proof that you are registered at the school, etc)

So, my experience was this, as I applied only for my NIE.
I went to the police station once, queued for a while, got the application as well as my number and received admittance in the mystical second room, in which there are only chairs for people waiting and a display where you can see what’s the lucky number being taken care of.
The waiting didn’t seem too long to me, but I might not be reliable, as I enjoyed most of the time reading a book and overhearing a conversation from people in front of me.
And finally it was my turn! I walked up to one of the free attendants, a nice smiling lady: she took my documentation (I had filled the form while waiting), processed my request and provided me with the fee form to be paid. She also advised me to come back another day because I would have had no time to go to the bank to pay the fee and be back to complete my request (there’s a bank not far from the station).
Some say that you need to bring along documentation to produce proofs of the reason you are requesting the NIE, but in my case, when I told the lady I was simply looking for a job in Palma, she asked me to write it in the form and that’s all!

A few days later, with my fees paid, I joined the queue again, same as above, and when I was admitted to the attendant’s desk, it was a guy this time, he checked the fee receipt, printed a sheet of paper with some writings on it and disappeared in search of the police chief to get it signed. After a few minutes I was happily in possess of my NIE, ready to go outside and jump in the Spanish job market!

Concerning the residency card, I didn’t apply for that, but the procedure is the same. The only difference is that it is not issued immediately, but you will be advised when it’s ready and will have to go back to the same police station to receive it. You have to go personally as no one else can get it for you, but the good news is that you don’t have to queue, as there is a dedicated office for that!

If you decide that you don’t fancy at all copying with all this, you can contact one of the many agency that can do the job for you. I can’t suggest any, but you can find many looking up for NIE in any search engine.

Liverpool – How to get there – Ferries

If you are in Ireland, you can even choose to reach Liverpool by ferry, with the advantage that this time you can carry your car with you (if you have one, or need one). Liverpool is connected daily both to Dublin and Belfast and it takes 7/8 hours to reach your destination, with favourable weather conditions. When I did my Dublin-Liverpool crossing, the sea was so rough that we had to reach another location on the English coast and then travel by bus to our home. Luckily I’m not sea-sick!

When you finally get to Liverpool, your landing point might very. If you’re coming from Dublin, you’ll land at Brocklebank Dock, which is north of the centre, so, if you do not have a car, you’ll need a cab or a bus to get to your final destination. If you’re coming from Belfast, you’ll actually land in Birkenhead, just on the other side of the river Mersey, opposite the famous Albert’s Dock. From here, apart from the usual taxi or bus, you can reach Liverpool via ferry (again! But this time you travel with MerseyFerries) or train from the nearby Birkenhead Hamilton Square rail station.

For info about timetables and fares, you can check both P&O Irish Sea Ferries and Norfolk Ferries.

Palma de Mallorca – Eating Out – Bolixe

I walked every day past this restaurant, as it is on my way to the city centre, and had always been attracted to it. It was nice to see a place with people eating at every hour, especially because it doesn’t lie in one of the main touristic streets. So I started wondering how could be the food, and I noticed a small screen in one of the windows, where they broadcast pictures of delicious meat dishes. I also like the aesthetic of the place, very luminous, furnished with basic tables and chairs, it gave me the idea of elegant, clean, simple and cosy at the same time.

So, as soon as my brother arrived to spend a week at my place, I grabbed the chance to explore this place with him and his friend. And it was love at first sight.

First of all, although it was already 23.15 and the place was supposed to close at 23.30, we were immediately given the only free table, and the owner welcomed us with one of the most effective smiles I’ve ever seen in a restaurant. He advised us immediately that a couple of dishes were no more available and left us to the study of our menus.

And it took quite a while before making up our minds. The place is specialized in South American meat dishes, and all the different options sounded so juicy. In the end we opted for some Pimiento del Padron (deliciously grilled green peppers with sea salt on top) and a plate with 5 different types of ham as a starter and a Asado de Tira (grilled ribs) for my brother , while I and the other friend opted for an Entrecote de Cebón (beef entrecote with melted cheese on top). As soon as we had ordered, a wonderfully smiling waitress brought us a more than welcomed aperitif (a sweet, fresh vermouth de barrica to be accompanied by carrots and bread with a mayonnaise of beetroot and a sauce made of green peppers).

Then we could enjoy our really generous portions of meat, tender and juicy. All dishes came with potatoes and red peppers and were so huge that I didn’t have the courage to eat bread with it, and still had some difficulties finishing it all. We accompanied the meat with a pretty robust Spanish merlot. I must confess that I was incredibly satisfied with the quality of the meal, and the other guests too, so we decided to challenge the fullness of our stomach to venture and taste the desserts. We tried to do it softly, though, so I ordered a lemon sorbet, actually made from real lemons, I could find lots of small pieces inside, enriched by a generous splash of vodka. My brother opted for a vanilla ice cream mixed with Melody Catalan cream (a sweet liqueur that tastes just like the dessert of the same name). The best part of this was when the waitress actually came with the bottles and poured both vodka and cream at our pleasure and even left the Melody bottle on our table if we just wanted some more.

And while we enjoyed all this, the clock had moved to almost one and still sign of impatience from the staff. Everybody was still smiling and in a good humour (I detest when staff lets you know that you are no more welcome by wearing ‘fed up’ faces). We asked for the bill and there came two further surprises: first we were offered a digestive of our own choice, so I choose my favourite Spanish one Hierbas Dulces, an anisette based liqueur typical from the Island. Second surprise was the amount charged, just 75 euros for all the lovely food and care we had received. So we left with a good tip, but most of all, very happy about our experience at the Bolixe.

If you ever come to Palma, don’t miss it for any reason, you can take a look at the web site or their blog for all the info you need... Enjoy it!

Liverpool – How to get there – train

If you decide to reach Liverpool via train, it’s most probable you will end up at Liverpool Lime Street Station, that represents the main rail hub of the town. The station is located in the city centre, just at the end of Lime Street, opposite St George’s Hall. From here you can easily reach all the destinations in town. You can find the bus and taxi stops just outside the station or you can simply walk anywhere in the city centre.

These are the operating companies that serve this station:
East Midlands Trains operates express services to Norwich via Sheffield and Nottingham.
First TransPennine Express operates express services to Scarborough via Leeds and York.
London Midland operates a half hourly service to Birmingham.
Northern Rail operates local services to Blackpool North, Manchester, Preston, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western.
Virgin Trains operates an hourly express service to London Euston.

At the moment the station is under major redevelopment works, so the entrance on Gloucester Street will remain closed until spring 2010.

Liverpool – How to get there – flights 2

If you don’t have the chance to land directly at Liverpool airport, the best alternative is to choose Manchester as your destination. This airport is situated at almost 60 km from Liverpool, and you can find direct connections to the city.
Once you get there, you can choose to reach Liverpool via train or coach.

If you prefer the train, you just have to reach the station inside Manchester airport. There is a direct connection with Liverpool Lime street station that runs every hour (tickets from £11). You can check fares and timetables at National Rail Enquiries. The journey takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

If you opt for the coach, you can board on National Express or Excel Coaches. Both start from the bus station in the airport, but while Excel stops directly in front of Lime Street Station, National Express arrives at the bus station (still not very far from Lime Street). If you need a taxi to get to your final destination, you’ll find plenty of them in both locations. Also note that travelling with National Express is pretty faster (and a bit cheaper £6.30 vs £6.70 for Excel), as they take just 50 minutes to get to Liverpool, while Excel Coaches needs 1 hour and a half.

Liverpool – How to get there – Flights

It’s pretty easy to get to Liverpool by airplane, and quite convenient as well!

First of all, the city has its own airport, the John Lennon (what else!) which is located a few km (14) south-east of the city centre (just next to Speke). The runway is just by the river, I find it wonderful to land and see plenty of water below.

It’s a small airport, but surprisingly well connected to the rest of the world. Apart from Ryanair and Easyjet, also KLM flies from here with connections to the US, South America, Africa, Middle and Far East. Being petite, it is also welcoming and has a relaxed atmosphere, usually not much rush or queues too long. If you still want to have a dedicated service at the controls, you can purchase a fast lane ticket that will allow you to join a special queue and be a priority guest of her Majesty. And just for 3 pounds! For personal experience, no point using it, unless you are really in a hurry.
Also, a lovely lady will be happy to provide you with a plastic bag for your liquids if it happened you forgot it.
I always found this airport very comfortable, even when I forgot to get my boarding card and everybody from the staff helped me solve the issue (check-in, controls, gate). Everybody was so helpful that I still had one hour left before boarding.

As for reaching it, its closeness to the city centre allows an incredible variety of choices. You can get a Taxi (less than 15 pounds), your own car, or even the bicycle, because, yes, there is even a bicycle lockers area in the car parking open 24/7. You can leave there your beloved during your travels and get it back when you return. All for just a deposit of 20 pounds (Deposit returned when you give back the locker key).

Or you can choose to go by bus, which is the cheapest way (unless you like cycling). The ticket is 2 pounds and you just have to choose the bus you need. For the city centre, you can jump on the Arriva Airlink 500 (it makes only two stops, for the coach station and Lime Street Rail station) or numbers 80A, 81A, 82A, 86A or N86 for the night bus. These last ones are city buses, there are plenty of stops you can take advantage of, so they can get you very, very close to where you actually need to go). Tickets can be bought onboard and mind that the journey time can vary sensibly depending on the hour (20 min at night up to an hour during peak times) so plan well.
If you want to go by train, the disadvantage is that you can get as far as the Liverpool South Parkway and then you have to get the bus link to the airport. The journey with the bus link is about 10 minutes and it comes almost every 20 minutes.

Hope you will find these info useful. Come back soon to see how else you can get to Liverpool!