Banks: 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday; main branches open Saturday morning
Post offices: 09:00 to 17:30, Monday to Friday; 09:00 to 12:30, Saturday
Government departments: 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday
Business Centres: 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday
Shops: 09:00 to 17:30, Monday to Saturday; late night shopping on Wednesday or Thursday

Birmingham is a large city and has had problems in the past with violent crime. The place has been cleaned up of late, however, although there are areas to be wary of day and night, including the suburbs of Aston, Lozells, Newtown and Sparkbrook. Also, keep clear of city parks at night and rowdy Broad street in the city centre after closing time.

Most tourists who visit Birmingham rarely have any problems, as the city centre is well lit and well policed at all hours. Pickpockets are a problem and visitors should take the usual precautions when out and about, such as keeping wallets and purses out of sight, not carrying around too much cash and being wary of potential scam artists.

Birmingham’s roads become extremely congested at rush hour times due to its central location and profusion of motorways and accidents are therefore fairly common. If you hire a car, consider driving outside of the hours of 07:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 19:00.

Police: 999
Electricity: 220 volts, 50Hz. Three square pin plugs are used.

Birmingham has high quality hospitals and clinics, and EU citizens can receive free medical emergency treatment. The city is clean although traffic is still a problem. There are many pedestrianised areas however and a lack of the huge heavy industry factories of yesteryear, meaning lower levels of pollution.

There are no disease epidemics to be concerned with in the UK; rabies is completely eradicated and the tap water is potable. Food hygiene standards in restaurants are also high. The cool, wet weather in Birmingham can result in some visitors catching a chill so it is important to wrap up warm during cold spells. Keep an eye on kids when visiting the canals.

Those who are on medication should bring an extra supply with them and a copy of their doctor’s prescription. Find out the generic name of the drug you are taking in case you need to acquire some more medication during your stay. The emergency services can be reached by dialling 999 free phone from anywhere in the UK. This will put you in touch with the police, fire, ambulance and coast guard services.

Birmingham City Hospital: +44 121 554 3801

Despite the strong Birmingham accent which is often indiscernible even to British visitors to the city, English is the main language of the UK’s second city. Birmingham is second only to London as a multicultural society, however, and you are likely to hear many languages being spoken around the city, particularly Hindi (Indian), Urdu (Pakistani), and Mandarin (Chinese).

The UK is one of the few countries within the EU to have retained its currency, the pound sterling (£). Pound notes come in denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £50. If you happen to come across a Scottish note, they are legal tender in England although some places may refuse high-value bills. The pound is divided up into 100 pence (p) and coins come in: £2, £1 (gold-coloured); 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p (silver-coloured) and 2p and 1p (copper-coloured). There are no restrictions on the import or export of local or foreign currency into and out of the UK.

You can exchange money for sterling at Birmingham International Airport, where there are banks and exchange bureaus, and at banks in the city and at some hotels. Note that hotels always have the worst rates while the airport exchange services are hard to beat for their good exchange rates and convenience. It’s always a good idea to also have some cash in your pocket upon arrival. Euros are accepted at many large shops, restaurants and hotels in Birmingham.

The UK is one of the biggest users in the world of plastic and there are ATMs all over the place. Using your regular debit card to withdraw cash at participating ATMs is the most convenient way to get cash while on the road, with Switch and Maestro being the most popular systems in the UK. Both your own bank and the bank of the ATM you are withdrawing cash from may charge you for the privilege of withdrawing cash, but this is generally offset by commercial rates used by the banks for the exchange and the convenience.

Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted credit cards in the UK while American Express and Diners Club are also recognised at larger stores and hotels. ‘Chip and PIN’ credit cards are in use all over the UK now, whereby the card holder inputs their PIN number into a handheld machine when prompted as opposed to signing a receipt.

Those using traveller’s cheques will have no problems exchanging them at banks, but make sure you buy pounds sterling cheques.

Duty-free limits when arriving in the UK from outside the EU for those aged 17 years and over include: 200 cigarettes and 250g of tobacco, or 50 cigars; a litre of spirits over 22 per cent strength; two litres of wine and two litres of sparkling wine and 50g of perfume. In addition, gifts and souvenirs up to the value of £145 are also duty-free.

Goods brought in from EU countries with tax paid have no limits in quantity, up to a reasonable amount, and you will only be charged for any weight excesses by the airline. The import of firearms, drugs and pornography is prohibited.

Visitors coming from outside the EU can apply for a VAT refund on purchases made in the UK within three months of the date of purchase. Simply fill out the VAT form at participating stores and have it stamped at customs on exit from the UK. You will then have to post the form back to the store before your credit card is reimbursed the 17.5 per cent.

The English are generally reserved and see good manners as a standard concept of social etiquette. Using ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ whenever necessary is recommended if you want your trip to go smoothly.

If out on the town at night it’s best to steer clear of talking about football with the locals as there is a good chance of the conversation degenerating. If you mix with the locals, particularly males, you will hear the word ‘mate’ used a lot which is simply a friendly exchange and not meant as a term of kinship.

Casual dress is fine in most circumstances but conservative dress is recommended if you are conducting business. Arrival punctual for any meetings you have with locals, as being on time is considered important. When you greet someone for the first time, it is appropriate to shake their hand. It is also considered rude to ask someone personal questions about their age or salary if you’ve only just met them.

Dining Etiquette
When dining, casual dress is fine for all but the high-end eateries in Birmingham and smart slacks and an open-collared shirt are typical. Try to avoid wearing shorts, vests and trainers (sneakers) in a full-service restaurant.

Don’t be concerned with the notion of stringent etiquette when dining in style as the upper classes of yesterday did. Simply being courteous, dressing well, not talking with your mouth full and working your way in from the outside when presented with a canteen of cutlery with a multi-course meal is all you need to do to get by.

Established restaurants generally have a service charge which is included in the bill. If this is the case, don’t feel obliged to tip unless you received excellent quality food and service. You should not tip when eating or drinking at a bar in a regular pub. If you want to show you gratitude, simply offering a drink to the bar staff in question is appropriate.

Citizens of EU countries as well as citizens of Iceland, Norway and Switzerland only need a valid national ID card to enter Great Britain. Those from countries within the EU that do not have an ID card system need a valid passport to enter, which should have spare pages and be valid for at least six months beyond the date of exit.

Visitor from the US, Canada, Asia, Australia and New Zealand can usually obtain a multiple-entry visitor’s visa valid for six months, while longer duration visas are also available. Allow at least two weeks when applying for a visa at a British embassy or consulate in your home country—longer in Asia.