Landed. Now what?

Start here — your first two weeks

Roughly the order most people tackle things in. Not every step applies to every household, but this is a reasonable path through the chaos.

1. Pick a neighborhood, even temporarily Short-let in one of the expat-heavy areas while you house-hunt properly. See Getting Settled.
2. Get a local SIM and set up mobile banking You'll need a working local number for almost everything else on this list. See Money.
3. Open a bank account Needed for rent payments, salary, and most deliveries that ask for UPI. See Money.
4. Sign a lease and furnish the essentials Villa, independent villa, or apartment in a gated community — each has real tradeoffs. See Getting Settled.
5. Register with a hospital or clinic near you Do this before you need it, not after. See Medical & Hospitals.
6. Find a driver, or decide against one Most households with kids or a long commute end up with a dedicated driver. See Daily Life.
7. Sort schools and childcare, if relevant Admissions timelines move faster than you'd expect. See Family & Pets.
8. Say yes to the first community invite you get The walk groups and welcome coffees are where the rest of this guide gets crowdsourced. See Community.

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