Your first six weeks
in Australia
What to organise first, what can wait, and what the first weeks tend to feel like, from the tax number to the first weekend that feels like your own.
Four things to organise early
Almost every form, appointment and rental application in your first weeks asks for at least one of these, so they come first.
- Before you fly, or day one
A phone number
A prepaid SIM from the airport or a supermarket is enough to start. Telstra, Optus and Vodafone run the three mobile networks; many smaller providers use them. Banks, landlords and your employer will all want a local number.
- Before you fly
A bank account
The major banks let you open an account from overseas and verify your identity in a branch when you arrive, with your passport. It means your bond and your first salary have somewhere to land. Opening a bank account
- Week one
Your Tax File Number
Apply online once you are in Australia and hold a visa with work rights. It is free, and the ATO says to allow up to 28 days for it to arrive by post at your Australian address. Give it to your employer as soon as it comes: until they have it, they must take tax at the top rate. ATO: apply for a TFN
- Week one
An address to give
Short-term accommodation is fine for now. You need somewhere for the TFN letter and your bank card to arrive, not the permanent home yet. Somewhere to live, in My Move
Starting work before your employer has your TFN means tax at the highest rate on your first pays. It comes back through your tax return, but that can be many months away. Apply in your first week, and pass the number on the day it arrives.
And choose your super fund deliberately. If you don’t, you are placed in a default fund. Superannuation, and the choice
Health cover and a GP
Find a GP in your first fortnight, while you are well, rather than when you need one.
Medicare. Most people on a temporary work visa, including the 482, are not eligible for Medicare. If you are from a country with a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia, including the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand, you may be able to enrol for some care. Check with Services Australia before you assume either way.
Your health insurance. The 482 visa carries a condition that you keep adequate health insurance for as long as you hold it. Know what your policy pays for a GP visit and a prescription before your first appointment.
A GP. Healthdirect, the government’s health information service, has a finder for GPs near any address. Ask whether the practice is taking new patients and how it bills.
- Services Australia: Reciprocal Health Care Agreements, which countries are covered and what you can enrol for.
- Healthdirect: find a health service, GPs, pharmacies and after-hours care near you. Healthdirect’s helpline is 1800 022 222. In an emergency, call 000.
- How the health system works, our guide to Medicare, the private system and what it means for your family.
A flexible six-week plan
Move things around to fit your start date, your state and who is arriving with you.
- Week one
Land and anchor
Sleep, a SIM, the bank account verified in branch, the TFN application in. Walk your temporary neighbourhood and find the nearest GP and pharmacy. Feels: disorienting, and faster than you expected.
- Week two
Work and paperwork
Orientation and first shifts. Give payroll your TFN, bank details and super fund. Check how long your state lets you drive on your overseas licence. If children are with you, visit the school you met online and confirm the start date. Feels: busy, productive, tiring.
- Weeks three and four
Viewings, and the dip
Serious house-hunting, with references and your employment letter ready so you can apply the same day. For many people this is when the adrenaline runs out. Feels: harder than week one, and completely normal.
- Weeks five and six
Settle and join
Lease signed, bond lodged, power and internet on. Join one thing that isn’t work. Feels: like the start of an ordinary life rather than a very long trip.
A home, with the power on
Renting first and choosing properly second is the sensible plan, not a compromise.
Renting
- Your bond is lodged with the state’s bond authority, not kept by the landlord. Ask for the lodgement receipt.
- Each state sets its own rules on bond, rent in advance and notice. Check them before you pay anything.
- Complete the entry condition report carefully, with dated photos. It protects your bond when you leave.
- Never pay for a place you haven’t seen, in person or on a live video call with someone you can verify.
Power and internet
- Ask the property manager which retailer supplies the home, and put the account in your name from the day you move in.
- Compare plans. Energy Made Easy covers New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT; Victoria has Victorian Energy Compare. In Perth and most of the south-west of Western Australia, homes are supplied by Synergy.
- Check the home’s NBN connection and book internet as soon as you have a move-in date.
- Take a meter reading and a dated photo on the day you move in.
If your family is with you
The first weeks with a partner and children looks different from one on your own. Five things to plan for.
- Schools, before you fly. Most of the research can be done from home. Shortlist schools, check the intake area for any address before you sign a lease, and ask for an online meeting: many schools are happy to arrange one. Public schools are run by each state. Whether you pay fees depends on your state and your visa. Will I pay school fees in Australia?
- Childcare. Places can have waiting lists, so contact centres before you arrive, and ask how your visa affects fees.
- Your partner’s work. What they can do depends on the visa they were granted. If they work in a regulated profession, start their registration early.
- Getting around. Work out the school run and your commute before you choose where to live.
- Routines. A regular mealtime, bedtime and weekend plan helps children settle while everything else is new.
There is more in moving to Australia with your family and Schools and childcare in My Move.
What won’t be done in six weeks
Six weeks is enough to be functional, not settled. These usually take longer, and the timing varies a lot from person to person.
- Feeling at home in the department. Often a few months before the systems, the shorthand and the referral pathways stop taking conscious effort.
- A circle of friends. It grows from what you join in the first months, so join something early.
- Knowing the city. A year, and a few wrong turns.
- The right house. Many people move once after their first rental, once they know the area.
- Your driving licence, if your state requires you to convert it. Check your state’s rules early. Driving in Australia
Do one thing in your first week that isn’t on the list
A swim, a coastal walk, breakfast somewhere with a view. The admin will still be there on Monday, and you will have one memory of the place that isn’t a queue or a form.
Looking after yourself
Admin and friendships are only part of it. Four things people who have been through it often wish they had known earlier.
- Homesickness is normal. Missing home does not mean the decision was wrong. It softens as the new life fills in around it.
- Stay connected, and be here. Regular calls home help. Plan the trips back, then let yourself be fully here in between.
- Judge it at a year, not at month three. A “was this a mistake?” decision taken in the dip is taken on the worst evidence you will ever have.
- Ask for help early. A GP, a colleague, a community group, or us.
The people side has a guide of its own: finding your community. And Discover your community in My Move shows clubs, groups, food from home and the communities near where you live.
Common questions
Can I apply for my TFN before I arrive?
No. The online application is for people who are in Australia and hold a visa with work rights. Apply in your first week; it is free, and the ATO says to allow up to 28 days for it to arrive.
Am I covered by Medicare?
Most temporary work visa holders are not. If your country has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia, you may be able to enrol for some care. Services Australia decides, so check with them, and keep the health insurance your visa requires either way.
How long can I drive on my overseas licence?
It depends on your state and your visa. Each state’s transport authority sets the rule, so check it in your first fortnight. Our driving guide has the links.
Should I buy or rent first?
Rent first. It gives you time to learn the area, the commute and the schools before committing, and temporary visa holders face extra rules on buying.
Helpful alongside this guide
Not sure what applies to you?
We have walked a lot of clinicians through these first weeks, and we know which questions are worth paying an accountant to answer.
Ethicare Resourcing · your guide to a life and career in Australia.