Moving to Australia? What you need to know

When moving to Australia there is a lot to do before you settle in and start living the Aussie lifestyle. You may be thinking you have no idea what to do but don’t worry we’ve got your back. Here is everything you need to know before moving to Australia.

Book your accommodation

Always be sure to book your accommodation in advance, as some cities can get very busy sometimes in the year. Book yourself into a hostel or other accommodation for at least a week upon arrival as places can sometimes book out very quickly. Knowing you have a roof over your head will take a huge amount of pressure off your jet-lagged self. You can then decide whether you want to look for a more long-term option.

Set up your phone

You will need to set up an Australian phone number it’s the first couple days of arriving. Optus is one of the biggest providers across the whole country with great coverage. Sim cards can be purchased from any of your local supermarkets or Office-works. All sim cards have activation codes which are super easy and are very quick.

Bank Account

Some banks in Australia give the option to set up your account before arriving in the country, such as Commonwealth, NAB, ANZ and Westpac. If you have done this all you need to do when you arrive is pick up your bank card. If you haven’t made an account before you came you can head down to any of the above banks and set up an account. Be sure to bring several forms of id and proof of address when creating your account.

Be sure to bring some cash for while you are waiting to receive your bank card.

Apply For Your Tax File Number

If you are looking to work while in AUS you will legally require a TFN (Tax File Number). Your TFN will help with your tax return at the end of the financial year. Applying for a tax file number is really easy all you need to do is head to the ATO website, fill out a form and it will get posted to your address.

Note: it may take up to 28 days to receive though you can work for up to 28 days without a Tax file number. So as long as you’ve applied for it before starting employment you will be fine.

Buy a Transport Card

Buying a transport card will take the stress away from travelling the different cities. In Australia all the different cities have different systems so here is how to get around in the following places.

Sydney

In Sydney they use OPAL cards which can be purchased at a Woolworths supermarket or at a local news agent. To add money, you can either do it at a machine located at train stops, online or in store. You can also travel on Sydney’s network by simply tapping your visa or Master card on the OPAL card readers. Just make sure you tap off with the same card.

Melbourne

Melbourne uses Myki card’s, and these can be purchased from any 7 Eleven, at most train stations or android users can get them on their phone. Topping up your myki card is super easy you can do it right off your phone or at any station.

Perth

In Perth you will use a SmartRider card, this can be purchased from any news agent or Transperth Info centre.

Queensland

You will need a Translink Go card for Queensland, which you can get from convenience stores and train stations. They can be topped up online or at any Go Card retailers.

Adelaide

You are able to use your credit card to tap on and off when in Adelaide which is a quick easy solution. Otherwise you can purchase a Metro card, from the Adelaide Metro Info centre.

Australian weather

With Australian seasons they are possibly opposite to what you are used to as it is located in the southern hemisphere. Most of the country has 4 seasons although up in tropical north of Australia there is only really a wet and dry season but the weather stays quite warm all year round. I recommend using the weather app to plan ahead.

Seasons

December to February is Summer.
March to May Is Autumn.
June to August is Winter.
September to November is Spring.
Wet Season November to April
Dry Season May to October

Apply for a job

Australia is a great place to work, so make sure your resume is up to date. Dropping in to different work places of your liking giving a copy of your resume is a good way to possibly get work. If not, you can apply online for most jobs as well. Facebook has lots of groups for all different cities that has frequent posts with people looking for staff. There is plenty of different ways to go looking for work and you should be able to start earning some good money in no time.

Check out our Facebook group where jobs are posted daily