After landing Downunder and having exchanged your warm clothes with shorts, singlet and flip flops (this may be optional: many Aussies go barefoot), you’ll better fix a few things on day one. Here are my tips for moving to Australia with no worries.
Get a SIM card
You’ll need an Australian phone number for almost everything from banking to renting to job searching, so don’t hesitate. Telstra is said to have the best coverage, even in remote areas. In my experience though, when you’re really in the middle of the desert and a phone or GPS are most needed, even Telstra doesn’t work. So buy whatever.
Open an Australian bank account
Once you have an Australian mobile number, go to a bank and open a bank account. Do this ASAP, because transferring money from oversea takes at least 7 working days. Choose a big bank, one that has branches all over the country like Westpac or Commonwealth.
Apply for a Tax File Number
Once you have a working phone and a bank account, go to the nearest tax office and apply for a TAX FILE NUMBER. Without that magic number you won’t be even able to look for a job, let alone finding one. So do not delay this step. You will need it for everything work and tax related.
After having completed this three fundamental step, you’ll be good to go! Ready to look for a job or a van to explore further.
Hello people!
My name is Sabrina, and I'm a pirate.
As such, I usually travel a lot and don't have a fixed adress. Not for long at least. So here you are, welcome to my home, the one that follows me around the globe.