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An Expat’s Guide To Cost Of Living In Australia

In her article Swati Iyer looks at the cost of living in Australia covering costs related to renting and buying a home, utilities, food and drink, getting around in a car or on public transport, as well as childcare and education costs. We have created a series of articles to help those planning to move...

Where To Live In Australia

Here we look at where you should live in Australia, looking at the highlights of life in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Queensland Queensland has extensive coastlines with access to the Great Barrier Reef as well as the outback and rainforests. The Queensland website has a wealth of...

Top 10 Facts About Living In Australia

If you are thinking about moving to Australia here are our 10 top pieces of information for expats: Australia is the most popular destination in the world for UK expats with over 1 million Brits living there. There are also at least 100,000 Americans living in Australia. With 28% of Australian residents born overseas there...

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.