Moving to Australia, Part Four: Tackling the Necessities

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Moving to Australia, Part Four: Tackling the Necessities

This step is crucial because, once you have done everything in this phase, you are compliant and will have more of a sense of belonging. These are the registrations, tasks and paperwork that you will have had as long as you can remember back home and perhaps even have taken for granted.

Sharon Swift continues to share her experience of moving from the UK to Australia.

Most of what you will need do will require 100 points of identification. This is a selection of documents that prove your identity and help to prevent fraud. Each document of proof is allocated points, and you need 100 to open bank and Medicare accounts or register for a driver’s licence, for example.

You can only have one primary document, such as a birth certificate or passport, worth 70 points. Secondary documents must be photo ID to get you, for example, a further 40 points. However, this is a chicken and egg situation, as other documents that are permitted include council rates notices, credit cards and utility bills, which require you to be set up already.

This listing will help give you an idea, based on the paperwork you are likely to have with you. This is subject to change so check with the organisation you are registering with.

Primary documents, only one of these permitted (70 points):

Birth certificate
Citizenship certificate
Current passport.

Secondary documents, which must have photo and name (40 points):

Driver’s licence issued by an Australian state or territory
An identification card issued to a student at a tertiary education institution.

Name and signature (25 points)

Credit card
Foreign driver’s licence
Medicare card (signature not required)
EFTPOS (bank) card.

Name and address (25 points)

Records of a public utility – phone, water, gas or electricity bill
Records of a financial institution
Lease/rental agreement
Rent receipt from a licenced real-estate agent.

Name and date of birth (25 points)

Record of a primary, secondary or tertiary education institution attended within the last ten years
Record of professional or trade association of which you are a member.

Remember that leaving the UK (or wherever you are coming from) wipes the slate clean, so it’s important to start building your identity afresh in Australia. It’s hard work getting all this done in one go, but the sooner you do, the faster you can start learning the ropes.

Sharon Swift’s book ‘So, You’re Moving to Australia’ is available to purchase here:

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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.