Documentation needed when moving to Australia

Don’t get caught out arriving in Australia without the documentation/paperwork you need!

It will cause you a whole lot of stress, time, and worry!

Australia can be really competitive when it comes to jobs, apartments, and rentals. You might end up in a position where everyone wants the apartment you want, and you need to stand out (references).

You will need to prove your identity when applying for a property rental, driver’s licence, a white card or Medicare card, or setting up a mobile or superannuation account.

Editors Comment: I put together a list of all the ID documents my son needed when he moved to Sydney earlier this year. What I discovered is that reaching 100 points of ID was quite tricky without an Australian driver’s licence. So, make sure to add “convert to an Australian driver’s licence” to your to-do list as soon as you arrive in Australia.

On this page, you will find the helpful information below:

• General Advice
• Documents you need when moving to Australia
• Documents you need for your children
• Providing 100 points of identification
• Australian rental documentation
• NZ homeowner and need rental paperwork
• Schools, doctors, and dentists.

General Advice

If you are moving to Australia, ensure you have all the document files below in a folder on an accessible device, and make at least one paper copy. Then, you can send/email or photocopy it when needed.

You don’t want to email people to chase a reference or, worse, ask for one.

So make sure you have all the correct paperwork ready so you can compete in the competitive Australian job market and rental applications! 

Documents you need when moving to Australia

I recommend you download, scan, and save all the files below in a ‘moving to Australia’ folder and make one physical paper copy. There are still times and people/companies/realtors that require paperwork documentation:

• Passport
• Birth certificate
• Name change certificate
• Drivers Licence
• Photo ID (if you don’t have a driver’s licence)
• Your last 3 months’ bank statements (NZ and/or Australia)
• Written rental reference from a previous landlord and their contact information (used for both 100 points ID and rental applications)
• Character references – one professional and one personal (at least)
• Provide proof that your last bond was repaid in full (or explain why it wasn’t).

Documents you need for your children

When I said people/companies need paperwork, well, schools are at the top of the list for what they need for kids, and it is generally a physical copy, but make sure you have everything digital.

You are going to need the below documents/paperwork for your children in Australia:

• Passport
• Birth certificate
• Immunization records
• Plunket baby book
• One year’s school reports (probably only need the last term or end of the year)
• Proof of Australian Residency or Authority to enrol (don’t need this with an NZ Passport)
• Baptismal Certificate
• Court orders (if applicable).

Honestly, I am not the first person to wish I had put in the time early and got all the above ready. People need time to forward you the above, and there’s nothing worse than being ill-prepared for something you want. 

Providing 100 points of identification

You must provide a total of 100 points of Australian and/or New Zealand documents to prove your identity. Depending on what you need the points for, they hold different values. The below is for a rental application but you will also need to prove your identity when it comes to getting a driver’s license, applying for a white card or Medicare card, and setting up a mobile or superannuation account. Although the values are different, the documents are generally the same.

You can use different combinations of documents to make up your 100 points, but you must include at least 1 primary document that has a photograph as part of your 100 points.

100 Points of ID Check

Main ID Requirements for New Zealanders moving to Australia

Please find below a breakdown of the ID you will need for the services you will have to set up in Australia.

myGOV – Australian Government Account

A myGov account in Australia is like your digital key to access a bunch of important government services in one place. Here’s what you typically need it for:

• Medicare (for healthcare rebates, prescriptions, etc.)
• Centrelink (if you’re getting payments or benefits)
• ATO (Australian Taxation Office) (for tax returns, TFN info, superannuation)
• My Health Record (to view your health summary, immunisations, etc.)
• Child Support
• NDIS, JobSearch, and others

To create a myGov account in Australia, you don’t need to provide identity documents during the initial setup. However, to access and link services like Medicare, Centrelink, or the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), you will need to verify your identity.

Here’s a quick and easy step-by-step guide to setting up your myGov account in Australia:

1. Go to the official myGov website
2. Click “Create an account”
3. Enter your email address – use a personal email that you check often.
4. Get the verification code from your email, and enter it to continue.
5. Create a strong password – It needs to meet the security criteria (uppercase, lowercase, number, special character, etc.)
6. Set up secret questions – These are for extra security. Pick ones you’ll remember the answers to!
7. Add your mobile number (optional but recommended) – Helps with login security (you’ll get codes via SMS).

Australia Medicare

You can enrol in Medicare either online through myGov or by completing a Medicare enrolment form. You will need a myGov account (above) to apply for Medicare online. ID needed:

• a New Zealand passport, and
• 2 residency documents:
  • Documents from another country:
    • proof you sold your property
    • proof you ended your lease
    • proof you ended your employment
    • proof you moved household goods or furniture
    • proof you closed your bank account
    • proof you cancelled health, property or contents insurance.
  • Documents from Australia:
    • proof of purchase of property, and gas or electricity account in the same name
    • proof of rental or lease agreement, and gas or electricity account in the same name
    • proof of your employment
    • proof your child is enrolled in childcare, school or university
    • proof you have a current bank account in Australia
    • proof of health, property or contents insurance.

Australian rental documentation

The Australian rental market is very competitive, especially in the main cities. Most Australian rentals will require you to submit a tenancy application accompanied by the following documents.

I recommend preparing the below before you leave NZ and having it ready to go:

• Your last 3 months’ bank statements
• A written reference from your previous landlord
• Your previous landlord’s contact information
• Proof that your last bond was repaid in full (or an explanation as to why it wasn’t)
• Provide and attach photocopies of documents required to meet 100 points of identification, as the guide shows below. 

NZ homeowner and need rental paperwork?

Many of my visitors are homeowners in New Zealand and have been for years. This means they don’t have written landlord references, contact information, or proof of their last bond being repaid.

This is very common, and a rental agent will understand.

The references are purely there to prove that you are a good tenant, so try to think of another way to show this. Any personal references, work or personal, will help.

If you are close to any of your neighbours in NZ, you could ask them for a personal reference, which would prove that you were a good neighbour and looked after your property. That may give you a little bit of an advantage over other applicants.

Make sure you transfer some money into your Australian bank to prove you can pay the rent and even show further savings in your NZ bank account (especially if it’s not an optimal time to transfer your funds to Australia).

Read more about getting a rental in Australia in my Renting and Accommodation in Australia post. 

Schools, doctors, and dentists

Schools, doctors, and dentists will request your NZ provider’s medical records, school reports, and dentist records. So, it’s better to get these before you leave NZ, as you may need to visit them personally and sign a consent form.

Therefore, you should obtain paper or electronic copies of your medical/dentist records for yourself and your family. You will need to provide these to your new doctor and dentist.

You could also have them sent directly to your new provider’s office. Be sure these include the results of any lab work, imaging, or other tests you’ve had. It’s a very straightforward process, just a signature on a form.

Contact your child’s current school and notify them your child is leaving. They will have had many children changing schools and moving to another country and will give you everything you need.

Your new school in Australia will want at least their last school report but may want to go further. It is also very helpful to provide samples of your child’s work – either a Portfolio or a range of work samples in different subject areas.

You might be interested in…

The below posts might interest you:

• Find a House to Buy or Rent in Australia
• Jobs in Australia
• Schools in Australia
• Utilities connect

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