Moving to Australia Process by JJ Smith November 12, 2024 written by JJ Smith November 12, 2024 381 Are you among the many New Zealanders considering moving to Australia? Find below a general guide to moving from New Zealand to Australia. Australia is one of the main destinations for New Zealanders looking for a change of scenery, a better climate, job opportunities, to earn more, to be closer to family and friends, to have a new lifestyle, or simply a change because we can move to Australia so easily from NZ. Check out the ‘To Do List’ below to learn what you need to do before you leave New Zealand and what you need to do once you arrive in Australia. Below is a general list of areas you will need to address when weighing up your potential move to Australia. It covers the big stuff you’ll need to organise when you are thinking/planning an international move. The moving to Australia process Before you leave for Australia: Start looking for a job! Check out recruitment companies and get the process going. Find a school for your children. You will need an approximate move date to register your kids. Find some short-term accommodation. It is highly recommended to give yourself some time to find which suburb suits you and your family best before you buy or rent any real estate in Australia or sign a fixed-term agreement (one year). Book a moving company to pack and ship your household items. Save yourself time, money and stress. Set up a bank account before you leave. Then you can pick up your eftpos card as soon as you get there and start living (apply two weeks before you leave for Australia). Register with a foreign exchange/money transfer provider. They have sharper exchange rates than the banks and lower fees (or none if you register using this link: https://xe.com). Get your documentation/paperwork ready! You will need character references and 100 points of identification. Sign up for our monthly newsletter (scroll). I stay on top of all news relating to Kiwis living in Australia and send you the things you need to know. Let everyone you deal with in NZ know you are moving to Australia: – Doctor: Tell your doctor you are moving and that when you find a new doctor, you will request that your records be transferred. – IRD: They will talk through your individual circumstances and obligations with you. After you arrive in Australia: Bank Account—Verify your ID at your local CommBank branch and ask them to give you a printout of your statement. This will be a very handy ID document, especially when trying to prove your address. Get an Australian Tax File Number (TFN). The equivalent of an IRD number. You are not able to apply from NZ. Find out how to apply, including the step-by-step process and insider tips. Register with Medicare Australia. You must apply in person at a Medicare Office. Please remember to take your passport. Look for a rental property. Read this post to make sure you are prepared for the Australian rental market. Converting your NZ driving licence to an Australian licence. This is also a very useful form of ID, so I recommend you transfer your licence asap. Buy a home in Australia. Look into becoming an Australian Permanent Resident and then an Australian Citizen. Good luck with your move, and please feel free to ask any questions you have in the comment section at the bottom of each post. Looking for something in particular? I think I’ve written a post about everything related to moving to Australia. So, if you’re looking for something in particular, use the search field (scroll) and type in a keyword or two. In the list of posts, you should easily be able to find the answers to what you’re looking for. If you don’t, ask me a question in the comment field at the bottom of each post, and I’ll get back to you with the answer or the research I’ve done to help you out. Some posts that might interest you Below are my top 20 most visited posts: Buying a house in Australia Driving and Licences in Australia Can a NZ citizen get an Australian benefit or pension? Are New Zealand citizens eligible for Australia’s First Home Owners Grant? Moving to Australia FAQ (make sure you read the comments) Australian Tax – what you need to know Having a baby in Australia Moving money to Australia from New Zealand Which city to move to in Australia Medicare Australia Open an Australian Bank Account Moving to Australia Checklist Become an Australian Permanent Resident then Australia Citizen Foreign Exchange/Money Transfer Do you have to pay tax on money transferred from overseas? A better life across the ditch Australian Health Care System SCV Visa Exclusions Moving Company to Australia Moving back to New Zealand Good luck with your move to the lucky country. Remember, I’m here to help. Can I help you find something else? If you need advice on moving to Australia from New Zealand, I’ve created a helpful little questionnaire to point you in the right direction. It takes less than 30 seconds, so give it a go! Foreign Exchange/Money TransferMoving Company to AustraliaWhich city to move to in Australia 80 comments FacebookPinterest JJ Smith previous post Documentation needed when moving to Australia next post The Land of OZ, Consumer Mag You may also like Documentation needed when moving to Australia March 25, 2024 Money – What You Need to Know February 17, 2024 Open an Australian Bank Account November 6, 2024 Foreign Exchange/Money Transfer November 6, 2024 $19,000 exchange fee shocks family January 14, 2025 Australian Tax November 14, 2024 Getting Your Tax File Number (TFN) October 15, 2025 Jobs in Australia May 3, 2024 Australia Skill Shortages July 16, 2025 Move from NZ to teach kindergarten October 18, 2024 80 comments RAY WILD June 25, 2024 - 5:33 pm Hi I am retired and have a sister living on the sunshine coast. I want move to Australia next year and purchase a new caravan and towing vehicle. My plan is to travel the Queensland coast for about a year and move onto another area. Any suggestions or tips. Cheers Ray. Reply JJ Smith July 4, 2024 - 3:32 pm Hi Ray, Thanks for your comment. Sorry for the delay in replying. There is so much information online to help you plan a trip. Personally I haven’t got any experience to share, other than loving the New South Wales/Queensland coastline. There are so many beautiful places to visit. I recommend searching Google for different itinerary’s as this will give some good ideas on travel options. You will find directories, trip ideas and social media community forums. Here are few of the main websites: – https://www.queensland.com/au/en/info/search?query=caravan – https://www.queensland.com/au/en/plan-your-holiday/accommodation/camping-and-caravan-parks/caravanning-in-queensland- – https://www.outbackqueensland.com.au/news/11-places-to-park-your-caravan-in-outback-queensland/ – https://www.facebook.com/CaravanningQueensland/ I believe the research will give you some ideas, but nothing will compare to talking to some other travelers in an Australian caravan park. Australian’s are some of the friendliest people you meet and they are always up for a chat. Regarding purchasing a vehicle and caravan, I have recently been recommended Cricks Highway in Queensland. They love to help Kiwis secure a vehicle in Australia, assisting customers with the entire journey from finance to delivery. Worth a look: https://crickshighway.com.au/. Cricks Highway are proudly part of the Autopact Group, which is one of Australia’s largest automotive dealership groups. They offer a range of services, including new and used vehicle sales across 7 dealerships (KIA, VW, Subaru, Volvo, SsangYong & Renault, as well as a used car lot), service, parts as well as vehicle finance and insurance. They should be able to help or recommend somewhere to purchase a caravan from too. Otherwise there are heaps of companies and listings to check out online: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-e&q=buy+caravan+in+qld. My sister lives in Noosa and I’m off there again at the end of the month. I think you’re going to have a great time in the sunshine. Hope the above helps. Reply Philip Hollings February 3, 2024 - 12:02 pm Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere but someone told me you must sell your house in NZ before you move and get a job in Australia otherwise you will subject to Australian tax laws and have to pay tax in Australia on the sale of your NZ property. Is this correct? Reply JJ Smith February 7, 2024 - 2:09 pm Hi Philip, Please have a read of my buying a house in Australia post, as it has the answers you are looking for: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/australian-age-pension/. If you are a tax resident of Australia when you sell a property in NZ you will have to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT). However, your accountant can make you a temporary resident for tax purposes, which would make you exempt from tax on your overseas income. Read more here: https://www.beyondaccountancy.com.au/something-every-kiwi-in-australia-needs-to-know/. If you still have questions after reading the above post, you can ask them in the comment section at the bottom of the post. Hope the above helps. Reply Lulu November 24, 2023 - 1:13 pm We’re planning to move to WA with 3 large dogs (60-70kg), so if we waited until we moved over to buy a house the chances of rent a house with these dogs is slim, and not preferable for us if we can avoid it. Do you have any suggestions – eg, could we fly over a month or so beforehand and purchase a property, or do you have to stay in the country for a certain amount of time after. Reply JJ Smith November 24, 2023 - 2:39 pm Hi Lulu, Thanks for your comment. My brother in-law went over early and purchased a property for the family to move into. He then returned to NZ and went back with the family. I believe he was in the country to sign the agreement and back when it settled. Unfortunately I’m not sure about the legality of returning to NZ and then going back, so you should check with your lawyer, as I am not qualified to advise you on this. However, if you then move into the home when you return and do not rent it out etc, I do not see it being a problem, as you will once again have an SCV Sorry I can’t give you an exact answer. Reply Charles Perera November 6, 2023 - 2:34 am I am going to move to Perth, Australia from Wellington New Zealand in December 2023. Can I bring the cars I have been using for over a year in New Zealand to Australia without being liable to pay GST and duty? Also if we bring other used household items hope we will not have to pay any tax. Is it worth bringing these in. Reply JJ Smith November 6, 2023 - 12:01 pm Hi Charles, Thanks for your comment. Regarding shipping your car to Australia, you will need to apply for an import permit and pay tax (import GST) and import duty. I recommend you get a no-obligation quote from AutoHub so you can make an educated decision on whether it’s worth shipping your car to Australia: https://www.autohub.co/import-car-nz-to-australia-shipping/?cf_id=66653. Personal and household effects may be imported into Australia free of Customs Duty and GST (Goods Services Tax), provided they have been owned and used for a period of at least twelve months prior to their departure for Australia and the owner of the goods is eligible to live in Australia. I recommend you get a quote through my website for moving your personal effects to Australia with you. There is a great tool to estimate the total volume you will need (calculate the volume), where you an select what furniture items you have and then summit to receive up to 5 free quotes: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/moving-company-to-australia/. Hope the above helps. Good luck with your move. Reply Rose October 30, 2023 - 3:59 pm HI, Our family, like many, is considering a move to the warmer climate of the Sunshine Coast. I am 62 and my husband is 61 so my query relates to the receipt of our NZ Superannuation later on. I am finding it hard to get some basic information on how the system works if living in Australia and some friends have told us it’s not even possible now.! Any information or links to the correct information pages would be appreciated. We are more than happy to work for a few more years to reach the Australian qualifying age if need be but just need to know it’s feasible even to consider a move. Thanks so much for your help. Reply JJ Smith October 30, 2023 - 4:12 pm Hi Rose, I’m glad you got in touch, as it is even easier for New Zealanders to move to Australia now, because after you have been living in Australia for four years you can apply to become an Australian citizen. However, even if you decided you didn’t want to become a citizen, you would still be eligible for the Australian Age Pension when you turn 66.5 years old. Here is my post that includes everything I know about New Zealanders getting the Australia Age Pension: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/australian-age-pension/. Regards to your KiwiSaver, if you have one, this can either be transferred to an Australian Super or left in NZ. Here’s some info: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/kiwisaver-for-your-home-deposit/. Anything else you are wondering about, I recommend you use the search function on my site to find answers, or email me back and I will send you the relevant link. Thanks Reply Rohit Gupta October 25, 2023 - 12:59 am Some people say that you should take your car over. As you want get much here when selling it and 2nd hand cars are more expensive there. But I am not sure. So far, I know 1. You can not take hybrids or EVs 2. You have to have owned it for 12 months. 3. I have a quote of NZD6720 for freight and quarantine for a Honda CRV 4. Then I am told that there will be a duty, percentage unknown So, it can’t be worthwhile taking the car. Reply Steven Grove October 8, 2023 - 8:15 pm I have been in Perth for two months and I am immigrating to Perth. What forms are supposed to be sent to IRD . Thank you Regards Steven Grove Reply JJ Smith October 10, 2023 - 3:59 pm Hi Steven, Thank you for your comment. Have a read of my Australia Tax post (https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/australian-tax/), lots of good information you will need to know, including the link to the IR886 form that tells the IRD you have left New Zealand. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have. Enjoy Perth. It’s on the top of my visit list. Reply Daniel August 25, 2023 - 11:39 am Hi, Im 19 years old and I am wanting to move to Melbourne end of next year from NZ. just wondering how much money is a good amount to have saved up before I move? Thanks Reply JJ Smith August 26, 2023 - 10:24 am Hi Daniel, Thank you for your comment. Great question! How much savings you should have when you move to Australia completely depends on your individual circumstances, lifestyle, expectations and plans. And of course, planning ahead can definitely help reduce costs and stress. If you have been flatting/renting, you will have an idea of how much money you need each month for rent, utilities, food and beverage, transport, entertainment, clothing and leisure. Here is a great site that compares the costs of living between NZ and Australian cities: https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/interactives/costofliving/compare/auckland-vs-melbourne/. Where are you planning on living when you arrive? Family/friends or paid? AirBnB room or hostel? I don’t recommend securing a rental/flat until you have found work, as Australia is HUGE compared to NZ and you want to live close to where you work, not travel an hour or two a day. Check out this post for accommodation options: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/renting-and-accommodation-in-australia/. Have you already secured a job or do you need to survive until you find one? Have you checked out job hunting sites and got an idea of placements in your industry, potential income and turnaround of recruitment listings (e.g. two weeks until close – https://www.seek.com.au/)? This will give you an idea of how long it might take you to find a job. Then add a few weeks before you get paid. Doing this exercise will also give you a list of companies/recruitment companies you can send your CV to. Being proactive shows a good work ethic. There is also a lot of Australian recruitment happening from NZ at the moment, so you’ve got a great chance of securing a job before you leave, which will remove a lot of uncertainty and the need for more savings. So get your CV up to date and all the other documentation you are going to need: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/jobs-in-australia/ and https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/documentation-needed-when-moving-to-australia/. Personally, I’ve got family I can beg if I find myself in need, but if you don’t then you also need to take that into consideration, because the Australian government will not help you. Spend some time researching how your life in Australia might look, as everyone has different expectations/standards and calculate your living costs. Calculate that by how long it might take you to find a job and an extra two weeks to be paid. A safe amount would be six weeks of living costs saved. Make sure you transfer your money through a foreign exchange provider like XE, so you get the best conversion rate and no additional fees: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/moving-money-to-australia-from-new-zealand/. Are you planning on having a holiday first? Melbourne is a very cool place and if you don’t know a lot of people then spending some time getting to know the city is also a great idea for quality of life. Discover where you might like to live, somewhere that suits your lifestyle, e.g. outdoors, entertaining, cheap. Lastly, when you arrive, talk to anyone and everyone. Go into bars all over the city and talk to Australians. They love a good chat with randoms! Super friendly people. Hope the above helps. Reply Amna July 13, 2023 - 12:48 pm Hi, I want to find out if a child has disabilities (autism level 3) and she is newzealand citizen,Does she get support in Australia? Reply JJ Smith July 17, 2023 - 11:45 am Hi Anna, Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately, what information I have been able to find out online about support for NZ citizens with Autism in Australia is not positive. New Zealand citizens in Australia are not eligible to get the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) until they become Australian citizens. Here is an article on Stuff about a Mum with an autistic child born in Australia – https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/129224779/mum-with-autistic-child-born-in-australia-says-new-pathway-to-aussie-citizenship-too-late-for-some. I recommend you contact Autism Spectrum Australia and ask them what support is available to you until she can become a citizen after 4 years – https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/how-can-we-help. Please email me back with any advice/information you can share with other visitors, so I can add it to my website. Sorry, I couldn’t be of more help. Reply Andrei May 7, 2023 - 8:37 pm Hi there! Thanks for your help in the past. We have arrived in Australia in QLD, and expecting a baby in October this year, I’m currently employed and my wife is pregnant Just wondering if parental pay would change also with the law change happening in July? Is there anything that would be of use to look up? Thanks so much for your help Andrei & Chloe Reply JJ Smith May 11, 2023 - 10:25 am Hi Andrei & Chloe, Thanks for your comment. From 1 July 2023, your child’s date of birth or adoption affects Parental Leave Pay. This includes who can get it, how much you get and when you get paid. However, you may need to wait 2 years before you can get Parental Leave Pay. Read more about exemptions to the newly arrived resident’s waiting period. Here is the information you are looking for: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/parental-leave-pay-for-child-born-or-adopted-from-1-july-2023. You should contact CenterLink and discuss your situation with them. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have. Thanks Reply Sefa March 9, 2023 - 6:43 pm Hi, I’m only 19 and planning to move to Sydney from NZ. Just wondering if you’ve got any tips for accommodation when I get there? Can I rent out an apartment straight away and start working? Or do I have to stay at an airbnb or something like that to get started first? Reply JJ Smith March 10, 2023 - 10:15 am Hi Sefa, There isn’t one answer for everyone regarding renting and working when you first arrive in Australia. It depends on how much money you have saved before you leave, where in Sydney you are planning on moving too, what type of accommodation you are looking for, what industry you are looking for work in, how good your CV and references are… etc. Here are some posts you should read. You can ask me further questions at the bottom of each post: – Moving to Australia process – in this post I cover what you need to do before you leave and after you arrive. – Renting and accommodation in Australia – there are a lot of accommodation options. It would probably be easier to go into something temporary (AirBnB) until you find a job. Then you can find a flat or rental close to work. – Jobs in Australia – start looking at the types of jobs you are interested in asap. Then you will know exactly what to expect after you arrive. How much money you will potentially be making, CV requirements, job availability and turn around. – Documentation needed – make sure you have all your documentation sorted before you leave. Make sure you open a bank account approx two weeks before you leave. TFN and Medicare as soon as you arrive in Australia. If you are taking some money with you, register for an online foreign exchange company, as they save you money. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have. Good luck with your move. Reply Ross Munro February 25, 2023 - 4:37 pm Hi JJ We are looking into moving to Perth from New Zealand. We have two children with 4 grandchildren already there and they have been there for over 10 years and are currently going through the citizenship process. The family are wanting us to move over to join them. We are both NZ citizens and I am on the NZ Super aged 68, my wife is aged 59. We would intend to sell up in NZ and purchase a home in Perth. We understand that the pension is asset tested in Australia so we will have roughly $500,000.00 in the bank after purchasing another home and various other essentials to continue life in Australia. We have been doing a lot of reading but just need clarification to help us make wise decisions. Our questions to start with are: Will I get a pension in Australia and what if my wife continues to work. What status do we need to acquire in Australia once there, that may be necessary to help gain any benefits? What benefits would we be intitled to? What are, if any, stand down periods for such benefits (medical care & pension etc) Does it make any difference to have money in an Australian account when purchasing property in AU rather than buying from NZ. Do we still get stung with duty or any kind of taxes? Looking forward to your reply. Kind regards Ross and Margaret Reply JJ Smith February 27, 2023 - 1:45 pm Hi Ross and Margaret, Thank you for your comment. Regarding the Australian pension, I’ve run your assets through the Age Pension Calculator and got the below age pension estimate: Asset Test – $500,000 Income Test – $9,378 (deemed annual income from financial investments) Age Pension Estimate: Per Person per fortnight – $652.30 Per Couple per fortnight – $1,304.60 Per Person per year – $16,960 Per Couple per year – $33,920 Have a read of my Australian Age Pension post, as it should answer all your questions: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/australian-age-pension/. Yes, you will still get the pension if your wife continues to work. Here is a good post: https://retirementessentials.com.au/a-younger-partner/. Here is a list of the Australia benefits/payments and the newly arrived resident’s waiting period for each: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/australian-visa/#Newly-arrived-residents-waiting-period. I highly recommend waiting until you are in Australia before buying property. It will save you a lot of tax and you will be eligible for different Australian Government schemes like the First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) and possible stamp duty waiver. Have a read of my Buying a house in Australia post: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/buying-a-house-in-australia/. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have. Good luck with your move. Reply Martin White December 1, 2022 - 3:22 pm Good day, My wife and I are both NZ citizens in receipt of NZ Superannuation and are contemplating purchasing a house in an “over 50s lifestyle village” in Queensland. The houses in question are being offered in terms of the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act 2003 whereby purchaser owns the building but occupies the land section on a ground rent basis. (We understand that this arrangement is quite common in Australia and is tried and tested?) Our intention is that for the next few years we would occupy the house in the winter months as we find the NZ winter too cold. We would retain our current house in NZ, and, if we spend less than 26 weeks per year out of NZ, our superannuation payments would continue here. Our ultimate intention would probably be to move to Australia permanently. From your postings on Australia taxes we understand that, in order to avoid Australian Capital Gains tax on any future sale of the NZ house, we should enter Australia as Temporary Residents rather than on the SCV normally issued to NZ citizens. Obviously we would want legal/accounting confirmation of the process but our initial query is whether we could enter into a contract to purchase a house as such a Temporary Resident? I do recall reading one of your newsletters advising of a Melbourne company of accountants who could apparently advise on and organise such a Temporary Residence visa but have misplaced their name etc. Could you please advise and any other recommendations as to reliable and suitably qualified accountants either in Australia or NZ who would be familiar with the process? (We got a nasty tax shock from the NZ IRD when immigrating to this country twenty or so years ago.) Many thanks Reply JJ Smith December 5, 2022 - 3:47 pm Hi Martin, Thank you for your comment. Please note, I am not an immigration specialist or accountant and can only advise you from the information I find online. I’m glad you have been reading my newsletters. The article you are referring to is from Beyond Accountancy about being a temporary residence for tax purposes: https://beyondaccountancy.com.au/something-every-kiwi-in-australia-needs-to-know/. Beyond Accountancy have very good independent reviews and you should definitely contact them to see if they would be your accountant in Australia. They would be able to answer some of your questions. Regarding buying a house in Australia, New Zealanders buying property from outside of Australia need to pay an additional Foreign Transfer Duty of 7-8% depending on which state the purchase is made in. For example, the foreign duty on a $750,000 home in Queensland is $52,500, bringing the total cost up to $802,500 excluding stamp duty. Foreign duty varies by each state. There is no foreign duty in the Northern Territory. This is a good post for you to read: https://unohomeloans.com.au/can-new-zealand-citizens-buy-property-in-australia-here-is-everything-you-need-to-know/. Regarding visa, you would still move to Australia on the automatic SCV. This does not impact whether you become a temporary resident for tax purposes. I do recommend you talk to Work and Income about your plans to live close to six months in Australia and the rest of the time in NZ. I’m sure they have a lot of people who do this because of the impacts of the colder weather on quality of life. I hope I answered all your questions. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have. Good luck with your move. Reply Lovena Walker August 7, 2022 - 1:15 pm Hello 🙂 Thankyou for this wonderful page, wow, it has given me so much information. I wonder if you know the process for pensions, once you hit 67 can you get the Australian aged pension? We are looking at moving by the end of next year. Job searching now. I am 52, hubby is 62 Reply JJ Smith August 9, 2022 - 11:24 am Hi Lovena, Thank you for your comment and kind words. New Zealanders who are 66 and 6 months or older and live in Australia should be eligible for an Australian age pension. As long as they meet the resident, income, and asset eligibility criteria. You can read everything I have discovered so far about the Australian age pension in this post: https://www.staging.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/australian-age-pension/. Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have. Good luck with your move. Reply Sharna March 2, 2022 - 7:59 pm Hi I’m Sharna& I’m moving to perth WA in May. I would just like to know if you know how I can get proof of the address that I am going to be living at in Australia. Reply JJ Smith March 2, 2022 - 11:33 pm Hi Sharna, Thank you for your comment. This is a common problem as you cannot get proof of address until you receive either a bill or bank statement at your new Australia address, which won’t happen until after you arrive. What did you need it for? I will be able to help you once I have more information. 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