Your first month in Australia: a setup checklist

The first few weeks in Australia are mostly paperwork. Get these done in order and the rest of the semester runs smoothly. Most of it is free.

At the airport

• Fill in the Incoming Passenger Card handed out on the plane. Declare all food, plant material, wooden items and medicines. Australia's biosecurity rules are strict and undeclared food can mean a fine. If in doubt, declare it and let an officer decide.
• Keep your passport, your Confirmation of Enrolment, and your OSHC policy details in your hand luggage, not the hold.

Week 1: the essentials

Tax file number

Apply for a Tax File Number (TFN) online through the Australian Taxation Office once you have an Australian address. It is free. You need to be in Australia, hold a visa with work rights, and give an Australian postal address. The ATO posts the TFN letter to that address within about 28 days.

You do not need the TFN to start work, but you must give it to your employer within 28 days of starting or they withhold tax at the top rate, currently 47 percent, instead of the normal rate.

Bank account

You can usually open an account with one of the big four banks, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ or NAB, online before you arrive, then walk into a branch with your passport to activate it. Bring proof of address once you have one. Digital banks and credit unions are alternatives, often with lower fees. Ask about student accounts with no monthly fee.

Mobile SIM

Buy a prepaid SIM at the airport or a supermarket to get started, then switch to a longer plan once you have a bank account and address. Telstra has the widest regional coverage, Optus and Vodafone are cheaper in the cities, and several smaller providers resell the same networks for less.

Tell your university your address

Student visa condition 8533 requires you to give your education provider your residential address within 7 days of arriving, and to tell them within 7 days if you move. This is done through the student portal, not with immigration directly. Missing it is a visa breach.

Weeks 1 to 2: enrolment and health

Enrol and get your student ID

Complete course enrolment, pick your timetable, activate your student card and go to orientation. Your card is also your library and building access and, in some states, links to a transport card.

Health cover: OSHC and Medicare

Most international students are not eligible for Medicare and rely on OSHC for the whole visa. See the OSHC guide for what it covers and the trap of letting it lapse.

Students from a country with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement can also enrol in Medicare. On a student visa this currently applies to the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Italy and New Zealand. Students from Norway, Finland, Malta and the Republic of Ireland are not covered on a student visa. Enrolling in Medicare does not by itself remove the OSHC condition on your visa, so keep your OSHC unless Home Affairs has confirmed you are exempt, which applies only to a few nationalities whose national schemes are recognised.

To use OSHC: register with your insurer's app, then either see a bulk-billing GP who bills the insurer directly, or pay upfront and claim the rebate back. Your insurer's website lists clinics that direct-bill.

Weeks 2 to 4: settling in

Accommodation

Option	Typical setup
University or private student accommodation	Bills included, furnished, no long lease, higher weekly cost
Share house	Cheapest per person, you need a bond and references, inspect before paying
Homestay	Room plus some meals with a local family, arranged through the university, good for the first few months

A rental bond is usually four weeks' rent, lodged with a state authority and refundable at the end. Never pay a bond or rent for a place you have not seen in person or on a verified video call. Advance-fee rental scams target new arrivals. Use temporary accommodation for your first week or two and view share houses once you are on the ground. The cost of living pages show what a room costs in Sydney, Melbourne and other cities, and the real cost guide covers the rest.

Transport

Get the local smartcard: Opal in Sydney, Myki in Melbourne, go card in Brisbane, and so on. Transport concessions for international students are limited and vary by state. In New South Wales most international students pay the full adult fare unless they hold a specific Australian Government scholarship. Victoria offers a discounted international student travel pass rather than a standard concession. Check your state's transport authority and your university's student services.

If you work: super and your rights

When you work, your employer pays superannuation on top of your wage into a retirement fund, at 12 percent as of the 2025-26 year. As a temporary resident you can claim most of it back when you leave Australia for good, minus a departure tax.

Your student visa caps paid work at 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, with no limit during scheduled breaks. Volunteering and genuinely unpaid work do not count. See working while you study.

The first-month checklist

Timing	Task
Before you fly	Start a bank account application online, book a week of temporary accommodation, pack a travel adaptor
Day 1 to 2	Declare goods at the airport, get a prepaid SIM, activate your bank account in branch
Within 7 days	Give your university your residential address (condition 8533)
Week 1	Apply for a TFN, enrol and collect your student ID, attend orientation
Week 1 to 2	Register with your OSHC insurer, enrol in Medicare if your country has an agreement, find a bulk-billing GP
Week 2 to 4	View and secure a share house, pay the bond through the state scheme, get your transport smartcard
Before your first shift	Give your employer your TFN and super fund details, check you are inside the 48-hour fortnight cap

Do I need a TFN before I can start working?

No. You can start a job without one, but you must give your employer a TFN within 28 days or they withhold tax at 47 percent. Apply as soon as you have an Australian address so the letter arrives in time. The extra tax is refundable when you lodge a return, but that can be months away.

Can I get a student transport concession as an international student?

In most states, no. New South Wales limits concessions to domestic students and a few scholarship categories, so international students pay adult fares. Victoria and some other states offer a discounted international student pass, which is not the same as a full concession. Check your state transport authority for the current rule.