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If you’re looking at moving to Australia (MTA) from New Zealand, you have just found all the information you need. We moved to Brisbane from Auckland over 10 years ago and wanted to share all the information we learnt with other kiwi’s. Learn from our mistakes and save yourself a lot of research time.
Find here all the information you need: set up a Australian bank accounts, foreign exchange, moving your personal effects to Australia, schooling, real estate and hundreds of other pieces of useful information about Australia. Whether you are moving to Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne or Perth, we are here to help.
So how can I help you? I’ve been answering kiwis questions for over 10 years, so am more than happy to help. If you don’t find what you’re looking for please email me on help@movingtoaustralia.co.nz or fill in the enquiry form on our contact page.
Relocating to Australia is a process a lot of kiwi’s do because we automatically get granted a Special Category Visa (SCV) and get to stay close to family and friends, while earning more and having a lower cost of living. The SCV will allow New Zealanders to live and work in Australia for as long as we like.
Below is what we recommend doing when planning your move:
All the points above are explained in detail throughout our website.
What do you need to move to Australia? As a New Zealander your only requirements to move to Australia is that you are either a NZ Resident or Citizen, don’t have any criminal convictions that you have served a year or more in jail for and don’t have any outstanding fines.
You do not need to apply for Visa, you will automatically get granted a digital Special Category Visas (SCV) on entry into Australia.
New Zealanders automatically get given an SCV when we enter Australia. This allows us to live and work in Australia as long as we like. However, we do not receive social welfare payment, student loans, Newstart (unemployment) benefits, parenting payments and youth allowance.
We are entitled to family payments, including family tax benefit, baby bonus, childcare benefit and parental leave pay, and medical care under MediCare.
Find out if you need an Australian Visa or read the full list of SCV Visa Exclusions here.
You can ask me questions at the bottom of every content page in the comments section if there is further information you want to know. You may also find the answer you are looking for has already been asked.
Ausmove was the first ever company we partnered with. They did such a fantastic job of moving our stuff to Brisbane Australia, at a really competitive cost. We have been recommending them for over ten years and have always received positive Ausmove reviews.
If you do not understand the moving process you can find out more on our moving company page, or container shipping page, or you can simply get a free no obligation quote from Ausmove and who will happily answer all your questions and talk you through your options.
This is one of our most visited and helpful pages. Let us help you organize and plan your move. It includes what you need to do four weeks before you move, two weeks, on move day and helpful tips.
Find out more… read our Moving to Australia Checklist post!
When you relocate to Australia you will also need to move your money with you. There a few things you need to be aware of, that I wish we knew when we moved.
Open an account online before you go! My husband opened an account online with Commonwealth Bank before we left. When he was picking up his eftpos card in our local Commonwealth Bank, I tried to open an account. I was unable to open an account because I didn’t have the right paperwork. I needed proof of address, which I didn’t have. When I got home I opened an account online (open a Commonwealth Bank Account) and picked up my eftpos card a few days later.
Find out more… read our Australia Bank Account page!
Transferring your money from New Zealand to Australia is a big deal. It is important to use a trusted foreign exchange partner and make sure you get the most Australian dollars for your NZ dollars. From our research, online money transfer companies give you the best rates with less margin and no fees.
Find out more… read our Foreign Exchange/Money Transfer page!
We have provided all the information and links to resources that you will need about the Australian Health Care System. The Australian Government funds three major national health schemes, Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the 30% Private Health Insurance Rebate. These are funded via taxes and the income based Medicare Levy.
Medicare is a publicly funded universal health care scheme in Australia. Operated by the government authority Medicare Australia, Medicare is the primary funder of health care in Australia, funding primary health care for Australian citizens and permanent residents (except for those on Norfolk Island).
Residents are entitled to subsidised treatment from medical practitioners, eligible midwives, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals who have been issued a Medicare provider number, and can also obtain free treatment in public hospitals.
Find out more… read our Medicare Australia page!
In Australia, the public health system Medicare covers most Australian residents for health care. However, Medicare does not cover everything and you can choose to take out private health insurance to give yourself a wider range of health care options and more comprehensive cover, which you will also get a rebate for.
Do you have health insurance in NZ? Then you should get in Australia too.
Find out more… read our Private Health Insurance page!
Australian real estate is quite similar to New Zealand but Australia is so much bigger. There are positives and negatives to each city and each suburb and it is important to do research before you leave NZ and when you get there before you make any fixed arrangements. The tenancy agreement lengths are one year minimum.
The tenancy market is much more competitive than New Zealand. There are dozens of people going for the same apartment/house, you need to make sure you make a good impression and have all the documents you need.
Find out more… read our Australia Real Estate page!
Sydney is where most New Zealanders are moving to. It’s Australia’s largest city and therefore has the most job opportunities. Sydney attracts more immigrants than any other Australian city. Around 40,000 new people move to Sydney each year.
So if you’re looking at earning more than you do in New Zealand this could be the city for you. You can read more about Sydney here:
When I tried to connect our utilities for our new home in Australia I contacted all the major companies, Sky TV, power company, phone and internet. I came up against all the same road blocks, not enough paper work! We didn’t have proof of address, three months wages or bank accounts.
Then I came across On The Move and within minutes we had arranged for all our utilities to be connected. It saved us time, money and stress. They offered the same current deals that the supplier was offering, so we got exactly what we wanted without anymore stress.
Find out more… read our Utility Connection page!
We highly recommend you finding a job in Australia before you leave New Zealand. Kiwi’s are highly sought after all over the world including Australia. Australia is well known for paying higher wages than kiwi companies and the cost of living being a lot lower. Moving to Australia gives you a better quality of life if planned properly.
Find out more… read our Jobs in Australia page!
First serious point is if you’re going overseas for 6 months or more your New Zealand student loan won’t be interest free. When you go overseas you need to let the IRD know if you’re going to be overseas for 184 days (about 6 months) or more. The easiest way to do this, if you also want to apply for a repayment holiday, is to complete the form in your myIR Secure Online Services account. However, you’ll become an overseas-based borrower if you’ll be overseas for 184 days or more. This means you’ll have different repayment obligations and your loan will no longer be interest-free. Interest applies to your student loan from the day after you leave New Zealand.
Find out more… read our NZ Student Loan page!
Hi… I’m JJ Smith.
I’m the creator and editor of Moving to Australia and have been for 10 years! I know everything there is to know about New Zealanders moving their families and life to Australia. Either from first hand experiences and research or through the questions from visitors to this website… and I’m here to help!
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