Everything you need an Australian postal address for when you land

The most important detail you need to know about applying for any Work Essential yourself is that you need a postal address.

Using my three stack process; a mixture of your accommodation, online services to making your mail mostly electronic and forwarding services for everything else, you can eliminate that uneasy feeling and travel freely and easily around Australia.

Here is a list of everything you will need an Australian address for when you land and start working or travelling:

Tax File Number (TFN)

Your TFN gets mailed to you 1-28 days after applying. You can only apply once you are in the country. If a visa company sets up your TFN make sure you set up a myGov account to access your Australian Tax Office information.

This way you can access the information about your tax and update your address and contact information.

Bank Account:  

When you set up an account from overseas you don’t need to supply an Australian postal address.

Once you land you need to do an ID check to activate your account, and you will need an address. I used my hostel address, then kept a close eye on the mail until my bank cards arrived. I made sure all bank statements and any communication was electronic. A bank card should usually take 1-5 business days.

Tip: Let your accommodation manager know you are waiting for your card because they might destroy it. Another option is asking a bank to have it delivered to the branch. I tried this but the cards still arrived at my hostel.

Superannuation

When you sign up, they will send you a welcome pack and your account information. Make sure you get set up online to update your details. You don’t need a Super until you start working, but it’s a good idea to have an account organised from the day you land.

Points collecting

Save money on groceries and petrol using rewards cards such as Flybuys and Velocity. The temporary cards you get in-store expire after a month so you need an address to get actual cards. I collect my points and use them as Air Miles. Just wait for the cards to arrive then sign in online and update your information to your forwarding services.

Medicare Card

This is similar to the NHS in the UK. Medicare lets people get a range of medical services and prescriptions at a lower cost and free care as a public patient in a public hospital. You need a physical address for your card to be sent to. You can’t get prescriptions without the physical card.

Starting Work Checklist

Hopefully, when you start work you will have a set place to stay for a while, so having an address may not be a problem. Here are a few things to think about when applying for a job before you settle:

• Applying for a job and/or doing mandatory qualifications: There are set qualifications for bar work and construction that are mandatory to have if you want to work in these professions. You can do these online but you need an address for them to register you.
• Employment contract & payslips: An address to register your payslips too and potentially your contract of employment mailed too.

Driving/Road Trip Checklist

• Buying a car: You need a proof of address of where the vehicle will be registered. I got permission from my hostel manager to use the hostel address. He gave me a letter headed confirmation that I was staying there and he was happy to receive my mail, even though all they did was throw it away after I checked out.
• An Australian driving licence: In New South Wales, I recommend getting your information for your Australian driving licence through the app or online. This way you can access and update all the information about your car and any fines you have received digitally. You can sign in online, keep track of your registration information, claim back overpayments and track fines. However, you will need to wait for your licence to arrive.
• Toll bridge tag: Toll bridges are not booths you drive through and pay, they are cameras that charge you using your number plate. If you don’t have a tag or online account, you will receive a missed toll fine in the mail. Sign up online for a toll bridge service to track your payments and/or either pick up a toll tag when you register your car or get a tag mailed to you. Getting a tag to put in the car brings down the admin costs (usually a $1 extra cost for having to use video recognition software) and prevents any admin fines of $10. With a tag, your tolls charges are tracked more effectively.

Summary:

Using a mixture of your accommodation, online services to making your mail mostly electronic and forwarding services for everything else, you can eliminate that uneasy feeling and travel freely and easily around Australia.