Visa approved. Flight booked. Now what to do before moving to Australia?
I’ve been in this position twice now when moving from my hometown in Spain, to Sydney. Each time there have been new learnings!
The fact is, there’s no text book for getting you ready to move to Australia – until now. The last time I moved down under, I decided to keep a diary of all the big and little things I did in order to prepare for my move.
Here it is, to help all our Aussie Talk readers who are making the move!
The checklist: What you must do before moving to Australia
First, if you haven’t got your visa sorted, read these Aussie Talk guides:
- Australian Visa applications: Important tips to help get your visa granted
- Australia Working Holiday Visa: Tips for successful subclass 417 & 462 applications
- Australian Student Visa: Step-by-step guide for applications in 2024
The short version, there are 3 key visa categories that will likely apply to you:
- Work and Holiday Visa
- Student Visa
- Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) Visa or Temporary Skill Shortage Visa
You can find a lot of information about these visa types on this page or on the Australian Government Visa Finder website.
And if you’re yet to book your flights, check out the Aussie Talk guide to Australian airports for some help.
Visa sorted, flights sorted… It’s time to get busy!
1) Get health insurance
Your options depend on where you’re from. For the record I have used Chapka, which is available to people from just about any country.
I paid for my Chapka insurance in two 6 month periods. The first 6 months of cover was purchased while still in Spain (around 2 weeks before I left for Australia). With an agency discount the cost was €214.83 (around US$230 and AU$345) for 6 months.
Then, 5 months later, I purchased another 6 months of cover online from Australia – it was a very simple process as Chapka already had all my details. The total for one year was €439.
Here’s a copy of the Certificate you receive from Chapka after purchasing your insurance.

I had one mishap in my first year in Australia. The claim was processed and approved within two week. It was a straightforward process which is why I recommend Chapka to any who ask me about health insurance in Australia.
There are also a number of Australian companies that provide health insurance for people in Australia on a student visa. These include:
- AMH
- Allianz Care Australia (Peoplecare)
- BUPA Australia
- CBHS International Health
- Medibank Private
- NIB
The bottom line is – don’t risk it. Get health insurance before moving to Australia!
2) Book temporary accomodation for when you arrive
If you don’t have friends of family to stay with, it’s important you book temporary accomodation in the city you’re flying to. For many new arrivals in Australia (like me), this happens to be Sydney.
The options in most Australian cities depend on your budget. Here are the three main options:
- Hostel (low cost)
- Airbnb (medium/high cost)
- Hotel (high cost)
The truth is, it can be VERY hard to find permanent accomodation in just about every city in Australia right now.
Expect that it will take you MINIMUM 2 weeks to find a room in a share house or any form of rental accomodation if you are on a working holiday or student visa. Booking temporary accomodation for at least two weeks will eliminate a lot of stress when you first arrive.
The first time I arrived in Sydney, I stayed for two weeks at Nomads in the Sydney CBD. It was a single-sex room, shared with 4 girls. I paid around AU$500 for the two weeks.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a room in a share house in those two weeks. So, I then moved to The Village hostel in Surry Hills (a fun suburb just outside of the CBD) as Nomads was booked out.
At the Village, I was in an all-girls room, with six girls in total. The cost was slightly cheaper than Nomads.
You can read more about the best hostels in Sydney in his Aussie Talk article.
Both hostels were clean and fun, but any longer than one month and I think I would have gone crazy!
That brings me to step three.


3) Start looking for permanent accomodation
This is something I wish someone told me before I flew to Australia.
After booking your temporary accommodation, you should get a head-start in finding permanent accomodation. This will likely lead to less time being spent in a hostel.
Most people moving to Australia on a working holiday or student visa will end up living in share house.
Flatmates.com and various Facebook Groups for foreigners in Australia are the best ways to search for a room. You should sign up to Flatmates and join some Facebook Groups to start looking at what’s available. You can even introduce yourself to prospective house mates.
Read more in this article covering the best websites to search for a place to live in Australia.
Again, the main options depend on your budget.
The options in most Australian cities depend on your budget. Here are the three main options:
- Share a room with another person – usually two beds in one room (low cost)
- Rent your own room in share house (medium/high cost)
- Rent your own single bedroom property (high cost)
If you want to rent your own property, be prepared to be asked for extensive documentation about your income and proof of capacity to pay rent.
4) Prepare your resume and start looking for work
If you intend to work in Australia, get a head start by preparing a resume and familiarising yourself with job search websites and groups.
There are many great free resources to help you create a resume that’s suitable for job applications in Australia.
Here’s three options:
- Seek’s free resume template
- Free resume templates from the Australian Government
- Canva’s free resume templates
You should finalise your resume before you leave and print 10 copies to bring to Australia. It can be difficult and expensive to find a printing service when you first arrive in Australia.
When it comes to searching for a job, read Aussie Talk’s helpful guide to finding work in Australia fast.
5) Consider an international drivers license
This is very useful to have. Australia is huge and going on a road trip is the best way to see many parts of the country. It can also be very helpful when applying for jobs.
The application process for an international drivers licence will depend on what country you live in – you should do your research and get the licence if possible.
6) Print all your documents
It’s a good idea to print copies of the following:
- Your visa application approval confirmation
- Passport
- Medical insurance certificate
- International drivers licence
- Flight booking confirmations
- Accomodation booking confirmations
Having these copies as backups could save you a lot of trouble if you lose your belongings.
Now it’s time to enjoy Australia!
We hope this guide helps make your trip to Australia less stressful and more enjoyable. If you have any suggestions or experiences to share, email admin@aussietalk.com. We’d love to hear from you!