Your first fortnight in Australia is mostly paperwork, and getting it in the right order saves you money and stress. This guide covers the four things that unlock everything else — a Tax File Number (free, issued within 28 days of a completed application, per the ATO), Medicare eligibility (immediate for permanent residents, or via a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement covering 11 countries, per Services Australia), superannuation (employer contributions of 12% of ordinary earnings from 1 July 2025, per the ATO), and an Australian bank account. Rules and figures change — verify each with the linked authority before you rely on it.

Key takeaways

• A Tax File Number (TFN) is free and takes about 20 minutes to apply for online. Foreign passport holders with work rights apply through the ATO’s Individual Auto Registration; expect the number within 28 days (ATO).
• Without a TFN, you are taxed at the top rate. Give it to your employer and bank promptly to avoid over-withholding (ATO).
• Permanent residents can enrol in Medicare from the day they arrive; most temporary visa holders cannot, unless their country has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (Services Australia).
• Eleven countries have Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with Australia, giving visitors access to medically necessary care while here (Services Australia).
• Employer super is 12% of your ordinary earnings from 1 July 2025, paid into a fund of your choice (ATO).
• You can open an Australian bank account before you arrive, then verify your identity at a branch with your passport (AUSTRAC).
• Your tax residency, not your visa, decides whether Australia taxes your worldwide income (ATO).

1. Tax File Number (TFN): do this first

A TFN is your personal reference number in the Australian tax and superannuation systems. You do not legally need one, but without it your employer must withhold tax at the highest marginal rate and your bank withholds tax on interest — so it is the very first thing to organise.

Who applies how. If you are a foreign passport holder — a permanent migrant or a temporary visitor with a valid work-rights visa — you apply online through the ATO’s Individual Auto Registration (IAR). You must already be physically in Australia, and your visa must be linked to the passport you apply with. The application is free, takes roughly 20 minutes, and you should receive your TFN within 28 days of the ATO receiving a completed application (ATO).

When you submit, you are shown an ATO receipt ID — write it down, as it is how you track the application before the number arrives. The TFN is posted to the Australian address you nominate, so make sure you have a reliable postal address before applying.

Once you have it, give your TFN to your employer (on the TFN declaration in your onboarding), to your super fund, and to your bank. Never include it in an email subject line, a job advertisement reply, or anything sent over an unsecured channel — it is a lifelong identifier and a target for identity theft (ATO).

2. Medicare and reciprocal health cover

Medicare is Australia’s public health scheme. Whether you can enrol depends on your visa.

Permanent residents (and New Zealand citizens living in Australia) can enrol from the day they arrive. The fastest route is online: sign in to myGov, link the Medicare service, and follow the enrolment prompts; you can also enrol in the myGov app, or by post using the Medicare enrolment form (MS004). You will need your passport or travel document plus proof of your permanent visa grant. Your physical Medicare card arrives by post in about three to four weeks, though a branch can often issue you a Medicare number on the spot so you can start claiming (Services Australia).

Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCAs). If you are on a temporary visa, you generally cannot access Medicare — with one important exception. Australia has RHCAs with 11 countries: Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Visitors from these countries can access medically necessary treatment under Medicare while in Australia, though what is covered and for how long differs by agreement. Notably, cover for visitors from New Zealand and Ireland is limited to public hospital care and subsidised medicines, not out-of-hospital doctor services (Services Australia).

The Medicare levy. If you are a Medicare-eligible resident for tax purposes, you generally pay a 2% Medicare levy on your taxable income, with reductions or exemptions for low-income earners and some visa holders (ATO). Temporary visa holders without Medicare eligibility can apply to Services Australia for a Medicare Entitlement Statement to claim a levy exemption.

Most temporary skilled, graduate and working-holiday visa holders whose country has no RHCA will need private health insurance — and many visas require it as a condition of grant. Arrange cover before your first medical appointment.

3. Superannuation: your Australian retirement savings

Superannuation ("super") is compulsory retirement saving. If you are an employee, your employer must pay contributions on top of your wages into a super fund.

The rate. From 1 July 2025 the Superannuation Guarantee is 12% of your ordinary time earnings, and there are no further legislated increases scheduled (ATO). Contributions are calculated up to a maximum contribution base — an annual cap of $270,830 for 2026–27, above which your employer is not required to contribute. This became an annual cap from 1 July 2026, replacing the previous quarterly cap (ATO).

Payday Super — a 2026 change. From 1 July 2026, employers must pay super at the same time as salary and wages, rather than quarterly, with contributions needing to reach your fund within a short window after each payday (ATO). For you as an employee this means super shows up in your account far more frequently — worth checking on your fund’s app.

Choosing a fund. When you start a job you can usually choose your own fund by completing the ATO’s Superannuation standard choice form, which your employer must give eligible employees within 28 days of your start date. If you don’t choose, your employer requests your stapled fund — an existing account linked to you — from the ATO, and only opens a new default account if you have none. This "stapling" is designed to stop you accumulating multiple accounts, each charging fees, as you change jobs (ATO).

Leaving Australia? Temporary residents who depart permanently can generally claim their super back as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP), which is taxed at a set rate before it is paid out — for example, 65% on the taxable component for working holiday maker visa holders (ATO). If you plan to move on, keep your fund details and TFN so you can claim later.

4. Opening an Australian bank account

You will need a local account for your salary, super-related admin and everyday spending.

Before you arrive. Several major banks let you apply online from overseas — often weeks or a few months ahead — and set up an account so your money is ready to receive funds when you land. You typically provide your passport, visa details and your home-country tax identification number at this stage. Timing windows differ by bank, so confirm directly with the bank you choose before relying on a specific number of days.

Verifying your identity. Australian banks must verify your identity under anti-money-laundering law, administered by AUSTRAC. Banks operate this as a "100-point" identity check, assigning point values to different documents until you reach 100. Crucially for new arrivals, most banks accept your foreign passport alone as sufficient identification if you verify in a branch within roughly six weeks of arriving; after that window you will usually need to add a secondary document such as an Australian driver’s licence. Take your passport into a branch soon after landing to unlock full account access, and confirm your bank’s exact window before you rely on it.

Give the bank your TFN once you have it — otherwise it withholds tax on any interest you earn.

5. Tax residency and worldwide income

This is the concept expats most often get wrong. Your tax residency is separate from your visa or citizenship and is decided by the facts of your circumstances, primarily whether you actually reside in Australia (ATO).

• Australian tax residents are generally taxed on their worldwide income and get the tax-free threshold — $18,200 for 2025–26, with rates rising from 16% to a top 45% above $190,000 (ATO).
• Foreign residents are taxed only on Australian-sourced income, from the first dollar, with no tax-free threshold — confirm the current non-resident rates with the ATO before you plan around them.
• Temporary residents (broadly, holders of a temporary visa who are Australian residents for tax purposes) get a valuable exemption: most foreign income is not taxed in Australia, though income from employment or services you perform overseas while a temporary resident can still be taxable (ATO).

If you have a UK, Irish, or other student loan, or an Australian HELP/study loan, note that some loan-repayment obligations are assessed on your worldwide income. Where you are covered by a double-tax agreement between Australia and your home country, that treaty can change which country taxes what — worth professional advice if your income spans two countries.

How Flyto handles this

Flyto runs a single door-to-door PLATINUM international moving service to or from Australia — the only tier we offer on overseas corridors, because Australia’s biosecurity and customs regime leaves no room for a budget approach. We manage the physical move end to end: professional packing at origin, export documentation, sea or air freight, Australian customs and DAFF biosecurity clearance, delivery and unpacking at your new address. Because we handle the shipment, you are free to spend your first weeks on exactly the admin above — your TFN, Medicare enrolment, super fund and bank account — rather than chasing your belongings. Whether you are arriving in Australia or repatriating from it, the Platinum service works in both directions. See https://flytorelocation.com/au/ and our main https://flytorelocation.com/au/moving-to-and-from-australia-2026-complete-relocation-guide/ guide for the full corridor detail.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a TFN before I start work?
No, but apply immediately. Until you provide a TFN, your employer withholds tax at the top marginal rate, so the sooner you supply it, the sooner your pay is taxed correctly (ATO).

Can I get Medicare on a temporary visa?
Usually only if your country has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement — one of 11, including the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and several European countries. Otherwise you will generally need private health insurance (Services Australia).

How much super will my employer pay?
12% of your ordinary earnings from 1 July 2025, up to the annual maximum contribution base ($270,830 for 2026–27) (ATO).

What is Payday Super and when does it start?
From 1 July 2026, employers must pay super at the same time as your wages instead of quarterly, so contributions reach your fund shortly after each payday (ATO).

Can I open a bank account before I move?
Often yes — several banks accept online applications from overseas. You then verify your identity at a branch, and within about six weeks of arrival your passport alone is usually enough (AUSTRAC).

Will Australia tax my income from back home?
If you are an Australian tax resident, generally yes on worldwide income — but temporary residents are exempt on most foreign income. Your residency status, not your visa, decides this (ATO).

What happens to my super if I leave Australia permanently?
Temporary residents can usually claim it as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment after departure, taxed at a set rate (ATO).

Sources

• ATO — Foreign passport holders, permanent migrants and temporary visitors TFN application
• ATO — Tax file number
• Services Australia — Reciprocal Health Care Agreements
• Services Australia — Enrolling in Medicare
• Services Australia — Medicare enrolment form (MS004)
• ATO — Super guarantee rates and thresholds
• ATO — Maximum contribution base (Payday Super)
• ATO — Payday Super for employers
• ATO — Offer employees a choice of super fund (stapled funds)
• ATO — Your tax residency
• ATO — Foreign and temporary residents
• ATO — Tax rates (Australian residents)
• ATO — Leaving Australia and your super (DASP)
• AUSTRAC — Customer identification and verification