Australia splits address-related admin two ways that matter here: federal services you can update once through myGov, and everything else — state government, and private accounts — that myGov has no reach into at all. Sorting your move by which bucket something falls into is more useful than sorting it by how urgent it feels.
myGov: what it can update in one go
If you have a myGov account, updating your address there pushes the change out to any linked federal services at once — Medicare is the main one most households have linked. Log in, go to your profile and contact details, and update your address and the date you moved. Worth doing this first, since it's genuinely a shortcut for whatever you've already linked — but only for what's linked. It won't touch your bank, your employer, your state vehicle registration, or anything outside the myGov ecosystem.
Federal, but on you to update directly
Australian Electoral Commission, AEC — updating your enrolment when you move is a legal requirement, with a deadline of 8 weeks. Update directly at the AEC's website.
Centrelink, if you receive any payment — you're required to tell Services Australia within 14 days of moving, since it can affect your payments.
Handled by your state, not the federal government
Australia's states run their own systems for a lot of what a house move touches, so what applies — and how — depends on which state you're moving to or within, not a single national rule:
- Vehicle registration and driver's licence are administered by your state's own transport authority. Timeframes and process for transferring after an interstate move vary by state.
- Council or state pet registration is tied to where your pet is ordinarily kept, so you'll need to register with your new local council once you've moved, even if already registered elsewhere.
Private accounts myGov can't touch
- Australia Post mail redirection — set this up ahead of your move date, not after; it doesn't apply retroactively.
- Bank and superannuation fund — most banks let you update your address online; don't forget accounts you use less often, like an old super fund from a previous job.
- Insurance providers — to update your address, and if you're insuring a new home, to confirm cover starts on the right day.
- Electricity, gas, and internet — these need a new connection at your new address, not a simple address update (see our guide on connecting utilities when you move).
- Employer or payroll — your address may be tied to payroll, HR files, or your superannuation fund's own reporting, so check with HR rather than assuming it updates on its own.
- Recurring subscriptions and deliveries — anything set up to arrive automatically needs the address changed at the source, not just redirected.
Health and family
GP and Medicare-linked providers — either transfer your records to a new practice, or update your existing one if you're staying local, separately from the Medicare address update myGov handles.
School zoning is set and enforced by each state's education department — living closer to a school doesn't guarantee a place in its zone, so check the specific enrolment requirements before assuming.
Childcare — centres in high-demand suburbs fill up, so get on a waitlist as soon as you know your new address rather than waiting until you've moved.
If you have pets
Beyond the council/state registration above, update your pet's details with your state's microchip registry so they stay reachable if lost, and let your current vet know if you're transferring to a new practice.
Where people actually go wrong
The myGov shortcut is easy to over-trust — it only updates what you've actually linked to it, not every organisation on this page. State-administered items like vehicle rego and pet registration, and every private account, are entirely separate updates regardless of what myGov handled. And mail redirection only works forward from the date you set it up — anything sent to your old address before that is already gone.
This is a general checklist — not every item applies to every move. Centrelink and childcare, for example, only matter if you use those services.