Who to Notify When You Move House in Australia

There isn't one Australia-wide service that updates every organisation for you when you move — but myGov gets you most of the way for federal services in one place. Here's who actually needs to know, roughly in order of urgency.

myGov: the closest thing to a shortcut

If you have a myGov account, updating your address there can push the change out to any linked services at once — including Medicare. Log in, go to your profile and contact details, and update your address and the date you moved. It's worth doing this first, since it covers several of the items below in one step if they're already linked.

Legally required, with real deadlines

• Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) — updating your enrolment when you move is a legal requirement, and must be done within 8 weeks. Update online 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.
• Vehicle registration and driver's licence — handled by your state's transport authority, not a federal one. Timeframes for transferring registration after an interstate move vary a lot by state — see our guide on moving interstate for the specifics.

Everyday accounts

• Australia Post mail redirection — set this up ahead of your move date, not after; it doesn't apply retroactively. Pricing runs from around $38.50 for one month up to roughly $190 for a full year, with cheaper concession rates available.
• 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 — update your address if your employer holds it for payroll, HR, or superannuation records.
• Subscriptions and recurring deliveries — update anything regularly sent to your old address.

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.
• Your children's school — check the new school's zone and enrolment requirements rather than assuming proximity alone is enough; this varies by state education department.
• Childcare — good spots in popular areas can have waitlists, so it's worth starting early.

If you have pets

• Council or state pet registration — tied to where your pet is ordinarily kept, so you'll need to register with your new council once you've moved, even if already registered elsewhere.
• Microchip registry — update your pet's details with your state's registry so they stay reachable if lost.

Renters vs owners

If you're renting, most of this list is entirely on you — your landlord's own records (rates, building insurance) aren't something you need to touch. If you're buying or selling, your conveyancer's settlement paperwork typically handles notifying the relevant council of a change of ownership — worth confirming with them that it's actually been lodged rather than assuming.

Common mistakes

1. Assuming myGov automatically updates everything — it only pushes to services you've actually linked to it, not every organisation you deal with.
2. Leaving mail redirection until after you've moved, by which point you've already missed anything sent in the meantime.
3. Forgetting accounts you rarely use, like an old super fund or a savings-only account from years ago.

Final sweep

About a month after moving, it's worth a quick check for anything that slipped through — old statements still arriving at your previous address, a subscription confirmation showing the old details, or a loyalty programme you forgot you had.

This is a general checklist — not every item applies to every move. Centrelink and childcare, for example, only matter if you use those services.