Moving to Australia from India

What changes when you move from India to Australia

A few things genuinely change shape on this move, beyond the roughly 10-12 hour flight and the time difference (India is 4.5-6.5 hours behind Australia's eastern states, depending on the state and daylight saving):

• Your driving licence doesn't convert the same way everywhere. Licensing in Australia is run by each state and territory, not federally -- whether your Indian licence is recognised, and whether you need a test, depends on both your destination state and India's own listing with that state's transport authority.
• Moving money out of India is capped, not unlimited. The Reserve Bank of India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) currently allows resident individuals to remit up to USD 250,000 per financial year for permitted purposes, including relocation costs -- higher than what most movers need to shift at once, but worth knowing if you're also transferring savings or property sale proceeds.
• Tenancy law and several other systems are state-based, not national. Unlike a single national rulebook, bond handling, tenancy rights, and driver licensing all vary by the state or territory you're moving to.
• Buying property before you have permanent residency is restricted. Most temporary visa holders need approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) before buying residential property, and are generally limited to new dwellings rather than an established home.

This is general planning information, not immigration, tax, or financial advice. Confirm your own eligibility and current requirements with the relevant authority before making a decision you can't easily reverse.

Before you leave India

• Confirm your visa pathway first. Most Indian nationals move to Australia on a skilled visa (employer-sponsored or points-tested) or a student-to-skilled pathway. Requirements and occupation lists change -- use the Department of Home Affairs' visa finder for your specific situation.
• Get a skills assessment early if your visa requires one. Most skilled visas need your qualifications and experience formally assessed by the relevant occupation's assessing authority before you can even apply -- this is a real, often lengthy step. See the Department of Home Affairs: skills assessment and its list of assessing authorities.
• Plan your remittances under the LRS before you need the money urgently. The USD 250,000 annual cap is aggregated across all your banks and purposes for the financial year, and amounts above ₹10 lakh may attract Tax Collected at Source (TCS) depending on purpose -- ask your bank's forex desk what currently applies. See the RBI's own LRS guidance.
• Check your visa's health insurance requirement. Many Australian visas require private health insurance (such as OSHC) as a condition, separate from Medicare eligibility -- don't assume you're automatically covered on arrival.
• Start your pet's biosecurity process months ahead if you're bringing a dog or cat -- import classification and quarantine requirements vary by country of origin, and the whole process commonly takes 6 months or more from first vaccination to arrival. See DAFF: bringing cats and dogs to Australia.

Your first days in Australia

1. Get a local SIM and data plan as soon as you land.
2. Apply for your Tax File Number (TFN). You must be in Australia to apply -- the ATO's online application for foreign passport holders is free and takes about 20 minutes, though the TFN itself is posted to you within about 28 days.
3. Open an Australian bank account. CommBank, Westpac, NAB, and ANZ all accept new arrivals, and some let you start the process online before you even land.
4. Check your Medicare eligibility. It isn't automatic for every visa type -- see Services Australia: enrolling in Medicare for who qualifies and how. If you're not yet eligible, your visa-required health insurance covers the gap.
5. Sort short-term transport -- ride share and public transport while you work out your longer-term driving and vehicle plans.

Setting up your life in Australia

• Utilities: once you have a fixed address, connect electricity and gas and connect your internet -- compare retailers on Energy Made Easy rather than defaulting to whoever's already connected.
• Insurance: see our home and contents insurance guide once you've secured a place.
• Housing: tenancy law is set by each state and territory, not nationally -- see our guide to finding a place to rent or buy in Australia for the full process, including bonds, condition reports, and buying as a temporary visa holder.
• Tax residency: your Australian tax obligations depend on your residency status for tax purposes, which is a separate question from your visa -- see the ATO's tax residency tool.

Choosing where to live

Most Indian arrivals land in Sydney or Melbourne, given the job market and established communities, though Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane all have growing populations and generally more affordable housing. Worth weighing commute and cost of living against job opportunities before committing to a suburb you've only seen online.

What to plan for differently

• Driving: check your destination state's transport authority for whether an Indian licence is recognised there and for how long before you need a local one -- this is a state-by-state answer, not a single national rule. See the Department of Home Affairs' settling-in guide to transport for the general process.
• Money transfers: the LRS cap and TCS rules mean larger transfers (selling property in India, moving significant savings) need more planning than a routine bank transfer -- talk to your bank's forex desk well ahead of when you need the funds.
• Professional recognition: if you work in a regulated profession, check with the relevant Australian body directly -- Indian qualifications are often well regarded, but registration processes and timelines vary by profession.
• Buying property: if you're on a temporary visa and considering buying rather than renting, check FIRB's current rules before making an offer -- see our housing guide's section on buying as a temporary resident.

Your first month

Weeks 1-2: get your TFN application in, open a bank account, check your Medicare eligibility, and connect utilities once you have an address.

Weeks 2-4: start your driver licence conversion process if needed, confirm home/contents insurance once you've signed a lease, and follow up on any pending visa or skills-assessment steps.

By the end of month one: you should have a bank account, a TFN on the way, a handle on your healthcare cover, and a plan (even if not yet completed) for your driver licence.

Build your personalised moving plan

This guide covers what's genuinely different about moving from India specifically -- but your actual moving plan depends on your own move date, destination state, whether you're renting or buying, and dozens of smaller details this general guide can't know. Navaroa can generate a personalised, week-by-week moving plan based on your actual situation -- free, and no signup required to get started.