Moving to Australia from the United States

What changes when you move from the US to Australia

Most of the logistics match any long-haul move. These are the parts that come from leaving the United States specifically:

• The IRS doesn't stop at the border. US citizens and resident aliens living abroad generally keep filing a US return on their worldwide income, and may need to report Australian accounts too.
• Your licence is recognised in the two biggest states. New South Wales and Queensland both list the United States, so you can usually swap a full US car licence there without tests.
• There's no reciprocal health care agreement with the US. Your Medicare access depends on your visa, so health insurance carries real weight in your first months.
• Pets from the mainland come under Group 3. Your dog or cat can fly direct with an import permit, a rabies blood test and quarantine in Mickleham, Victoria, and the process takes at least 6 months.

This is general planning information, not immigration, tax or financial advice. For your visa, start with the Department of Home Affairs' visa finder, and check any agent on the OMARA register before you pay them.

Your US tax return from Australia

• Filing carries on. The IRS says US citizens and resident aliens abroad generally follow the same filing rules as in the US, on worldwide income. The foreign earned income exclusion and foreign tax credit are only available if you file. See IRS: US citizens and resident aliens abroad.
• June 15, not April 15. Living overseas gives you an automatic 2-month extension for a calendar-year return, but interest on unpaid tax still runs from the regular due date.
• The FBAR. If you're a US person and your foreign financial accounts total more than $10,000 at any time in the calendar year, you file FinCEN Form 114 through the BSA E-Filing System. See FinCEN: report foreign bank and financial accounts.
• Form 8938 is a separate report some taxpayers attach to their return. The IRS page above links to it.

Australia's tax year runs from 1 July to 30 June, so you'll be reporting to two different years. Our US tax filing task covers what to set up before you leave.

401(k)s and IRAs

There's rarely a reason to cash out a US retirement account because you're moving, and a rushed withdrawal can be expensive. How a withdrawal, rollover or transfer is treated depends on both countries' tax rules, so speak to an adviser who works with US and Australian tax before you change anything. Also ask your US provider whether it will keep servicing your account at a foreign address.

Tax and your TFN

• Apply for a Tax File Number with the ATO once you're in Australia. See applying for your TFN.
• Australian tax residency is its own test, separate from your visa and from your US status. See checking your Australian tax residency and the ATO's residency tool.

Healthcare without a reciprocal agreement

The United States isn't one of the countries Australia has a reciprocal health care agreement with. See Services Australia: reciprocal health care agreements.

• Medicare follows your visa. Permanent residents can enrol, and so can some applicants for permanent residency, but most temporary visa holders can't. See Services Australia: enrolling in Medicare.
• Check your visa's insurance condition. Many temporary visas carry condition 8501, which requires adequate health insurance for your whole stay. See Home Affairs: adequate health insurance.
• Pack your medical history, including prescriptions, since an Australian GP will need to reissue them. See enrolling in Medicare and finding a GP.

Driving: swapping your US licence

Each state and territory runs its own licensing and its own recognised-country list.

• New South Wales: "United States of America (any state)" is recognised, so you don't need the knowledge or driving test for a car or rider licence. Your licence must be current or have expired within the last 5 years, and it can't be a learner licence. See Transport for NSW: knowledge and driving test exemptions.
• Queensland: the United States is recognised too, so a car or motorcycle licence held in the last 5 years needs no road rules test or practical test. Heavy vehicle licences still need both. See Queensland Government: recognised countries.
• Elsewhere: check your state or territory's transport authority before assuming either outcome.

Several states, including Queensland, South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory, expect you to switch within 3 months of becoming a resident there. And you'll be driving on the left. See converting your overseas licence.

Pets from the mainland US

The US states other than Hawaii and Guam follow DAFF's Group 3 process. Hawaii and Guam follow the Group 2 process instead. From the mainland, the main steps are:

1. A DAFF import permit, applied for with your pet's rabies and blood test records.
2. A USDA-accredited vet to prepare the paperwork, then APHIS to endorse the health certificate and the RNATT declaration. Both can be endorsed digitally through USDA's VEHCS system.
3. A rabies blood test (RNATT) with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml. Your pet can't be exported until 180 days after the lab receives the sample.
4. Quarantine at Mickleham, Victoria, for at least 30 days, or at least 10 days if you complete the optional identity declaration, which on the mainland involves 2 accredited vets at different clinics.

DAFF recommends starting at least 7 months ahead. See USDA APHIS: pet travel from the US to Australia, DAFF: bringing your dog from a Group 3 country, the cat guide, our pet biosecurity clearance task and our guide to moving with pets.

Shipping your household goods

• Fill in Form B534, the Australian Border Force's Unaccompanied Personal Effects statement, for your shipment. Anything you've owned for less than 12 months has to be declared and may attract duty. See the ABF's Form B534.
• Get the dirt off. Hiking boots, bikes, camping gear, golf clubs and garden tools all need to be clean and dry before they're packed.
• Avoid food cartons and straw when you pack, and number every box against a contents list.

See DAFF: preparing your personal effects for shipment and arranging international shipping. A shipment from the US mainland crosses the Pacific by sea, so book early and compare at least 2 or 3 quotes.

Documents to gather

Your first days in Australia

1. Get a local SIM. The ATO and your bank will want an Australian number.
2. Apply for your Tax File Number.
3. Open an Australian bank account, and keep a note of the date for your FBAR records.
4. Confirm your health cover is active, and enrol in Medicare if your visa allows it.
5. Start your licence swap with your state's transport authority.

Setting up your life in Australia

• Utilities: once you have an address, connect electricity and gas and connect your internet. Compare retailers on Energy Made Easy.
• Housing: bonds, condition reports and tenancy rights are set by each state and territory. See our guide to finding a place to rent or buy in Australia.
• Insurance: see our home and contents insurance guide.

Choosing where to live

If your job or visa fixes your city, start there. Otherwise, compare states as well as cities: the state sets your licence process, tenancy rules and schools. The Bureau of Meteorology publishes climate data for each city, and the seasons are the reverse of the US.

Timeline

Build your personalised moving plan

This guide covers what's specific to moving from the United States. Your own plan depends on your move date, your household, whether you have pets and whether you're renting or buying. Navaroa can build a personalised, week-by-week moving plan for your situation, free and with no signup needed to get started.