IntroductionGetting help with living in Australia

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Help guidefrom setsthe outAustralian essentialgovernment

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Professional help in Australia

You can andalso cannotget dohelp from professionals forin BritishAustralia, nationals.including:

• lawyers
• notaries
• funeral directors

Help from the UK government

IfRead the travel advice for Australia to understand the risks you can’tmay findface whatif you needlive below,in or visit Australia. This includes the latest information on:

• visas and youentry needrequirements
• laws urgentand help,cultural contactdifferences
• safety yourand nearestsecurity

Read Britishour embassyguidance on moving, living or consulateretiring abroad.

Get help from the UK government abroad, including in an emergency.

BeforeVisas, youresidency goand citizenship

SeeMake oursure travelyou advicemeet the entry requirements for Australia forbefore up-to-dateyou informationtravel.

Visas

Check onthe localvisa lawsyou andneed customs,to safetylive andin emergencies.Australia.

SeeYou movingcan get a visa to:

• work
• study
• live permanently
• join a partner or retiringfamily

If abroadyou want to extend your visa, read guidance on staying longer in Australia. or contact the Australian Department of Home Affairs. 

For informationmore information, read guidance on planningvisas aand visitcitizenship seefrom Tourismthe AustraliaAustralian High Commission in London.

Visas

Permanent and residency

BritishYou citizensmay needbe aable visa to enterapply for permanent residency in Australia –if seeyour entryvisa requirementsallows forit.

To Australiafind inout ourif travelyou’re adviceeligible and Visahow Finderto apply, read guidance on permanent residency.

Citizenship

IfAustralia yourecognises alsodual havecitizenship. AustralianThis citizenship,means you shoulddo enternot andhave leaveto thegive countryup on(renounce) your British citizenship to become an Australian passport.citizen.

YouTo canfind holdout bothif Australianyou’re andeligible Britishfor citizenship.Australian Learncitizenship:

• read aboutguidance beingon becoming an Australian citizen
• contact the Australian Department of Home Affairs
• contact the Australian High Commission in London

Help with visa and seeresidency informationapplications

The onBritish eligibilityHigh Commission in Canberra and howConsulates toGeneral apply.cannot help with Australian visa and residency applications.

For any questions or issues, contact:

• the Australian Department of Home Affairs
• the Australian High Commission in London
• a lawyer in Australia

HealthcarePassports and travel

SeeRead our travelguidance adviceon formoving, Australialiving or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

Australia

• apply andfor thea UKBritish havepassport reciprocalfrom healthcareabroad
• travel agreements,urgently howeverwithout theyour agreementBritish willpassport

Healthcare notin coverAustralia 

Read allour healthcareguidance needs.on Youmoving, shouldliving buyor comprehensiveretiring travelabroad. andThis medicalcovers insurancehow beforeto:

• plan youyour enterhealthcare
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UnderAustralia thehas a reciprocal healthcare agreement,agreement Britishwith citizensthe residentUK inthat thewill UKcover andsome travellingbut onnot aall Britishyour passporthealthcare arecosts entitledif toyou’re:

• visiting limited,Australia, subsidisedincluding healthif services,you’re fora medicallystudent
• resident necessaryin treatmentthe whileUK
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  valid visa

If you’re resident in Australia, Australia, Medicare covers covers some healthcare. The government uses tax rebates to encourage everyone to buy buy private health insurance.

To Thefind NHSout hashow informationto forget peoplemedical moving abroad.treatment:

Australian

• contact residentsyour shouldinsurance alsoprovider
• read makeguidance sureon yougetting havehealthcare through Medicare
• read guidance on health and wellbeing
• read travel insuranceadvice whenguidance travellingon tohealth thein UKAustralia

Planning orfor youlater couldlife

The beAustralian chargedgovernment byMy theAged NHSCare forwebsite anyhas careinformation to help you receiveplan infor thelater UK.life.

See

Working bringingin medicine into Australia

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Readcovers moreworking aboutabroad, medicalincluding facilities/practitionersdocuments inyou Australia,may orneed findfrom doctorsthe inUK Australia.government.

Working

To work in Australia

YouAustralia, you need a visavisa.

The toAustralian workDepartment inof AustraliaHome –Affairs seeexplains workingthe indifferent Australiawork visas. available to you.

SomeTo jobsapply for a job, you may requireneed a UK criminal records check (known as a DBS check).

For

Recognition informationof onskills your rights and obligationsqualifications

If inyou thewant Australianto workforce,work orin toAustralia, makeyou amay complaintneed aboutto workplaceget practices,your seeskills theassessed Fairand Workforeign Ombudsmanqualifications recognised.

TaxDriving in Australia

SeeRead taxour ifguidance youon leavemoving, theliving UKor toretiring live abroad. andThis taxcovers onhow to:

• drive abroad legally
• take your UK incomevehicle ifabroad
• get youdriving livelicence abroad.
  letters

WeFor recommendmore youinformation geton professionalroad advicerules, onincluding payinglicensing, taxread the ‘road travel’ section of safety and security in Australia.Australia.

SeeRoad Comingrules toand Australiathe process for informationexchanging a UK licence vary by state. Check rules on workingdriving andwith payingan taxesoverseas inlicence Australia.in: 

• Australian YouCapital needTerritory
• New toSouth getWales
• Northern aTerritory
• Queensland
• South TaxAustralia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western FileAustralia

Disabled Numberdrivers

You frommay thebe able to apply for an Australian TaxationDisability OfficeParking Permit.

SeeIf taxyou ifhave a UK Blue Badge and live in Australia, you must return it to the original UK. issuing authority.

PensionsTax

SeeRead Stateour Pensionguidance ifon youmoving, retireliving or retiring abroad. andThis newcovers Statetax, Pension.including paying UK tax and National Insurance.

IfThe youUK gethas a ‘lifedouble certificate’taxation fromagreement thewith UK Pension ServiceAustralia, so that you needdo tonot respondpay astax soonon asthe possiblesame –income yourin paymentsboth maycountries.

Read beguidance suspendedon paying tax if youyou’re don’t.

Youcoming mayto beAustralia. ableYou will need to payget Nationala Insurancetax whilefile abroadnumber.

Contact inthe orderAustralian toTaxation protectOffice youror StateHM PensionRevenue and entitlementCustoms tofor otherany benefitsquestions andabout allowances.tax.

ToConsider movegetting professional advice from a lawyer in Australia.

Pensions

Claiming your UK pension

Read toour theguidance UK,on contactmoving, theliving Internationalor Pensionretiring Centreabroad. This covers:

If

• how youto haveclaim workedyour UK State Pension
• where the UK government pays an annual increase in Australia,the seeState agePension

Claiming an Australian pension

Check if you’re eligible for howthe toAge claimPension yourin pension.Australia.

All employers in Australia aremust required to pay apart portion of your wages into a a superannuation fund for your retirement. This payment is made pre-tax and can only be withdrawn in specific circumstances.

Benefits

See

Claiming claimingUK benefits

Read ifour youguidance live,on movemoving, living or travelretiring abroad. This covers how to claim UK benefits abroad, including Child Benefit. 

Claiming Australian benefits

FindIf outyou’re whicha UKpermanent benefitsresident of Australia, you mightmay be ableeligible tofor getsome whilebenefits. you’reContact abroadServices Australia andfor howmore to claim them.information.

Many

Buying income-relatedand benefitsrenting suchproperty asin PensionAustralia

Read Creditour andguidance Housingon Benefitmoving, can’tliving beor paidretiring ifabroad. you’reThis abroadcovers forbuying moreand thanrenting 4property weeks.abroad.

IfRules you’reon buying, aselling permanentor residentrenting ofproperty Australia,in youAustralia vary mayby bestate.

Contact eligiblea forlawyer somein AustralianAustralia stateif benefitsyou’re –considering seebuying Servicesproperty Australia.or land. 

LegalVoting advicein Australia

UK elections

SeeRead our Listguidance ofon Lawyersmoving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

Driving

• vote in Australia

UK elections

register as an overseas voter

Australian elections

SeeYou drivingcannot abroadvote andin roadAustralian travelelections inunless Australiayou’re an Australian citizen or you enrolled, as a British subject, before 1984.

Studying Roadin rules,Australia

If andyou theplan processto ofstudy exchangingin aAustralia, UKyou licensemust formeet anall Australianvisa onerequirements varyfor fromstudying statebefore toyou state.travel.

For more information:

• ACT:read driversguidance withon licensestravel fromgrants overseasfor -students Accessstudying Canberraabroad or on placements (England)
• Newcontact Southyour Wales:higher drivingeducation withprovider anin overseasthe UK or interstateAustralia
• contact licencethe inAustralian NSW,Department NSWof GovernmentEducation
• Queensland:

Children

Read drivingour inguidance Queensland on anmoving, interstateliving or overseasretiring licence,abroad. TransportThis andcovers motoring,moving Queenslandabroad government with children, including:

• Southgetting Australia:permission drivingto withtake anyour overseaschild licence,abroad
• claiming SA.GOV.AU UK Child Benefit abroad
• Tasmania:child drivingmaintenance inpayments Tasmaniaif ona anparent interstatelives orabroad

Schools overseasand licenseeducation

The -Australian TransportDepartment Servicesof Education

Victoria: Newprovides information about the schooling system in Australia.

The rules vary slightly between states, but children aged 6 to Victoria:16 VicRoads

Westernmust Australia:attend visitingschool fromin overseasAustralia. orIt’s interstatealso (transport.wa.gov.au)possible to home school your children.

For more information, read the Australian government’s guidance on school years

.

Childcare

SeeServices takingAustralia ahas vehicleinformation outabout ofearly theeducation UKand childcare. This includes support you may be able to get.

VotingBirths, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships

Births

SeeIf votingyour whenchild you’reis abroadborn in Australia, register the birth with the Australian authorities.

BritishRead citizensour guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. canThis votecovers inhow someto:

• register UKthe electionsbirth –with you’llthe needUK authorities to registerget asa anUK overseasbirth voter.
  certificate
• apply for your child’s first British passport

Births

Deaths

SeeRead registerour aguidance birthon moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers

Deaths

See

• what to do after someone dies.
  abroad
• how to register the death with the UK authorities

SeeIf also:someone dies in Australia, read guidance on:

• funeralwhat directorsto do after a British person dies in Australia
• bereavementfuneral informationdirectors forin Australia

Getting

Marriages married

and civil partnerships

SeeRead gettingour marriedguidance abroad.

Renewingon passports

Seemoving, overseasliving Britishor passportsretiring applicationsabroad. andThis getcovers anhow emergencyto travelget documentmarried (sometimesor calledget ana emergencycivil passport).partnership abroad.

Pets

Australia

Divorce hasand strictseparation

Read customsour rules.guidance Seeon bringingmoving, petsliving toor Australiaretiring abroad. orThis ifcovers youhow areto travellingget witha petsdivorce backor toend thea UK.civil partnership.

SeeRead travellingguidance withon petsdivorcing in Australia.

Accommodation

Consider andgetting buyinglegal property

Seeadvice buyingfrom a propertylawyer abroadin Australia.

Documents for British people in Australia

RulesRead onour buying,guidance sellingon ordocuments rentingfor propertyBritish inpeople Australiaabroad. varyThis fromcovers: 

• legalising stateand tocertifying state.
  UK documents
• marriage and civil partnership documents
• affirmations and affidavits
• witnessing signatures

EmergenciesLawyers and notaries

AustraliaTo usesfind thea emergencylawyer numberor 000.notary in Australia, read guidance on professional services if you’re abroad.

Pets

If you needwant urgentto help,bring contact your nearestpet Britishwith embassyyou orto consulate.Australia, read guidance on:

To

• bringing speakpets to theAustralia
• taking policeyour inpet non-lifedog, threateningcat situations,or callferret 131to 444.
  a non-EU country

DisclaimerReturning to the UK

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