First days in Australia
[Guest article by Julian from Backpacker-Dude] – Once you have made it off the plane and through your first night in Australia, you need to take care of the three most important things! Firstly, you need a tax number and a bank account so that you can work legally and secondly, you need a sim card so that you can be reached at all times. You can find out here what you need to consider in Australia.
1. Apply for a Tax File Number (TFN)
The first thing you should do is apply for your Tax File Number (TFN) at an Australian Taxation Office (ATO). There is one in every major city where you can apply for your tax number. At the ATO office, a staff member can explain how to fill out the form and then you can start asking questions about yourself, your current address, etc. It would be good if you are still in the same place a week after applying and you can pick up the letter with the TFN at the hostel or where you had it sent to. Otherwise it will be more difficult as the ATO will send you a new letter and you will have to fill in all your details again. If you change hostels in between, you can also ask them to hold the mail for you for a few days and then pick up the letter there.
If you don't want to go to the ATO, you can also fill out the application online. The only disadvantage is that you won't have any help if you have questions. Here you can apply for your TFN online!
2. Open a bank account
Secondly, you should open a bank account, as employers in Australia only pay by bank transfer. There are two major backpacker-friendly banks in Australia. The Westpac and the Commonwealth Bank. They offer accounts with better conditions especially for backpackers. For example, you don't have to pay account maintenance fees or you get other nice extras with your account. Under the following links you will find the websites of the banks to inform yourself in advance.
Here is the Westpac website Here you can find the Commonwealth bank website
,,For 2022 we recommend Travel Credit Card from Revolut.
No Annual Fee, withdrawling cash abroad is free"
Find out more in the article:
Best Travel Credit Card for Working Holiday!
3. Buy a simcard
The last step is about your availability. Since you are always on the road, you will need an Australian mobile phone number. You can get one at various shops in the city. The best thing to do is to keep your eyes open during your city tour and look for a cheap provider. Or ask other backpackers which sim card they use and how satisfied they are with it.
If you don't want to go to the Outback, I recommend you to use one of the many discount providers, as you will save a lot of money. And if you still want to go to the outback, just get a second sim card that you only use for emergencies.
This was a guest article by Julian from Backpacker-Dude. If you're interested in backpacking worldwide, feel free to check out his blog.
Bonus: Create your own resume for Australia easy & quick with our template!
If you want to save yourself some work, use our Australian resume template:
▷ Use our template package for your resume in Australia.
How much can you earn in Australia?
Read more in the following article: “What is the minimum wage in australia“
Was dich noch interessieren könnte:
- Working Holiday packing list – what you really need
- Australia Resume template for backpacker
- Top 10 Tips for Backpacker Jobs in Australia
- How to get a backpacker job in Australia?
- The second working holiday visa for Australia
- Best travel insurance for Working Holiday in Australia?
Ciao Daniel 🙂
Follow Me on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
If you find this helpful: Share It with your friends!
