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Are you moving to Australia? Do you wonder how it would be living in Australia? Australia has a high standard of living, very good health and education systems, temperate climate, beautiful landscape and political and economic stability. However adjusting to life in a new country can be quite a challenge, and the day to day living can be sometimes frustrating. To help you overcome the difficulties, we will do our best to provide useful information about Australia; Education, Health, Housing, Cost of Living etc'… We welcome any contribution of our readers to this overview. Together we can build the most comprehensive guide with useful information about living in Australia. Just fill out the relocating overseas country guides form.
When you are relocating overseas, the cost of everything you spend your salary on will either cost more or less in the new location. The cost of living in Australia compared to several countries in Europe (like U.K, Russia, Switzerland, Italy, France, Norway and Denmark), Asia (like Japan, Singapore, Korea and Hong Kong) and the U.S.A is cheaper. Prices are relatively low for housing, transport, entertainment, and essentials such as food, drink and clothes. Manufactured goods, on the other hand, are generally expensive because many are imported. However compared to many other countries (like Canada, Croatia, Latvia, India, and Ukraine) the cost of living in Australia is higher. Therefore it is essential that you search and find out if the cost of living in your country is cheaper or more expensive than in Australia. It is also important to calculate how you will manage to provide for yourself and your family while living in Australia. When it comes to comparing the cost of living in Australian cities you can find some differences - Sydney is the most expensive one, Melbourne follows, and in Western Australia (Perth), the cost of living is lower.
There are some aspects that are important for having good quality of living standards such as personal safety and security, health issues, transport infrastructure, availability of consumer goods and adequate housing and schooling and recreation opportunities. The quality of living in Australia and the personally safety are high - Melbourne, Sydney and Perth are in the top five cities in terms of quality of living in Asia Pacific. Australia cities are also in very high places when comparing to other cities around the world - Sydney (10), Melbourne (17), Perth (21), Adelaide (29), Brisbane (34), and Adelaide (49). The information about cost of living in Australia and quality of living in Australia is based on Mercer survey from March 2008 (mercer.com)
Common sales taxes in Australia are – Goods and Services Tax (GST) - A broad-based tax of 10% on most goods, services and other items sold or consumed in Australia. Only a limited number of items do not attract GST. These include basic food items (but not restaurant meals, take-away food or catering), education fees, child care costs, visits to medical practitioners, hospital costs, prescription medicines, council rates, water and sewerage rates and residential (but not office) rents. This list is a guide only and its coverage is not exhaustive Wine Equalization Tax (WET) – A tax that applies to all wines, ciders, mead and sake. Luxury Car Tax (LCT) – A tax that applies to motor vehicles whose value exceeds the LCT threshold. Diplomats must pay all sales taxes which are included in the price of all goods and services that they purchase while living in Australia. However the indirect tax concession schemes (ITCS) allows diplomats and certain international organizations in Australia to claim refunds of GST, LCT and WET taxes.
Australian residents are generally taxed on their worldwide income whereas non-residents are generally taxed only on their Australian-sourced income. Therefore you will need to find out whether you are an Australian resident for tax purposes. Generally, you are an Australian resident for tax purposes if you have:
More information about income taxes in Australia can be found at the Australian taxation office website (ato.gov.au)
To receive an income in Australia, you need a Tax File Number (TFN). Income includes wages or salary from a job, payments from the government, and money earned from investments including interest on savings accounts. In Australia, you can telephone the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and have a TFN application form sent to you. Alternatively, you can apply for a TFN over the internet.
In Australia, most wages are paid directly into a bank account. Therefore if you will be receiving your salary from an Australian company it is important that you open an Australian bank account The most common bank account in Australia is a check account, which is often referred to as a transaction account and provides you with ATM access, checks, an EFTPOS card (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale), direct debit for bill payment, telephone banking, internet banking, and other services. Most Australian banks will allow you to open a bank account before you arrive in Australia. However according to the Australian law you will be able to deposit money into your bank account but you won't be able to withdraw or transfer money until you complete the 100 points of personal identification check. Note: If you visit your bank branch within 6 weeks from arriving in Australia or open a bank account in Australia within six weeks of your arrival you will not need to complete the 100 points identification check. Presenting your passport as identification will be sufficient. After six weeks you will need extra identification to open an account. What is the 100 points identification check? The Australian law requests that you supply sufficient personal identification to prove you are who you say you are. A range of different documents can be used for personal identification; however some documents score higher points and are considered better proof of identity than others. You must have at least 100 points of identification to be able to establish the account. Primary Identification Documents You are only allowed to use one of the following:
You may use several of the following to reach 100 points:
Documents which verify your full name and residential address
The leading banks in Australia are Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, and ANZ. State specifics and other banks are: St. George Bank (mainly NSW, VIC, SA), HSBC, Bank West (WA), , Bank of Queensland (mainly QLD with some branches in NSW and VIC), Suncorp (QLD), Citibank, and Home Building Society (WA) Before you open a bank account make sure to compare between the banks in Australia. Check what are their fees, interest rates, and other services.
Australia has a very good healthcare system. It's a mix of private and public healthcare system. The public service is funded by the Australian government. Over the counter medications like painkillers, antihistamines for allergies and skin care products can be found at pharmacies and even in supermarkets. However if you take medication on a regular basis, bring enough supply and ensure you have details of the generic name as brand names may differ between countries. How does the national public health care system work? The major part of the national health care system is called "Medicare". Medicare is an Australian government owned health insurance that covers different medical services in the public health system. It provides affordable health care to all eligible Australians residents, and is often free of charge or low cost at the point of care. Australia Medicare system has three parts: hospital, medical and pharmaceutical. Hospital - You can be treated as a public patient in a public hospital, at no charge, by a doctor appointed by the hospital. Medical - When you visit a doctor outside a hospital, Medicare will reimburse 100% of the fee for a general practitioner and 85% of the fee for a specialist. If your doctor bills Medicare directly, you will not have to pay anything. Pharmaceutical - Under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) you pay only part of the cost of most prescription medicines purchased at pharmacies. The rest of the cost is covered by the PBS. Medicare is financed largely from general taxation revenue, such as income tax, taxes on sales of goods and services, and non-tax revenue. One of the taxes is made through a taxation levy known as the Medicare levy. The Medicare levy is based on Australians individual income and stands on 1.5% of taxable income above certain income thresholds. Who is eligible for Medicare Australia? Medicare covers people residing in Australia who are Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens or holders of permanent visas. Some visitors and temporary residents, from countries with which Australia has made reciprocal health care agreements (Great Britain, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden), are eligible for Medicare with some restrictions. If your country is in the above list make sure to research and find out to what privileges you are entitled. To enroll for Medicare Australia you will need to visit a Medicare office in 7 to 10 days after your arrival in Australia with your passport and other travel document. Note: You can purchase a private health insurance which provides additional cover for some services that are not covered by Medicare like: dental cover, or the right to choose your own doctor. Healthcare for temporary residents holding a work visa, overseas students and Diplomats Temporary residents with work visa In most cases temporary residents are not eligible to access Australia subsidized health care system unless they are from a country that has reciprocal health care arrangements with Australia. It is therefore recommended that you and your family have a comprehensive health insurance for your entire stay in Australia. If your employer has arranged health insurance on your behalf, he/she should give you the details of your health insurance policy and what health treatment is covered. The health insurance payments should not be deducted from your salary without your agreement and must not reduce your salary below the minimum salary level. However the Medicare levy is deducted automatically from your salary as part of your taxation deductions. Therefore if you and your family are not entitled to Medicare benefits you may be eligible to receive an exemption from the levy. To receive the exemption you need to get a certificate from the Medicare Levy Exemption Certification Unit of Medicare Australia and submit it with your tax return to obtain a refund. What if you were admitted to a hospital? Your employer is responsible for medical expenses for you and your family for treatment in a public hospital (other than expenses that are met by health insurance or reciprocal health care arrangements). Overseas students Overseas students are required to purchase special low cost health insurance known as Overseas Student Health Cover. Diplomats If you are a diplomat from a country that has reciprocal healthcare arrangement with Australia (United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Malta and Ireland) then you are entitled to Medicare benefits. All other diplomats are liable to pay the full rate for medical treatment received in Australia, including ambulance transport charges. As medical care in Australia is expensive and if your medical costs are not covered by your home government it is recommended to take out private health insurance tailored to your needs as visitors to Australia. For more information about healthcare in Australia please visit Medicare Australia website, and the website of the department of health and aging.
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 LIVING AND WORKING IN AUSTRALIA
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