Moving to Australia from the UK: A starter guide

Dreaming of a new life Down Under? You’re not alone, as Australia is the most popular global destination for UK expats, with over 1.1 million¹ of them living there.

Australia has lots to offer British newcomers, including a shared language and culture, and a close relationship with the UK (despite being so far apart geographically). It boasts scorchingly sunny weather, great quality of life and beautiful beaches, along with friendly people and lots of space for outdoor living.

But just how easy is it to move there? In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about moving to Australia from the UK. This includes visas, cost of living, finding a place to live and much more.

We’ll even throw in a handy tip that could save you a bundle on your relocation costs from the money services provider Wise. Open a Wise account and you can send money internationally in 40+ currencies (including GBP and AUD) for low, transparent fees and the mid-market exchange rate. Whether you need to whizz a rental deposit payment over to Australia before your move or send cash back to the UK later on, Wise has you covered.

Learn more about the Wise account

Can you move to Australia from the UK?

Australia’s immigration policy is notoriously strict and operates on a points-based system, which makes a permanent move there as a non-citizen quite difficult. But it’s far from impossible, especially if you have family connections to Australia, are a skilled worker or have an Australian employer sponsoring you to come over and work.

How to get an Australian visa?

There are a few potential routes into Australia for British citizens. These include:²

• Family-stream permanent residence visa. This is for applicants with partners, children or dependent relatives of Australian citizens or permanent residents.
• Work-stream permanent residence visa. This is for people with an Australian employer sponsoring them to work in Australia. You may also be able to get this visa if you have a particular set of skills valued by Australia.
• Business or investment-stream permanent residence visa. These visa types are for entrepreneurs wanting to start new businesses or invest in Australia, and sponsorship by a government agency is usually needed in order to apply.

You can explore the full list of Australian visa types here. Getting a visa for Australia isn’t easy or quick, and there’s likely to be a lot of paperwork required. But you’ll need to jump through the required hoops and put in a strong application if you want to start a new life in Australia.

How to move to Australia from the UK?

Let’s go through the most important steps of moving to Australia:

1. Research available visa options, gather your documents and apply for your visa
2. Start looking at jobs, unless you already have a position lined up or want to wait until you arrive
3. Find a place to live - this may also include a trip to Australia to view properties
4. Do some research and get quotes for shipping your belongings over to Australia
5. Start looking into banks, find one that suits you and see if you can open an account before arriving. Or you can look into alternative ways to manage your money, like with the Wise account
6. Look into taking out a private health insurance policy
7. Tell HMRC that you’re leaving the UK
8. Book your flight

We’ll run through some of these steps later in this article too so read on.

What’s the cheapest way to travel to Australia from the UK?

The most common way to get to Australia from the UK is by boarding a plane. The cheapest month to do so is April, and it’ll cost around £476 one-way.³

However, these cheap prices are usually limited and the average price for a one-way trip is around £700-£800 if you book well in advance.

How long does it take to fly to Australia from the UK?

If you’re taking a flight to get to Australia, then the time it takes depends on the destination city and if you have a direct flight or multiple stops.

For example, it takes around 20 hours to get from London to Perth with a direct flight (one refuelling stop included). But, the cheapest flights could take around 35-38 hours with 2 stops.⁴

Options for retiring in Australia

Australia is a popular destination for UK retirees, but just how easy is it to get a visa and retire in Australia?

Well, you can potentially apply under one of the permanent residence visa categories covered above. This could be the easiest route, especially if you have family connections in Australia.

The other option is to go through the retirement visa pathway to permanent residency. The eligibility criteria for this is quite narrow though, as you need to have previously held an Australian retirement visa or investment retirement visa.⁵ However, you can also access the pathway by applying for a parent or contributory parent visa.

More details on the retirement visa pathway are available on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website.

The other major thing for UK retirees to consider before moving to Australia is pensions. You can receive your UK state pension in Australia, by applying to the International Pension Centre.

You may also be able to transfer other personal pensions over to Australia, so you’ll have all your retirement savings in one place. Make sure you choose a Qualified Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) from the HMRC approved list, otherwise you could face a huge tax bill.

Living in Australia - what you need to know

For starters, here are a few of the basic facts you need to know about Australia if you’re considering moving there:

• Currency - Australian Dollar (AUD)
• Main language - English
• Population - approx. 26.6 million⁶
• Number of British expats - approx. 1.1 million¹
• Most popular cities for expats - Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide.¹

As you can see, there is a large British expat community in Australia, so you’ll have plenty of support when you arrive.

Cost of living - how much money do you need to move to Australia?

Before moving to a new country, you need to make sure you can afford to live there.

In general, the cost of living in Australia is about the same as in the UK, except in a few key areas. For example, groceries are up to 40% more expensive, and you could also pay more for public transport and rent. However, utilities tend to be cheaper.

Let’s take a look at a few average prices for common spending categories in Australia, compared with the UK:⁷

• A three-course meal for two people costs around £70 in Australia, while it’s £60 in the UK
• A draught beer is around £6, compared to £4.5 back in the UK
• A loaf of bread is around £1.95, compared to £1.21 in the UK
• A monthly public transport pass is approx. £89, compared to £67 in the UK
• Rent for a one-bedroom city centre apartment is around £1,240, compared to £1,080 in the UK.
• Utilities for a typical apartment are around £174 a month, compared to £253 in the UK.

As for purchasing a property, this can also be more expensive in Australia. For example, the price per square metre to buy a city centre apartment is around 33% higher than in the UK.

Although of course, when it comes to the cost of living in any country, it depends where you live and what you typically buy.

Finding somewhere to live in Australia

Australia’s major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Perth tend to be the most attractive destinations for new expats.¹

But there are plenty of other options, especially if you’re looking for cheaper prices. For example, many Brits love affordable Adelaide and there’s a tight-knit expat community there. Alternatively, you may prefer scenic Hobart in Tasmania, known for its relaxed country atmosphere.

It could be a good idea to make a few trips out to Australia to get a feel for your chosen city or region, and to scout out places to rent or buy.

But to start your search in the UK, here are some handy links to try:

• Realestate.com.au
• Domain.com.au
• Rent.com.au
• Realestateview.com.au
• Onthehouse.com.au.

You can buy property in Australia as a non-citizen, but there are certain rules and restrictions you’ll need to follow.

Healthcare system

The Australian healthcare system is known to be efficient and excellent, but do newcomers and non-citizens have access to it?

The public universal healthcare system, Medicare, provides free or reduced doctor’s appointments, medicines and essential hospital treatment. You can access it as a UK citizen on a visit to Australia, due to the UK and Australia having a reciprocal healthcare agreement in place.⁸

But if you move there, you’ll need to start paying income tax (which is how Medicare is funded, through a special tax levy) to access the system as a permanent resident. However, many Australians also have private health insurance too, using it in combination with the public healthcare service.⁸

Taking out a policy could be a good idea as a newcomer, as many services (such as dentistry) and medicines aren’t free. It’s good to know you and your family are fully covered from the moment you arrive, so there aren’t any unexpected medical bills to worry about.

Opening an Australian bank account

An Australian bank account will make life easier as a new arrival, especially when it comes to paying rent and covering everyday expenses. And if you get a job or expect to receive income from elsewhere, a bank account will be essential for paying in your earnings.

The good news for British expats is that it’s reasonably straightforward to open an Australian bank account as a non-citizen. Some major banks, such as CommBank, ANZ Bank and Westpac, may even let you open your account online or over the phone while you’re still based in the UK.

To open an everyday transactions (current) account from outside Australia, you’ll need to show enough qualifying ID documents to meet the 100 point check system that most Australian banks use. Each type of ID is worth a certain number of points. If you wait until you arrive, you should only need to show your passport.

It’s a good idea to contact the bank in advance to ask which documents you’ll need, but generally speaking you should have the following ready:

• Your passport
• Visa and immigration documentation
• Australian address
• Date you’ll be arriving in the country (if you’re not already living there)
• Employment and salary details.

And, as an alternative to bank accounts, check out the Wise account. It’s not a bank account but offers many similar features.

You can send, receive, and spend in multiple currencies, including British pounds and Australian dollars. Wise offers transparent, low fees and all transactions in foreign currencies are made using the mid-market exchange rate.

Finding a job in Australia

If you have the right to work in Australia, you’ll need to start job hunting. You can potentially do this before you leave the UK, or wait until you arrive if you have enough money to support yourself.

Here are some good places to start your search:

• Careerone
• Adzuna
• Seek- also a good resource for careers and job hunting advice
• Workforce Australia
• Prosple Australia- a good option for graduates.

Of course, if you’re entering Australia on a work-stream permanent residence visa, you may already have a job with a sponsoring employer lined up.

Working in Australia

If you haven’t already found a job you like in Australia, there are other ways to kickstart your career.

In case you want to test out what it’s like to live there before officially moving, the Australian Working holiday visa scheme is a good opportunity. It’s made for young people between the ages of 18 and 30 who want to work and live in Australia for up to 12 months.

Applicants need to show proof of sufficient funds and a clean criminal record. You have the chance to extend this visa two more times, as long as you've worked in certain industries in Australia. The list includes plant and animal cultivation in regional Australia, tourism and hospitality in northern and remote Australia and work in healthcare regarding COVID-19.

If you’ve already made up your mind on moving Down Under, there are plenty of other career routes you can take. For example, established and aspiring entrepreneurs can take a leap and start a business in Australia.

Those who are already experienced can apply for the Business talent visa, which has two routes. The conditions for the first one are that you already have a history of successful business running and a certain net worth. The other option is having 1 million AUD in funding from a local Australian venture capital company.

Beginners in business can apply for the Business innovation and investment visa. You can apply for a permanent visa after getting this one.

Save on your relocation costs to Australia with Wise

Before moving to a new country, you’re likely to have lots of costs to cover. Some of these, such as real estate costs, visa application fees and rental deposits, will need to cross borders.

Open a Wise account and you can send money between the UK and Australia for low, transparent fees and the mid-market exchange rate. It’s not a bank account but offers many similar features.

You can also use Wise once you arrive in your new home. For starters, you can spend in AUD from the moment you step off the plane using your contactless Wise card. It works in 150+ countries and automatically converts your pounds to the local currency whenever you spend, only adding a tiny, upfront currency conversion fee.

Sign up with Wise today 💰

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So, there you have it - everything you need to know about moving to Australia in one handy guide. We’ve covered all the essentials, from the tricky task of getting a visa to scouting out a great place to live Down Under.

Whether you’re retiring, working, studying or moving to Oz with your family, you should now be all set to plan your big move. The best of luck on your Australian adventure!

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Sources used for this article:

1. Homeaffairs.gov.au – United Kingdom
2. Home Affairs.gov.au - permanent residence visas
3. Skyscanner - London to Australia
4. Skyscanner - Flights from London to Perth
5. Home Affairs.gov.au - Retirement visa pathway
6. Worldometer - Australia population (2024)
7. Numbeo - Cost of living in Australia compared to the UK
8. MoveHub - Healthcare for expats in Australia

Sources checked on 9-Apr-2024.