First month in Australia: what to set up, in the right order

You’ve survived the first 72 hours. The next four weeks are where small admin jobs quietly save you money: less tax taken from your pay, no surprise insurance loading, and a GP before you need one.

Here’s the order we’d do it in. If you haven’t yet applied for your Tax File Number, opened a bank account or created a myGov account, start with your first 72 hours. Looking for a job? Read finding work in Australia.

Week one: tax and super, before your first pay

Give your employer your TFN, or say you’ve applied

When you start a job, your employer asks you to fill in a TFN declaration. Still waiting for your number in the mail? Say so on the form. You then have 28 days to give your employer your TFN. If you don’t, the law says they must withhold tax from your pay at the top rate, which is far more than you’d normally pay.

Choose a super fund

Superannuation (super) is Australia’s compulsory retirement savings. On top of your pay, your employer must pay a percentage of your earnings into a super fund for you. For the 2026 to 2027 financial year, that super guarantee rate is 12%.

Your employer should give you a choice of super fund within 28 days of you starting. If you don’t choose, they’ll ask the ATO whether you already have a fund, and otherwise use their default fund. It’s worth choosing yourself: funds differ in fees and investment returns, and over a working life small differences add up. The government’s YourSuper comparison tool on the ATO website compares the main funds side by side.

Once your TFN arrives, link the ATO to your myGov account. You’ll be able to see your super there too.

Week two: health

Find a GP before you’re sick

A GP (general practitioner) is your family doctor and the way into most of the health system, including specialists, which usually need a GP referral. Some clinics bulk bill, meaning Medicare covers the fee and you pay nothing for the visit. Others charge a gap fee on top. Ask when you book. The healthdirect service finder lists GPs near you.

Private health insurance: know your deadline

Private hospital cover is optional, but a rule called Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) catches a lot of new migrants out. If you’re over 30 and take out hospital cover later than your deadline, you pay a loading of 2% on top of your premium for every year you’re aged over 30.

For new migrants, the deadline is the later of two dates: 1 July after your 31st birthday, or 12 months after you registered for full Medicare benefits. Miss it and there are no exemptions. Check your Medicare registration date with Services Australia, then decide well before the 12 months is up.

Depending on your income, there may be a tax reason to have hospital cover too, called the Medicare levy surcharge. The ATO explains who it applies to.

Weeks three and four: driving and the rest

Sort your driver licence

Driver licences are run by each state and territory, and the rules differ. Temporary visitors can often drive on an overseas licence for a while. Permanent residents usually need to switch to a local licence within a few months of arriving, and whether you need a test depends on where your licence is from. Check your state’s road authority now, so you don’t drive on a licence that’s quietly stopped being valid.

Set up the household basics

Moving into a longer-term place? You’ll set up electricity, gas and internet yourself in most rentals. Energy retailers differ a lot on price. The government’s Energy Made Easy site compares plans in most states, and Victoria has its own, Victorian Energy Compare. Get your new address onto your bank, Medicare and ATO records in myGov while you’re at it.

Your first month checklist

Next: finding a place to live. Renting with no local history is one of the hardest parts of arriving, and there are ways to make it easier.