Taking the opportunity to travel Australia on a Working Holiday Visa can be a life changing experience. There’s no shortage of places to travel and new experiences to have. But, aside from the excitement and anticipation of travelling, things will settle down. And eventually it’ll set in: this is your new life.
Starting a life in a new country could be different than how it was in your home country. For some people this could be the first time leaving home too—and that’s not always the easiest to do alone.
To clear up any difficulties or concerns with launching a Working Holiday Visa life in Australia, I’m going over what you’ll need to get started. This is for those that have already been approved for a Working Holiday Visa.
Table of Contents
Verify Your Visa
I was surprised when arriving to Australia, border security staff didn’t ask about my passport or visa at the airport. This is because it’s all done electronically. Modern passports have a micro-chip which scans and reads all information. This includes whether a visa is connected to the passport or not.
Anytime after arriving in the airport, check online that your Working Holiday Visa in Australia has been activated. This can be done online through Visa Entitlement Verification Online with information from your passport and visa application. Verifying this information can also be used to apply for jobs, as most employers need details of your visa.
Health Insurance and Medicare
The next big step to starting a life in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa is checking your health is insured. There’s no greater fear than picking up a mystery flu or disease, but being too scared to go to the hospital. Money should never be a worry in this case, it’s better to have insurance planned out before this happens.
There’s a few different options for health insurance in Australia for those on Working Holiday Visas. Australia has reciprocal health insurance agreements with certain countries. This means if you’re from one of these countries and hold medical insurance, you may qualify for Medicare in Australia.
Whether you hold health insurance in your home country or not, there’s different options for getting insured in Australia. If you have health insurance in your home country you may be eligible for health insurance with a whole range of companies. Without health insurance in your own country you’ll have to go with an Australian-based insurance company such as Bupa.
The companies I have named here are just examples, I don’t recommend them or receive commission from mentioning them here.
To learn more about options for choosing health insurance check out my full guide on what different policies and companies offer.
Get a Tax File Number
The first thing you’ll need aside from the legal right to work in Australia is a Tax File Number. You can only apply for this once landing in Australia—the website won’t let you do it outside of the country. It may seem annoying at first, you apply online, then you receive the number by mail in 28 days.
But, applying online is easy and quick. And, it rarely ever takes 28 days, most people receive the number by mail within a few days or weeks. If you need it sooner, contact the Australian Tax Office a week after applying for your Tax File Number and get it over the phone.
Not sure where to have your Tax File Number and other mail delivered to? Check out my guide for mailing options while travelling Australia.
Choose a SIM Card
Getting a SIM card for your mobile phone is essential for life in Australia. Doing this first is important for giving out contact information for a bank account, work, accommodation and more.
Choosing a SIM card and plan may seem overwhelming, there’s many companies, prices and plans to choose from. Some plans start below A$10, but you’ll probably need more than that for a good data hookup. When choosing a SIM card think about where you’ll be in Australia, such as if you’re travelling.
Telstra has the biggest network in Australia. I recommend going with them if you’re travelling, but you may notice their plans are pricey. This is when it’s best to choose a company that uses their network, but with lower prices.
This is why there’s so many options for mobile phone companies to choose from. There’s the companies that run the networks, such as Telstra, Optus and Vodaphone—which also sell phone plans. Then, there’s companies that ‘rent’ the big companies network, but it’s a totally separate company. These companies just rent the bigger network. This way, customers receive a better price while having most of the benefits of a big network.
Choose a phone plan based on your realistic needs. If you’re travelling and don’t have access to Wifi, choose a plan with lots of data. Maybe you love to call home, then choose a phone plan with unlimited international calling.
Also consider a pre-paid plan. They can be paid monthly, but if you go over your calling minutes or data, money won’t automatically be taken from your bank account.
Choose a Bank Account
On your first few days or weeks in Australia, it’s easy to use your credit card or take out cash from your international bank account from home. Until you realize the amount of fees you’re wasting to do so. Choosing a bank account in Australia is important for more than just saving money.
It’s also critical to getting a job in Australia and serves other functions. There’s many banks in Australia to choose from, but you’ll have to start with one of the big name banks. This includes: ANZ, Commonwealth, NAB and WesPac.
Check out my full guide on how to get the a bank account as a backpacker and why you have to choose from these banks only.
Transfer Money
Whether you’re planning to work right away or travel a bit, it’s important to have a financial safety net. It’s good to have some wiggle room in case you don’t find a job right away, or if travelling becomes more expensive—which it always seems to be. Finding work can be harder than expected, so it’s good to have some funds in your new bank account.
I transfer money over to Australia from my Canadian account through Wise. They have lower rates than the bank and the transfer doesn’t require any phone calls, just through the online platform. And, if you make excess money while travelling Australia, use Wise to transfer the money back to your home country before leaving!
If you’re not sure about budgeting or how much money you need, check out my full guide on travelling Australia for a year and how much it costs.
Check out this guide on how to transfer money to Australia while travelling on a working holiday visa.
Sign up for Superannuation
Next to getting a bank account, you’ll need superannuation (super) once you get a job. Super is money separate from your pay cheque for retirement, paid by your employer. Your employer pays it into a specific fund that either you or your employer signs up for.
All employers in Australia must pay a minimum of 9.5 percent of your regular hours paid towards super. Overtime pay isn’t part of the regular hours.
Most backpackers shouldn’t be too concerned over which super account to choose as it’s not a long-term decision. Super funds target their marketing towards low-fees, high interest or both. The low-fees should be more concerning towards backpackers as it’s the most immediate cost that effects the funds.
If you’re interested in more information on super and how to choose an account, check out my full guide.
Transportation
Navigating a new country or city’s transportation can seem difficult—even if you know where you’re heading and looked at maps ahead of time. This is especially true for public transportation. But after some time of navigating a new location and its transportation, it gets easier.
Public Transportation
Public transportation is the most economical and affordable transportation option, for tourists and locals alike. It can be confusing to figure out where to pay, how much and where to board, but after a while it makes sense. Most public transportation in Australia, depending on the state goes through a certain pre-paid card for public transportation. Tap, pay-wave or contact-less credit cards may also work for paying.
If you’re staying somewhere for at least a week and taking public transportation, it’s better to get a transit card for paying. The rate is usually better with the card and it’s easier to pay than scrambling with cash. In Sydney, some public transportation busses only accept the pre-paid transit cards. However, if you’re only in the city for a few days and only taking public transportation a few times, avoid spending money on a card, as you may not get it back.
Charter Busses
Next to public transportation are charter busses, such as the Greyhound. Many travellers will take charter busses and stay in hostels instead of purchasing or hiring a vehicle. It’s a budget option and not the most luxurious, but it works for a lot of people.
This is a good option for those that don’t want to pay the fees to hire a vehicle or deal with servicing a purchased vehicle. It’s also the cheapest way to travel the country long-distance—but not the quickest. If you’re limited on time, consider a different option.
Taxi
Most people travelling on a budget in Australia will avoid taxis, as they’re pretty expensive. For those times when it’s about convenience and not money, taxis are a good option.
Ride-Share Services
Australia hasn’t been left out of the many ride-share services around the world. Uber and Lyft are big names in major Australian cities, but the country also has some of its own companies such as Ola.
Ride share services are a better option over taxis, as when they’re represented by big companies, there’s more accountability. Ride-share services aren’t cheap in Australia. Break down the price by travelling with friends, splitting a ride-share will reduce the price for everyone. I take advantage of ride-share services when I have a limited time in certain places and don’t want to waste time on public transportation.
Hiring a vehicle
Hiring a vehicle in Australia isn’t as expensive as I thought it would be. This is a good option for those in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa that want to take a day or weekend trip somewhere (or longer). Just make sure to triple-check what’s included with insurance with the vehicle company to make sure you’re covered in case of an accident.
Driving in Australia on the left-side of the road can be a bit tricky at first, but it’s easy with a passenger who helps with directions.
When driving in Australia, make sure to understand and watch out for road tolls to avoid unnecessary fines while travelling.
Purchasing a vehicle
Many people on a Working Holiday Visa in Australia choose to purchase a vehicle to travel the country. If you’re staying in a city the entire time, it’s probably not necessary. Purchasing a vehicle has its expenses as well, including the purchase price, services, fuel and insurance, among others.
For travelling the country though it’s a great option because Australia is huge! Purchasing a vehicle is better for long trips around the country. Many backpackers and travellers will hire a vehicle for travelling the east coast over buying a vehicle.
Planning to purchase a vehicle? Check my tips on choosing a vehicle to travel Australia and understanding Australian vehicle insurance.
Plane
Travelling Australia is different than travelling a European country, for size. The country is huge and travelling long-distances like the east coast can take weeks if not longer. If you want to cut the journey up, or maybe you’re just not interested in a road trip, take a plane.
Many Australians travel by plane as well, it’s not the most affordable option, but it is the quickest. Buy tickets ahead of time to save money.
Accommodation
There’s a lot of options for accommodation on a Working Holiday Visa in Australia. It really depends if you want to settle down in a city quickly or continue travelling. It also depends on your ideal job option along with other lifestyle choices. Here’s some of the options.
Airbnb
Aside from staying at a hostel, if you’re travelling with friends or a partner, staying at an Airbnb may be better (and more affordable!) option. This option can also be more comfortable and more affordable than if each person were paying to stay at a hostel. It’s easy to choose a good Airbnb based on ratings, prices and location.
Hotel
Hotels can be a more pricey option that other accommodations on this list, but not always. There are some affordable hotel options, or even more luxurious ones during off-season around Australia.
Hotels, similar to staying at an Airbnb is good short-term, such as while you may be searching for more permanent housing. If I need a break from life on the road I’ll book a hotel for a few days to relax, and it’s always worth it. Click the link below to find deals on hotels and other accommodation.
Hostel
Hostels are the cheapest option for travellers and one of the best options for travelling alone. Prices vary from the quality, location, time or season you’re staying at the hostel. These are the same variables as other accommodations.
Most hostels are collections of other travellers and can be a good place to meet others, but it’s a hit or miss. Always come prepared with ear plugs in case some one is snoring, and pack thongs or flip flops to avoid funguses in the shower.
Working Hostel
Next to a regular hostel is a working hostel. It’s a hostel that will help find work for you. These are most commonly found in regional areas and provide farm work option for those staying in the hostel. There’s a few catches to this though. Working hostels can take as long as they want to offer a work option and they’re not required to at all. While you’re waiting for this possibility you’re still paying weekly: around A$200.
Many travellers find working hostels are a great option to complete, but they’re not all equal. Some working hostels give a false promises of work and others secretly keep part of workers pay. It’s similar to working through a contractor. I would argue most of these working hostels are not worth the money. Some look partially destroyed and many don’t offer any bedding at all. Overall if you’re planning on using a working hostel do plenty of research or avoid altogether.
Shared Accomodation
Most travellers on Working Holiday Visas in Australia will seek out some type of shared accommodation. Aside from reducing the price that comes with sharing, it has a lot of other benefits. Such as meeting new people, finding work and discovering the country. It’s also best for short-term housing so you don’t have to deal with acquiring furniture and selling it again after.
Shared accommodation could be anything from a shared apartment or house in the city, to having housemates in regional areas in shared accommodation. Search for shared accomodations on Facebook specific groups such as Sydney Flatmates/House share/Roomshare/Accommodation. In groups such as these people regularly post offers and wants for housing and housemates, it’s a good way to find housing. Otherwise Gumtree is an option to look at.
Renting Accommodation
Next to sharing housing or accommodation, solo renting is another option. This is good for couples or friends that don’t want to deal with housemates and have enough funds to do so. Renting an apartment or other housing unit is a bit more complicated in Australia than I expected.
For most rental accommodations, the renter is expected to provide their own fridge and often other household equipment—along with furniture. If you’re looking for short-term housing, such as a few months it might be better to go for shared or furnished housing. Otherwise acquiring and selling furniture at the beginning or ending of a lease can be difficult.
Housing prices vary all over Australia, the cities are generally around A$200 a week, and regional areas are similar, but have more spacious options. Searching for rentals is best on Gumtree and also Facebook groups focused on this.
Van Life
The final option for those on Working Holiday Visas is buying or renting a van to live in. This is what many travellers do while seeing the country and working on the side. It’s not a perfect lifestyle, but it is the one with the most freedom.
Overall living costs can be lower than renting another type of accommodation. Prices depend on if you’re staying at free campgrounds, or paid and how much petrol you’re using for travelling.
Other budget concerns are for insurance and food, but altogether the lifestyle can be affordable.
Work (Finding a Job)
To exercise a Working Holiday Visa, you’ll likely need to find work at some point to continue funding your travels. Just to clarify it’s not mandatory to work on this visa, plenty of people just use it to take an extended-vacation. Here’s some tips on what type of jobs to find and where. Many people find it tough to find work in Australia, whereas others find easy.
It depends on your expectations versus what is available and your location. Due to the six-month limitation for most jobs, those on Working Holiday Visa’s in Australia find it easy to get jobs that are temporary, in the service-industry or rurally-located.
Always apply for jobs in-person when possible, as uncomfortable as it may be. These are just a few good options of jobs for Working Holiday Visas in Australia.
Service-industry and hospitality
Service-industry and hospitality jobs are anything from a cafe barista to front desk at a hostel. This industry thrives on people going out and spending money on drinks, food or accommodation. It’s also a great place to find work as many people constantly move jobs.
Depending on the seasons and holidays the service-industry can grow and shrink, which benefits many employees.
For jobs in this sector it’s always best to bring a resume in-person and do a bit of research to where you’re applying ahead of time. Previous experience in this field can go a long way, but so can an up-beat personality.
Construction
Working in construction is another popular option for those on Working Holiday Visas in Australia. Whether you have previous experience or not, companies generally just look for capable people to get the job done.
A white card is required, but some people get jobs without them, it just depends how reputable the company is. Either way a white card is easy to get, you can do a course in-person or online (for a Northern Territory card that’s valid all throughout Australia).
The white card course just covers basic job safety for employees and is a legal requirement in Australia for certain jobs. Jobs could be anything from general labourers to more skilled trades depending on your experience. Many people take the traffic controlling course. Either way, check to see if there’s jobs available in the field before paying for an expensive course.
Temporary
Temporary jobs of any kind almost call out for people on Working Holiday Visas (some do actually). These jobs are mutually beneficial for those on the visa and hiring employers as many travellers don’t want to stay six months somewhere for a job. Most employers and recruiters look for skilled workers that can complete the job and stay the entire term—easy right?
As with other jobs, there’s competition in the temporary field, Australians along with many other potential hires enjoy the flexibility of temporary jobs. Act fast and be flexible when applying for temporary jobs to get on the good side of employers and recruiters.
Regional Work
Whether you’re out to complete regional work as a requirement for a second-year Working Holiday Visa in Australia, or just looking to try a new lifestyle, many people go for regional work. Regional work is very broad, it could be farm work, construction, odd jobs or anything in regional areas.
Doing regional work can be a good option to see the country side and experience a different version of Australia, compared to city life. It’s also a good chance to experience a different life than you may have in your home country living in the city.
Living costs can also be more affordable in regional areas. It depends on your level of commitment though, it took me 10 months and five jobs until I found a good job—this was specifically for a second-year visa.
Finding Work in Post-COVID Australia
Life in Australia for backpackers has been completely different than before COVID. It’s obvious from the changes the government made, there has been progress in the right direction benefitting backpackers. This includes a temporary ban on the six month work limitation, and scrapping the “piece-rate“.
Personally, I’ve noticed a large amount of backpackers (people on Working Holiday Visas) that left Australia before and during the COVID pandemic. During this time, employers that relied on backpackers lost a significant workforce, which they still haven’t been able to rebuild. Still in 2022, there’s an abundance of jobs for people on Working Holiday Visas.
The Australian government is so keen to get people in regional areas, they’re even offering Australians and Working Holiday Visa holders relocation assistance to do regional work. Although, it can’t be helping entirely as the jobs are still out there.
Although I wouldn’t do regional work again, this is a great opportunity for people currently on Working Holiday Visas. It also means that if someone is in a bad job, which is exploitive, there’s options to leave and find something better. Many employers that rely on backpackers have had to increase their pay to attract more employees.
The Australian government still has a way to go to rectify working conditions and abuse towards foreign workers, but the pandemic has shown how valuable they are.
Planning on doing regional work? Check out my tips for completing, finding non-exploitive jobs, best jobs and how to survive regional work!
Extra help
Aside from these tips and suggestions there’s more to starting a life in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa. A lot is just building confidence to make your own decisions such as deciding where to live and what to do for work.
There’s thousands of people on both 417 and 467 Working Holiday Visas. Get to know other travellers and get tips by joining Facebook groups. There’s groups for everything including general groups of people on Working Holiday Visas, looking for work, looking for regional work and even country-specific groups.
Whether you plan to work and live in a regional area or in the city, Australia is a huge country and it’s worth it to travel around.
Check out more tips for travelling Australia such as building out a van, how to pack for a year abroad in Australia and road trips to see the best of the country.
