Documents to Bring When Moving to Australia

What documents do you need to bring when moving to Australia? Keep reading to find out!

What identification documents do I need when moving to Australia?

Birth Certificate – original copies or certified colour copies of original
Passport – make sure it is valid and that it is not expiring soon
Identification Card from your country of origin – this is not mandatory but it’s a good option in case you need more supporting evidence to confirm your identity when in Australia. e.g. in case you need to undertake an international police check for a job (although your passport should be sufficient).

Nowadays Australian visas are electronically linked to your passport, so the verification of your visa status once you arrive in Australia will be relatively smooth. However, some countries will ask you to demonstrate your evidence of your visa BEFORE departing to Australia. Thus, it is good practice to have a hard copy of this document handy just in case.

If you, your spouse, or de facto partner have changed their names, and these are different to the name showing on your birth certificate, you need to bring certified evidence confirming change of name. This usually happens if you got married and adopted your partner’s family name, or if for some other reason you decided to change it. For this, you will need to show your identity documents with your new name, and certified copies of identity documents showing your previous name – usually they should include a photograph. In some instances, you will also be required to sign a Statutory declaration confirming your name change.

Yes. You should bring both Marriage papers and/or Divorce papers, if applicable. If you are in a defacto relationship, you’ll need to show evidence of living together, or joint bank accounts, to confirm your defacto status. You will need these documents handy whether it is to justify your name of change, or for your visa/citizenship applications.

Yes. If your country’s driver’s license is in English, you don’t need to translate it. However, if your driver’s license is in language other than Engligh, you’ll need to bring an international driver’s license translated. Bear in mind that some Australian states only accept international driver’s license for up to 3 to 6 months if you are a Permanent Resident. After this time, you need to convert your license to an Australian one.

Yes. Bring all your immunisation/vaccination records. Bring original or certified copies of your vaccination history, including evidence of your covid-19 vaccination. You will need the latter to enter Australia.

Yes, bring all Medical records you consider relevant, including dental, x-rays, and any prescriptions. Bring original copies of all these documents should be relevant to your health situation. If you or someone in your family need to undertake a medical procedure or orthodontics, I’d recommend doing it in country of origin before you leave as it will probably be much cheaper than here in Australia. You can then follow up with a Doctor here.

Yes. When moving to Australia, bring all qualification documents. This includes your Award Certificate and Transcript. If you don’t have these documents, talk to your university or institute for a Completion letter confirming your degree. You will need to demonstrate evidence of these documents if you get a professional job here.

Yes, you need to bring evidence of your English test certificate. Whether you took the IELTS or TOELF, or any other English test for migration, you need to bring original copies with you. You will need it for both visa applications as well as job applications in some instances. You can have electronic copies as well.

Resume/CV. Make sure you have electronic copies of your Resume and CV. Nonetheless, you will need to adapt them to the Australian format once here.
Evidence of Health Insurance in Australia. You will need these documents for your visa application but also to get a refund of your medical costs once in the country.
Financial Records. Bring evidence of financial records confirming you have an overseas bank account. This will be handy at the time of renting a place, to show you have enough fundings to sustain yourself, especially if you haven’t got a job yet.
Confirmation of enrolment and University offer letter. This is if you are an international student. You will need to have hard or electronic copies of these documents handy when you go to your university or institute campus for the first time.

Yes! All documents should be colour copies of the original, and translated by a certified NAATI translator.