Your first week — Days 1–7
Tax file number (TFN)
Your personal tax identifier. Free, and applied for online once you are in Australia.
Tax file number (TFN)
ato.gov.au
Your personal tax identifier. Free, and applied for online once you are in Australia.
Without one, your employer must withhold tax at the top rate — around 47% of your pay. With one, you are taxed normally. This is the highest-value ten minutes of admin you will do.
Have ready before you start
- Passport
- Australian address
- Visa details
Do myGov first — this depends on it.
A TFN is always free. Any site charging you a fee to "apply for" or "fast-track" a TFN is reselling a free government service.
SourcesTax file number (TFN)ATO — no TFN withholding rate (Top-rate withholding)
This is one entry from G'day Guide — every official service, help line and useful site for arriving in Australia, explained in plain English and put in the order you actually need them. No affiliate links, no sponsored placements, no paid rankings.
Usually done around the same time
- VEVO — check your visa conditions Free service that shows your visa status, expiry and exact conditions.
- myGov The single sign-on that links Medicare, the ATO, Centrelink, My Health Record and more.
- Ambulance cover — check your state Ambulance is run and charged state by state, and it is not covered by Medicare in most of the country.