First 30 days in Australia — what to do, in order of priority

Buy one at the airport or in the city centre. Carriers: Optus, Vodafone, Telstra. Prepaid plans from A$10–30/month with data. Without an Australian number you can't verify anything.

Many people arrive with accommodation already arranged for the first few weeks (hostel, a friend's place, agency package). The important thing is to keep an eye on when that initial accommodation ends — it typically lasts 2 weeks to 1 month. Use that time to find something more permanent on Flatmates.com.au, immigrant community groups on Facebook or Gumtree.

Apply through the ATO website as soon as possible. It takes 1–4 weeks to arrive. Many immigration agencies help with the application — if you're using one, ask them about this.

If you find work before receiving your TFN, your employer will withhold tax at the maximum rate (47%) until the number is registered. This amount is not lost — it is fully recovered in your annual tax return. However, it can take until October of the following year to receive it back. If it hasn't arrived within the expected timeframe, keep working and hold onto your application confirmation.

The main banks for new arrivals: Commonwealth Bank (CBA), ANZ, Westpac, NAB. Bring your passport and an Australian address. The account opens on the spot. Wise also works as an Australian account and has lower fees for receiving Australian dollars.

Each city has its own: Opal (Sydney), Myki (Melbourne), Go Card (Brisbane). In some cities and on some lines, paying directly with a debit or credit card at the gate is also accepted. Having the physical card is especially handy for long trips and for checking your balance.

Not urgent, but easy and worth doing early. Avoids carrying your passport around every day. Each state has its own: NSW Photo Card (Service NSW), Photo Identification Card (QLD), Proof of Age Card (VIC). In NSW and QLD there is a digital version in the app. Cost: generally A$0–77 depending on the state. Bring your passport and proof of address.

In the first few months you may move several times. A practical option: use your immigration agency's address initially as a mailing address — ask them about this possibility. Once you find more stable accommodation, update your address across all services: ATO, bank, Medicare, super fund. Not updating can cause you to miss important correspondence.

Medicare is Australia's public health system and is available primarily to permanent residents and citizens. If you have just arrived as a PR, register as soon as possible — bring your passport, visa and proof of address to a Medicare service centre.

Holders of temporary visas (student, work 482, WHV) generally do not have access to Medicare, unless your home country has a bilateral agreement with Australia. In that case, you will need private health insurance (OSHC for students or private insurance for other visas).

This is not urgent, as your employer can automatically open a fund in your name. However, it is strongly recommended to open one before you start working — that way you can nominate your chosen fund to your employer from day one and avoid having a new fund created with each job.

Each job without nominating your fund creates a separate new super account — with administrative fees on each one. You have the right to nominate your own super fund via the Super Choice Form.

Funds by sector:

• Hospitality, café, restaurant: Hostplus — extremely low fees for the sector
• Retail, supermarket: Rest Super — built for the sector
• Any sector: AustralianSuper or Australian Retirement Trust — the two largest in Australia

Keep your Member Number handy to give to your employer.

When signing your contract, you will receive two important forms: the TFN Declaration Form and the Super Choice Form. See the dedicated article on how to fill each one in correctly.

Each state has different rules. In general, PRs have 3 months to convert their licence — temporary visa holders such as students and WHV holders have longer timeframes or may drive on their overseas licence in some states. Bring your original foreign licence + passport + proof of address to the state's transport authority. See the full article on driver's licences for details by state.

Students: OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) is a mandatory requirement for the student visa — if you hold a subclass 500 visa, you most likely already have OSHC arranged. Check the expiry date and your coverage.

Other temporary visa holders without Medicare access: take out private health insurance before you need it. A GP visit without cover can cost A$100–300 and an emergency can run into thousands of dollars.

Not urgent in the first few weeks. Once you are more settled, find a GP (General Practitioner) in your area. Practitioners who speak your language make communication much easier. Check the ArrivoAU directory to find doctors and dentists by city.

Immigrant groups on Facebook and WhatsApp for each city. Cultural and community organisations. Community events. This greatly speeds up the settling-in process.