Moving To Australia Resources All The Services And Products You Will Need Before Making The Move

WHO ARE THESE RESOURCES FOR?

Let's face it that moving to Australia is not the easiest thing you will do. It is this exact reason I set up my blog 2+ years ago.

Below is a list of resources I have personally used, and it is likely you will need them to.

This page is for all expats in Australia, not just Irish, but some may be more tailored for Irish people.

Additionally, some are sponsored placements, where I get a small commission if you do decide to use the service.

This is at no additional cost to you and in most cases, I have arranged further discounts(yay).

I hope you find them as useful as I have and enjoy the savings!

If you are interested in learning more about me and the site, visit my
about me page

FEATURED RESOURCES

Money Transfers

When I came to Australia, I just did a bank transfer to my shiny new Australian bank account.

It was only three months later that I realised I had made a big mistake and lost out in about $50-$70 in charges!

Please don't make the same mistake I made and take a few mins to read my money transfer guide here(published all the way back in 2013 but updated in 2017).

Why are they cheaper than banks?
Firstly most of the money transfer companies below charge about €3 - €5 as opposed to €10 - €30 with banks to send the money

Secondly banks charge between 4-6% on the exchange rate(they don't really tell you this!) and the money transfers below all take less than 1% in some cases 0.25%! So yea using banks literally costs you hundreds of $$'s for virtually no benefits.

I used to recommend a whole bunch of these companies, but really these four are the most recommended over the year in order of feedback:

1. Currency Fair - Our most recommended money transfer company. I use them all the time! Get your first trade for FREE(normally €3) with this link

2. OFX(Previously OzForex) - A more personal touch with a dedicated broker. Great for larger transfers over €3000($5000). They have been around for years! We have an exclusive deal, and you can get free transfers over $1000 for life(yes for life!) with this link.

3. HiFx - You might have heard of XE currency? Well they recently purchased them! Great support and reviews - Register your free account here.

4. Transferwise - Used by so many people, it's great! Save 80 - 90% on bank charges with Transferwise. Register your free account here.

READ THE MONEY TRANSFER GUIDE HERE

Shipping - Seven Seas Worldwide

Shipping is the one thing you don't want to take a risk with when moving to another country. I spent a long time finding the right company.

I visited their depot in Melbourne and was very impressed with the team and the company.

We also have a 10 - $25 discount off the entire shipment!

They also do a lot of shipments from Australia to Ireland. Or read our shipping article or for shipping under 30Kg's read this

Please note: To get the discount you must get a quote through our link above or below.

CLICK HERE $10- $25 OFF SEVEN SEAS WORLDWIDE

Need an Australian Visa or professional visa advice?

Are you or someone you know looking for an immigration lawyer you can trust?

In Australia, Salvo Migrations reputation speaks for itself. They are 5 star rated on both Facebook and Google, just watch one of their 20+ video testimonials from happy clients to see why.

As a bonus for readers of Irish Around Oz you are eligible for $200AUD off all professional fees should you choose them to prepare your Visa. This is only available with us.

Watch videos on 3 things you need to know about working holiday visas here.

Click here to CLAIM YOUR EXCLUSIVE Irish Around Oz $200 discount

In need of professional tax services?

Eadaoin from IrishTax.com.au is in the unique position of being registered Tax Agents in both Australia and Ireland, enabling them to provide a complete tax service to the Irish Community in Australia.

You can email all your queries to her at [email protected]

Contact Irish Tax Services Here

MORE INCREDIBLE RESOURCES

5% OFF SEND MY BAG

Send my bag allows you to senda bag directly from Australia to Ireland via a new route to Ireland and the UK!

For example, if you’re heading home for a few months, rather than paying a load of money for extra luggage just ship it via air with send my bag. (“Enjoy 5% off as an Irish Around Oz reader!”)

CLICK HERE TO GET 5% OFF SEND MY BAG

Travel Insurance + Car Insurance

I have been looking for a good travel insurance company that resonated with me and Irish Around Oz.

What is different about Go Insurance is you can customise your policy to meet your needs.

For example, if you don’t want to have your baggage covered, or cancellation or feel there’s no need for legal expenses you can remove them from the cover which will make the policy cheaper and more tailored to what you need!

What else you ask? How about a 10% discount on your entire policy! Click below to grab your discount below!

What to do when you are leaving Australia forever? ->
More information in this article.

CLICK HERE GET 10% OFF GO INSURANCE

Cheap Flights To Ireland

Once you get to Australia if you don't have a return flight to say Ireland, UK or anywhere in Europe, it can cost crazy amounts one way or at Christmas!

Thankfully James from Student Flights in Sydney got in touch with us and has set up exclusive weekly deals for Irish Around Oz and student flights.

You can now secure your fare home for only $99, and payment is only due 60 days before departure.

You also don’t have to be a student to use their service.

Basically we send you an email once a month with cheap flights to Ireland. The cheapest fare every two weeks for up to 6 months, we send you the latest flight deals first, straight to your inbox! Click here to subscribe

You can email them directly at [email protected] or give them a call in Sydney -> (02) 8374 9922

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR EXCLUSIVE FLIGHTS LIST

RECOMMENDED TOOLS

Taxback.com

Your first year can be very complicated tax wise. I used taxback.com and got my tax back without barely lifting a finger.

Alternatively, you can do it yourself or find a local tax agent. Up to you.

Read our WHV Tax guide and Superannuation guide. Lots of valuable info!

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT TAXBACK.COM

Other Amazing Resources

Okay, I could write pages and pages on resources I have found useful, but the above are the best I have found and used the majority of them myself.

Below is some additional resources which I recommend you should check out!

Car Rental – I have used drive away for two things. When I go back to Ireland for a few weeks, it’s just handy to have a car, and it is not that expensive.

Also, when I am travelling around Oz, they compare over 60 retailers and always get me the best prices! Check out driveaway here

Air B + B - This might be obvious to a lot of people, but if you are saying what's Air B + B then you should check it out. Fantastic for finding short term accommodation and travel! Plus here is $34 towards your first stay!

RSA Online - If you are coming to Oz and intend to do any bar/hospitality work you need to do this fun(not really) RSA course. It is a course to enable you to serve safely alcohol in Australia. RSA Online.

Santa Fe Wridgways - Dedicated moving experts who are passionate about providing five star service

Campervan relocations - You might have read my story about how I did a relocation from Sydney to Darwin? If not, check it out what an incredible adventure!

Living Social - Similar to Europe but offer many savings on meals, drink and travel!

Sunset Travellers - An impressive new travel blog for couples travelling around the world.

Internet Stuff - For you blog enthusiasts read this post on the tools and services I use but mainly they are:

Hosting and domain names: Blue Host - start a website for only $3.95 p/m!

Landing pages(like this one you are reading!) - Leadpages

That is all for now. For more on our blog, please see below and thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you find it useful.

My Blog And Support Groups In Australia

Hope you found the above helpful! If you do want to download the printable version of this page with a few extra resources, click here.

For a full list of all groups and pages go to IrishAroundOz.com/groups

Here are some useful articles to get you started(all open in a new tab)

WHV Tax Guide, Money Transfer Guide, 60 Things You Need To Know Before Moving To Oz, Shipping Guide, How To Send A Bag and more on our blog.

I also wanted to mention about support groups mainly for Irish people in Australia. These are incredible services and are doing a fantastic job!

There are:
Helplink.ie - Free online counselling service for Irish Abroad, read featured article here
Irish Australian Support Association of Qld Inc (IASAQ)
Irish Australian Support Association of Queensland – Brisbane
The Claddagh Association – Perth
Crosscare Migrant Project – Dublin
Mind How You Go - Aimed at supporting recent Irish emigrants to stay mentally healthy.

Other popular articles:
Guide to getting a WHV in Australia
How to set up an online business in Australia
Australian complete regional work guide
Money Transfer Guide

Thanks for reading,

Stephen Palmer
Founder: Irish Around Oz
P.S Any questions just shoot me an email [email protected]

CLICK HERE TO READ MY BLOG