Moving to Australia from Singapore? Our Complete How to Move to Australia from Singapore Checklist is a foolproof list of easy-to-follow, chronologically ordered tasks designed to help ensure you and your family enjoy a smooth, stress-free move to Australia.
Follow our comprehensive step-by-step checklist, which starts from six months prior to your move, right through to once you have arrived in Australia, to avoid the logistical and legal pitfalls of moving to Australia from Singapore.
Our moving to Australia checklist includes over 60 detailed steps, from applying for a visa and organising your move, right through to connecting your utilities and opening a bank account. Tick off each item in our moving to Australia from Singapore checklist for the most efficient, well-planned, and hassle-free international move possible.
As the largest moving company in the world, with over 1,000 service centres across 180 countries, UniGroup Worldwide International Movers will help make your move to Australia as smooth and stress-free as possible.
With over 85 years' experience, successfully delivering 48,000 international shipments annually, our overseas move experts can help ensure your safe, seamless stress-free move to Australia from Singapore.
UniGroup moving Singaporeans to Australia carefully and hassle-free
For your convenience, you may:
Checking your passport's expiry date
When moving from Singapore to Australia, you must hold a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the period of your intended stay. So, if you intend to stay in Australia for 12 months, your passport must be valid for 18 months, considering the time required to process your visa (which could be upwards of six months).
To be on the safe side, ensure your passport is valid for a minimum of 12 months (preferably longer) after your intended stay.
If your passport is not valid for a minimum of 12 months beyond the period of your intended stay, you may need to apply for a new passport.
Singapore citizens can apply for passports from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). New passports are valid for five years.
You can apply for a passport or renew your existing passport using the Application for Passport On-line Electronic System (APPLES) e-Service, although a SingPass is required. You will need the following to complete your application:
Applying for your Australian visa
Singaporeans need to obtain a visa before relocating to Australia for employment. There is a number of Workers Visa Categories available, so you will need to select the visa category that best applies to you.
The Australian Government’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection has a handy comparison table that outlines the duration, sponsorship, and skill requirements as well as other eligibility criteria for all types of visas.
You can help expedite the visa application process by compiling the necessary documentation as early as possible, including:
For further information, visit How to Apply for an Australian Visa in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
If you're not moving from Singapore to Australia to a specific location for work, you’ll need to decide where to live. From low crime rates to superior quality local hospitals and schools, there are many variables to consider when choosing the perfect place for you and your family to call home.
For further information on factors to consider when deciding where to live, visit How to Decide Where to Live in Australia in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
When it comes to knowing how to move to Australia, an important step is establishing approximately when you need to move, considering:
For further information, visit the When is the Best Time to Move to Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
If you're not moving to Australia from Singapore permanently, you’ll need to decide what to do with your current home:
There are several factors that you’ll need to consider when making this decision, particularly if you own your home. Some of the most important factors include:
Choosing a real estate agent is an important decision in selling or renting your home. If you opt to sell, your real estate agent will handle advertising, inspections, the auction and negotiating private offers. If you choose to rent out your home, your real estate agent will manage the property on your behalf, handle repairs, and liaise with your tenants long-term. So, you need to choose carefully.
To shortlist real estate agents:
If possible, take an exploratory trip to Australia to better understand what lies ahead. During the trip:
Putting your current home on the market
If you’ve decided to sell or rent out your current home, as soon as your visa is approved, engage the services of your preferred real estate agent. It is at this stage that you’ll sign a contract with your agent. This contract should outline items such as fees, advertising costs, the process if your home is passed in at auction, property management protocols and much more. It is recommended that you seek legal advice to ensure you are happy with the terms of the contract.
If you're selling or renting out your current home, you’ll need to put it on the market. Some of the steps involved in this process include:
If you're selling or renting out your home, you’ll want to do everything you can to secure the best possible price. As such, you’ll need to undertake some preparations to ensure that your property looks the best it possibly can, in both advertising photos and during inspections. Consider:
Decide which of your belongings you’ll be shipping to Australia, leaving in your current home, storing, selling, donating and disposing of. (And make sure you speak to your UniGroup expert if you require short or long-term secure storage.)
Create a detailed inventory of all the items that you want to move to Australia to obtain accurate removals quotes and to determine how much would it cost to move to Australia. Your UniGroup moving expert can assist you with an easy-to-fill-out form.
For further information, visit How Much Does It Cost to Move to Australia? and How to Ship Household Goods to Australia in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
If you will be shipping most of your belongings by sea freight to Australia (which may take weeks or months to arrive), you may want to consider a small air freight consignment for essential items that you would like to have immediately on arrival.
Obtaining a quote from an experienced international removalist
Container ships move in six different directions, often travelling over 20m (65 feet) with each roll, as often as seven to 10 times per minute. So, with your belongings being tossed about for weeks on end, it’s essential that you entrust your move to an exceptionally experienced international removals company such as UniGroup Worldwide.
If you obtain a quote from another international removalist, ensure they exhibit the same level of experience and capabilities as UniGroup Worldwide, including:
For further information, visit How Much Does It Cost to Move to Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
Given the extensive movement of sea freight and potential for damage if belongings are not properly packed, combined with the introduction of strict anti-terrorism laws and significant tightening of customs clearance processes for all personal effects shipments, UniGroup strongly recommends that you do not ship items to Australia that have not been packed by a professional moving company. The significantly higher potential for loss and damage of ‘owner-packed’ items, as well as attracting stringent inspection by customs officials, often results in additional charges and long delays.
Once you’ve decided on where, when, and what you want to move, book in:
For further information, visit When is the Best Time to Move to Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
If you are storing any of your belongings while overseas, make sure you store them properly, safely and securely with a trusted and experienced short and long-term storage provider such as UniGroup Worldwide.
To help ensure your belongings are stored properly and safely, so they remain in their best condition, insist on the following criteria when selecting a storage provider:
Once you’ve decided on a secure storage provider, book in:
Review the contents of your freezer and pantry and create meal plans that will empty them prior to moving.
Making travel arrangements to Australia
To save money on your travel arrangements:
If you plan on searching for your home once you arrive in Australia, book temporary accommodation for when you first arrive. Depending on where you plan to live, you may also want to book a hire car.
Where possible, book temporary accommodation that is within walking distance to your work or public transport. This way, all members of your family will have access to transportation.
At your child’s current school in Singapore:
For your child’s education in Australia, you’ll need to:
To assist you in finding the most appropriate school for your children, visit:
For further information, visit What is the Education and Schooling System Like in Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
While you can import some types of cars, trucks, caravans, campervans and motorbikes to Australia, their importation is strictly controlled and there are few concessions on duty and tax payments. There are also strict procedures that must be followed and strict regulations around the registration of vehicles once they have arrived in Australia. As such, it is worth considering whether you need to import a vehicle into Australia at all.
To avoid unnecessary headaches and expenses, speak to a UniGroup Worldwide international moving expert for all your vehicle transportation requirements.
For further information, visit How to Import Vehicles into Australia in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide and our Australian Customs Forms & Guides for Moving Overseas.
Confirming pet transportation to Australia
You can import pet cats and dogs into Australia, so long as they are free from infectious diseases that are transmittable to humans and are not deemed harmful to the environment. However, the importation of birds is strictly prohibited. There are also strict regulations around examinations on arrival and quarantine requirements.
Airlines may have separate and additional requirements for the transportation of pets. Be sure to check with your airline to determine what requirements they may have.
To ensure a stress-free relocation to Australia for your pet, speak to a UniGroup Worldwide international removals professional about all your pet transportation requirements.
For more information, visit How to Import Pets into Australia in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide and our Australian Customs Forms & Guides for Moving Overseas.
Ensure all your pet’s vaccinations and health checks are up-to-date and obtain a copy of your pet’s medical records or a signed letter from your veterinarian.
You may import some weapons and firearms may be imported into Australia, provided that police authorisation from the state or territory in which you intend to live is granted. The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Control will forward all firearms imported into Australia onto the Australian Police for ballistics and safety inspection. As state regulations vary in Australia, it is recommended that you write to the police department in your intended state or territory for approval prior to shipping weapons or firearms.
For more information, visit How to Import Weapons into Australia in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide and our Australian Customs Forms & Guides for Moving Overseas.
You may import wines and other alcoholic beverages into Australia as part of your household goods shipment, pursuant to federal laws.
For more information, visit How to Import Alcohol into Australia in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide and our Australian Customs Forms & Guides for Moving Overseas.
The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has strict importation regulations in place to protect Australia’s native plant population from disease. The rules and regulations around the importation of plants into Australia are quite strict. As such, it is worth considering whether to include plants in your shipment of household goods.
For more information, visit How to Import Plants into Australia in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide and our Australian Customs Forms & Guides for Moving Overseas.
If you’ve already secured a new role (or are moving to Australia for a specific employment opportunity), now is the time to investigate employment options for your partner (if needed). Or, if you haven’t secured a role, to investigate employment options for yourself.
For more information, visit How to Find Employment in Australia and What is Working in Australia Like? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
If you're an Singaporeans moving to Australia, you should investigate local customs and common cultural differences to help you assimilate more easily into Australian culture on arrival.
For more information on some of the common cultural differences, visit our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide:
A cluttered house will make moving to Australia unnecessarily stressful; packing will take longer and the cost of your removal and storage will be more expensive (as fees are based on the volume of items). If you're not selling or renting out your home (in which case you will have already completed this step), now is the time to declutter your home, determining which items you will:
How can I move to Australia with minimal stress? Engage experienced, professional international packers, like the team at UniGroup Worldwide. Not only will it reduce, if not eliminate, the most stressful part of moving, it will help ensure your belongings are packed safely for their long journey to Australia.
If you're not using a professional packing service, make sure you start packing as early as possible:
For more information, visit our Ultimate How to Pack for Moving Tips & Guide.
For the safe shipment and smooth customs clearance of your household goods, you’ll need to ensure that the following documentation is completed as accurately as possible and provide:
For more information, visit our Australian Customs Forms & Guides for Moving Overseas.
For more information, visit What is a Credit Rating? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
Investigating housing in Australia
If you're not moving to Australia from Singapore for work, or your employer hasn’t organised housing for you, investigate potential properties to buy or rent in Australia.
For more information, visit What is Housing Like in Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
When cancelling your insurance, or other services where you may have prepaid for the year, check whether you're entitled to a refund for the period after the cancellation. Plus, if you have one, obtain a copy of your ‘good driving record’ or ‘no claims status’ from your vehicle insurer as it may be beneficial for a new policy in Australia.
If your current home lease or contract of sale includes any repair work prior to you vacating the premises, book in a handyman now. (UniGroup Worldwide can assist you with this if needed.)
If you're ending a lease, now is the time to notify your landlord. Make sure you understand any requirements, including:
If you’ve decided to rent out your current home, touch base with your property manager to confirm:
If you’ve decided to sell your current home, touch base with your real estate agent to confirm:
For more information, visit What is the Health Care System Like in Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
Attending to your medical needs prior to moving to Australia
There are three potential compatibility issues when it comes to using Singaporean appliances and electronics in Australia: the plug, the voltage and the frequency. You should therefore thoroughly check the power labels or manuals of all your appliances and electronics to ensure they are compatible with Australian standards before incurring the cost of shipping over what might be useless upon arrival. Buying new or secondhand appliances and electronics once you arrive may not only be more cost-effective, but your only solution.
For more information, visit Will Singaporean Appliances and Electronics Work in Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
As a rule, your standard house and contents insurance won’t cover your personal possessions in transit. An experienced international removalist like UniGroup will offer a comprehensive range of cost-effective removals insurance options. Speak to your UniGroup expert to arrange transit and storage insurance that suits your needs and budget.
If you’ve decided to rent out your current home, you’ll need to inform the company responsible for your home and contents insurance that you are no longer living there. You may also want to arrange landlord’s insurance. This protects against financial losses that may be suffered because of owning a rental property. You can opt for insurance that covers the building only, as well as specific items that you may have left on the premises.
When moving to Australia from Singapore, you may need an International Driving Permit (IDP) in addition to a valid Australian drivers’ licence. If you intend on obtaining an IDP, you must do so in advance. IDPs are issued by Australian motor vehicle departments, not the Australian Government.
For more information, visit Can You Drive in Australia with a Foreign Licence? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
If you plan to drive once you arrive in Australia, there are several different road rules of which you should make yourself aware.
For more information about driving in Australia and road rules, visit What are the Road Rules when Driving in Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
Safely dispose of any dangerous or prohibited goods that cannot be shipped to Australia or stored. People attempting to import prohibited items into Australia may be subject to a penalty, and the items may be seized by customs officials.
For more information, visit What Items are Prohibited When Shipping Goods to Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide and our Australian Customs Forms & Guides for Moving Overseas.
Shipping some items to Australia are subject to restrictions and will require additional precautions, special customs clearance, or permits. Be sure you're aware of these requirements and apply for any permits as early as possible.
For more information, visit What Items are Restricted when Shipping Goods to Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide and our Australian Customs Forms & Guides for Moving Overseas.
Packing your suitcases for your move to Australia
Start packing your suitcases now, while making a detailed inventory list as you go. Your suitcase should contain all the essential items that you and your family members will need as soon as you arrive in Australia, including:
For more information, visit our Australian Customs Forms & Guides for Moving Overseas.
Confirm any of your removalists’ access requirements at your existing home, such as parking and building access and restrictions, traffic management and lift protocols. Remember to check street signage and the requirements of your local council, building manager or body corporate.
Reconfirm all your Australian move details with your international removalists, including:
If you're renting, or your contract of sale requires it, book in a ‘vacate clean’ at your current home for the day after your belongings are picked up. (UniGroup Worldwide can assist you with this if needed.)
Now is the time to back-up all your computers, tablets, mobile phones and other storage devices that are being shipped to Australia, placed into storage, and/or will accompany you on the plane. Be sure to safely store the back-ups separately to the original devices.
Covering off any incidentals before departing for Australia
There will always be last-minute odd jobs when moving overseas, including:
Completing odd jobs before your move to the Australia
With just one week before your move to Australia, you should be just about ready to go, bar a few odd jobs:
Completing last-minute jobs relocating to Australia
If you’ve followed this checklist, the day before moving day should just include a few last-minute jobs:
To help ensure mould doesn’t grow on your belongings while in transit or storage, it is essential that all water is removed from your belongings and all items are completely dry before pickup.
Managing a stress-free moving day to Australia
On moving day, you need to make sure you separate and carry with you:
Before you leave your existing property ensure:
If you're in Australia to take delivery of your shipment:
To open a bank account, visit the local branch of your chosen bank with:
When choosing which bank to use, shop around for the fee structure that suits you best. In Australia, banks often charge customers for the use of their services or have a minimum monthly deposit requirement. Several banks offer introductory deals or rates, so be sure to confirm exactly how long these deals last and what sort of charges apply long-term. You don’t want to be surprised by a huge increase in fees.
While medical care and services in Australia are among the most advanced in the world, dental care is not covered under the free state-run health care system. As such, you may want to investigate taking out health insurance.
For more information, visit What is the Health Care System Like in Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
Depending on your provider, your Singaporean health insurance company may offer international cover when moving to Australia. This will help ease the pressure when you first arrive—you can shop around for the best health insurance provider once you're settled in Australia, whilst still having the peace of mind that you're covered in the interim.
Once you’ve found a property to rent or buy, you’ll need to organise the connection of your electricity, water and gas utilities.
For more information, visit How Do Electricity, Water and Gas Utilities Work in Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
Organising a mobile phone and internet once you arrive in the Australia
There are many mobile phone and internet providers in Australia, all of which offer a range of different packages at various price points. Be sure to do your research into which package best suits your needs before signing a contract.
For more information, visit How Do Mobile Phones and the Internet Work in Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
Enrolling your children in a Australia school
When residing in Australia, you’ll need to enrol your children at your preferred school. To do so, you’ll need:
For more information, visit What is the Education and Schooling System Like in Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
If your children will attend university in Australia, you’ll need to enrol them as soon as possible. Universities will also consider your child’s grades and what sort of subjects they’ve chosen to study. For specific entry requirements for international students, it’s best to consult individual universities.
For more information, visit What is the Education and Schooling System Like in Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
As with any developed nation, there are several taxes that you’ll be required to pay when living in Australia. These may include:
For more information, visit What Tax Do I Pay in Australia? in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
Once all the logistics of moving to Australia from Singapore are finalised, it’s time to enjoy your new home! Get out, discover your new neighbourhood, see the local sights, make some new friends and enjoy your next big adventure.
For more information, visit What to See and Do in Australia in our Ultimate How to Move to Australia from Singapore Guide.
We have been furnished with the above information, however, UniGroup Worldwide Moving gives no guarantees or undertakings concerning the accuracy, completeness, or up-to-date nature of the information provided. It is essential that users verify all information contained here before taking any action or relying upon it. UniGroup Worldwide cannot be held liable for any actions taken based on the information contained within this Checklist.
