First 90 Days in Australia Checklist: TFN, Medicare, Bank, myGov, Licence and Super

In your first 90 days in Australia as a new permanent resident, the most important tasks are applying for a Tax File Number (TFN), enrolling in Medicare, opening a bank account and creating a myGov account. Next come finding a rental, converting your driver licence before your state’s deadline, choosing a super fund when you start work, and keeping a record of every trip overseas for your future citizenship application. This checklist covers each step with links to official pages.

Key points

• Week 1: apply for your TFN online (free, about 28 days to arrive) and get an Australian mobile number.
• Weeks 1–2: open a bank account and enrol in Medicare.
• Weeks 1–4: create a myGov account and link Medicare and the ATO.
• Within 3–6 months: convert your overseas licence (3 months in NSW for permanent residents).
• From day one: keep a travel log. Citizenship allows no more than 12 months away in 4 years, and 90 days in the last 12 months.

Licensing and renting rules are set by each state and territory. The examples below use New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Always check your own state’s official page.

The checklist at a glance

When	Task	Where
Days 1–7	Get an Australian mobile number	Any provider
Days 1–7	Apply for a TFN	ATO online
Days 1–14	Open a bank account	Bank, credit union or building society
Days 1–14	Enrol in Medicare	Services Australia
Days 1–30	Create myGov and link services	my.gov.au
When you start work	Choose a super fund	Employer’s choice form or ATO online
Within 3–6 months	Convert your driver licence	State transport agency
By 31 October each year	Lodge your tax return (if lodging yourself)	ATO
Always	Keep a log of trips overseas	Your own records

1. Apply for a Tax File Number

A TFN is your personal tax reference number. Without one, your employer must withhold tax at a higher rate, and you cannot easily open bank accounts or join a super fund. Applying is free.

According to the ATO:

• Permanent migrants and visa holders with work rights can apply online using the ATO’s individual registration form.
• You must already be in Australia to apply.
• Enter your names and passport details exactly as they appear in your passport, and give an Australian postal address.
• Keep the receipt ID shown when you submit.
• You should receive your TFN within 28 days.

If your visa does not allow work, you cannot use the online form and must use another route listed by the ATO. Keep your TFN private. Only give it to your employer, bank, super fund and the ATO.

2. Enrol in Medicare

Medicare is Australia’s public health insurance. It covers free treatment as a public patient in public hospitals and helps pay for GP visits and many tests.

According to Services Australia:

• You can enrol from the date you arrived to live in Australia if you applied for permanent residence from outside Australia, or from the date you applied if you applied onshore.
• People who have applied for a permanent visa (other than a parent visa) may also be able to enrol if they meet extra conditions.
• You usually need your passport or ImmiCard and evidence of your visa from Home Affairs.

Enrol early. Medicare does not cover everything. Most dental care, optical care and ambulance services in some states are not covered, so many people buy private health or ambulance cover.

Reciprocal health care agreements

Australia has reciprocal health care agreements with Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. These mainly help visitors from those countries with medically necessary care. If you are a permanent resident, enrol in Medicare instead. If you are still on a temporary visa from one of these countries, check what the agreement covers before relying on it.

3. Open a bank account

Australian banks must verify your identity before opening an account. Many people call this the “100-point check”, where different documents are worth different points. Each bank runs its own process, so ask what it accepts.

• Your passport is usually the main document. Your visa details, Medicare card and a letter from your employer may help.
• Some banks let you start opening an account online before you arrive and finish the identity check at a branch.
• If you lack standard ID, AUSTRAC guidance lets banks use other ways to confirm who you are.
• Give the bank your TFN once you have it. Without it, tax may be withheld from interest at the top rate.

Your credit history from another country usually does not move to Australia. Paying bills on time and using credit carefully helps build an Australian credit file.

4. Create a myGov account

myGov is the government’s online portal. You use it to see your Medicare details, lodge tax returns, manage super and deal with Centrelink.

• Go to my.gov.au and create an account with your own email address.
• Link Medicare once you have your card number. You may need a linking code or a Digital ID.
• Link the ATO to see your income statements and lodge your tax return.
• Only sign in through the official app or by typing my.gov.au. myGov will not send you links asking you to sign in.

Most new permanent residents must serve a newly arrived resident’s waiting period before getting many Centrelink payments. For visas granted after 1 January 2019, it can be up to 4 years for most payments, and time overseas does not count.

5. Find a rental home

Renting rules, bond limits and lease forms are set by each state and territory.

• Landlords and agents usually ask for ID, proof of income (an employment contract or pay slips) and references. Having no rental history in Australia can make this harder.
• You usually pay a bond, which is lodged with a state bond authority, not kept by the landlord.
• Complete the entry condition report carefully and take photos.
• Never pay money for a property you have not inspected or an agent you cannot verify.

Check your state’s tenancy authority (for example, NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria or the Residential Tenancies Authority in Queensland) for your rights.

6. Convert your driver licence

Each state sets its own deadline and test rules:

State	Rule for new residents
NSW	Permanent residents must get a NSW licence within 3 months to keep driving (NSW Government)
Victoria	If you live in Victoria for more than 6 months, you must convert. The clock starts on the day you first live there (VicRoads)
Queensland	Transfer once you have lived in Queensland for 3 months since getting a resident visa (Queensland Government)

If your licence is from a recognised country, you may not need tests. If not, you must pass knowledge and driving tests. NSW and Victoria have both changed their recognised country lists recently, so check the current list. Licences not in English need an approved translation.

7. Understand super and tax

Superannuation

Super is money your employer pays into a retirement fund for you. According to the ATO, the super guarantee rate is 12%. From 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, employers must pay super each payday, and it must reach your fund within 7 business days.

• When you start a job, your employer should give you a choice of fund form within 28 days. You can complete it in ATO online services through myGov.
• If you do not choose, your employer may pay into a “stapled” fund already linked to you, or its default fund (ATO).
• Compare fees before you choose. Your employer cannot recommend a fund unless it holds a financial advice licence.

Your first tax return

• The Australian income year runs from 1 July to 30 June. If you lodge yourself, your return is due by 31 October.
• In your arrival year you may be a part-year resident, so your tax-free threshold is reduced. The ATO’s newcomers page explains the calculation.
• Australian tax residents generally declare worldwide income.

8. Keep your citizenship clock on track

Most permanent residents become eligible for citizenship by conferral after meeting the general residence requirement (Home Affairs):

• 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, including the last 12 months as a permanent resident
• no more than 12 months outside Australia in total during those 4 years
• no more than 90 days outside Australia in the last 12 months

Your permanent visa also has a 5-year travel facility. If you are overseas or want to travel after it ends, you need a Resident Return visa to come back as a permanent resident. Check your travel facility date in VEVO.

Keep a spreadsheet of every trip with exact dates. Our citizenship requirements and test guide shows how to count absences, and our PR pathways guide covers partners and family members still on temporary visas.

What to do next

1. Apply for your TFN online this week.
2. Open a bank account and enrol in Medicare.
3. Create myGov and link Medicare and the ATO.
4. Note your state’s licence deadline and book an appointment.
5. Start your travel log and note your travel facility end date.

For more Australia guides, visit the Australia country hub. This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, talk to a registered migration agent, lawyer or registered tax agent.