The checklist, all 11 steps.
The same steps, in the same words, as the checklist in the app. Tick them off there and your progress is saved to your account.
Before you fly
Step 1: What you can bring into Australia
10 minutes, before you pack
On the plane you get a form. It is called the Incoming Passenger Card. On this form you must tick YES if you carry any food, any plant, any wood, or anything made from an animal.
Ticking YES is free. Ticking YES is never a problem. An officer will look in your bag. If the item is allowed, you keep it. If it is not allowed, the officer takes it and you walk out. No fine.
Ticking NO when you do carry these things is the problem. That is when you get a fine.
Usually allowed
It must be shop bought, still sealed, and for you.
- Chocolate and lollies
- Breakfast cereal and muesli bars
- Coffee, black tea, green tea
- Instant noodles
- Bread and potato chips
- Peanut butter, Vegemite, jam, syrup
- Sealed juice and soft drink
Tick YES, then an officer decides
- Spices and dried herbs
- Rice, dal, beans
- Nuts and seeds you eat
- Dried fruit
- Ayurvedic or herbal medicine
- Any food you cooked at home
Not allowed. The officer will take it
- Meat of any kind: fresh, frozen, dried or tinned
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
- Milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter
- Eggs, and food made with egg such as egg noodles
- Dried chilli
- Plants, flowers, and seeds for planting
- Soil, and anything with soil on it
Also tick YES for these
Shoes, hiking and camping gear, wooden or bamboo items, and pillows or quilts with feathers. They can carry soil or seeds. Wash them and dry them before you pack.
Money
If you carry AUD $10,000 or more, in any currency, you must declare it.
The simple rule
If you are not sure, tick YES. Or leave the item at home.
Official sourceCheck your item on the official BICON website(opens in a new tab)Watch out for this
If you do not tick YES and you are carrying a risky item, you can get a fine straight away at the airport. If you are on a visa, your visa can be cancelled. You may then not be allowed to come back to Australia for up to three years.
These rules change. This page is a guide only. Before you pack, check your exact item on BICON. BICON is the official Australian Government website. If BICON says something different from this page, follow BICON.
Step 2: Buy your health cover (OSHC) before you fly
30 minutes, before you fly
If you are on a student visa, health insurance is not optional. It is visa condition 8501. You must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) before you arrive, and you must keep it for the whole time you study.
Official sourceCompare approved OSHC providers(opens in a new tab)Watch out for this
Do not let your OSHC lapse, and do not cancel it to save money. Gaps in cover breach condition 8501 and can put your visa at risk. If your course is extended, extend your cover on the same day.
Your first week
Step 3: Get an Australian SIM card
30 minutes
You need an Australian mobile number for job applications, bank verification, and government services. Buy a prepaid SIM from Lebara, Amaysim, or Dodo — you don't need an expensive plan.
Official sourceLebara prepaid plans(opens in a new tab)Watch out for this
Many students buy phones on expensive plans — be careful, you can end up paying unnecessary high fees with long lock-in contracts. Worse: some friends may ask you to use your name, your visa, and their own bank account to get a phone plan. If that person stops paying, you are legally liable — the contract is in your name with your identity documents. This has already happened to several students. Never do this.
Step 4: Open an Australian bank account
30 minutes
Your employer cannot pay wages into a Nepali bank account. Popular banks: Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, NAB, Westpac.
Official sourceCommonwealth Bank Smart Access(opens in a new tab)Watch out for this
Never let anyone else use your bank account, or use a friend's account for your wages. You have no legal protection and the other person can access your money.
Step 5: Apply for your Tax File Number (TFN)
15 minutes
Your TFN is a unique 9-digit number you keep for life in Australia. You need it before starting any job. Applying is free and takes 15 minutes online. Your TFN arrives by post within 28 days.
Official sourceApply at ATO(opens in a new tab)Watch out for this
Never share your TFN in a WhatsApp group, Facebook post, or with anyone who calls you asking for it. Only give it to your employer on the official Tax File Number declaration form.
Step 6: Get a public transport card for your state
20 minutes
Every Australian state has a tap-on smartcard for public transport. Buying single tickets costs more than tapping on with the card, and many networks cap the daily and weekly fare so once you have travelled a certain amount all further trips that period are free.
Official sourceCompare cards by state on Transport in Australia (Wikipedia)(opens in a new tab)Watch out for this
In most states, being caught without a tapped-on card is treated as fare evasion and carries a fine of at least $200. On some networks the inspectors are plain-clothed, so tap on every single time even for one stop.
Settling in
Step 7: Your first room, and getting the bond back
1 hour
Most newcomers lose money on their first room, not their first job. These are the rules that stop it.
Official sourceRead the government guide to renting as a student(opens in a new tab)Watch out for this
Overcrowding is the quiet danger. A room advertised for four people in a garage or a lounge is often illegal, uninsured and unsafe, and you will be the one who has to leave with no notice. If a price looks impossible, something is being hidden.
Step 8: Know what you must legally be paid
20 minutes
Australian minimum pay rates apply to everyone who works here. Your visa does not change them. Being new does not change them. Agreeing to less does not change them - an agreement to be underpaid is not legally valid.
Official sourceCheck your real pay rate with Fair Work(opens in a new tab)Watch out for this
Reporting underpayment does not put your visa at risk. Under the Assurance Protocol, the Department of Home Affairs will not cancel a visa over work-condition breaches for someone who comes forward about exploitation and keeps meeting their other visa conditions. Fear of this is exactly what underpaying employers rely on.
Step 9: Choose your superannuation fund
10 minutes
Super is Australia's retirement savings system. Your employer pays 12% of your gross wages into a super fund — on top of your wages, not instead of them. You must choose a fund or your employer will choose one for you. AustralianSuper is Australia's largest fund and a popular default choice. When you leave Australia permanently, you can claim this money back (called DASP — Departing Australia Superannuation Payment).
Official sourceJoin AustralianSuper(opens in a new tab)Watch out for this
If your employer deducts super from your wages instead of paying it on top, that is illegal. Your take-home pay should be your full wage — super is an additional cost to the employer.
Step 10: Set up myGov and link the ATO
20 minutes
myGov is the Australian government's online portal. You use it to lodge your tax return, check your super balance, view your income statements, and access government services. You'll first need the myID app (formerly myGovID) on your phone to verify your identity — a passport is enough to get started, though your identity strength (and what you can do) improves once you have an Australian ID document too. Then create your myGov account and link the ATO — you will need your TFN to complete the link. Do this as soon as your TFN arrives.
Every time you move
Step 11: Update your address within 7 days of any move
10 minutes
As a student visa holder, you must notify your education provider of any change of address within 7 days — this is a specific visa condition, not just good practice. It's also wise to update your address with the ATO (via myGov), your bank, your super fund, and Medicare if you have it, so you don't miss important mail — but only the education provider notification carries a strict legal deadline.
Official sourceCheck your visa conditions(opens in a new tab)Watch out for this
Notifying your education provider within 7 days is a legal requirement and a condition of your student visa. Missing this step can lead to visa compliance issues. Set a reminder every time you move — even temporarily.
Please read this before you rely on any of it.
This page is general information, not advice, and it is not a government service. Border, biosecurity, tax and visa rules change, and they can differ by your exact item, your visa and your state. Always confirm against the official source linked on each step before you act, and check your specific item on BICON before you pack it. If you are unsure about something, declare it, or do not bring it.
No step needs a paid agent. The TFN, a bank account, super and myGov are free to set up yourself. If anyone asks you for a fee to do one of these on your behalf, that is not an official charge.
Keep your place in the list.
Every step, with its title in Nepali too, the real links, and your progress saved to your account so you never lose your place, even if you switch phones.