Working Holiday Visa Australia Checklist (Subclass 417): Updated for 2026

We moved to Australia on working holiday visas and spent over two years there. We started with eight months in Perth, then Melbourne, plus a road trip from Perth to Melbourne and a month up the East Coast. This is the checklist we wish we’d had: what to sort out before you fly, and what to do in your first weeks after you land. We updated it in October 2026 with the current visa fees, rules and wages.

Working holiday visa Australia checklist

Before you fly

1. Valid passport (and visa linked to it)
2. Proof of funds
3. Travel insurance
4. An unlocked phone or an eSIM
5. Driving licence
6. Copies of your important documents
7. Somewhere to stay for the first nights

After you land

1. Tax File Number (TFN)
2. Bank account
3. Move your money over (cheaply)
4. Superannuation account
5. Australian phone number
6. Job hunting (and your RSA)
7. Longer-term accommodation
8. Public transport card
9. YHA membership

Before you fly

Jump to:

• 1. Valid passport and your visa
• 2. Proof of funds
• 3. Travel insurance
• 4. Unlock your phone (or get an eSIM)
• 5. Driving licence
• 6. Copies of important documents
• 7. Somewhere to stay for the first nights
• 8. Get a Tax File Number (TFN)
• 9. Open a bank account
• 10. Move your money over (cheaply)
• 11. Set up a superannuation account
• 12. Get an Australian phone number
• 13. Start job hunting (and get your RSA)
• 14. Find longer-term accommodation
• 15. Get a public transport card
• 16. Join YHA

1. Valid passport and your visa

Your visa is digital and linked to your passport. There’s no sticker or label any more; at the airport you just show your passport. Save a copy of your grant letter anyway, and you can check your visa conditions any time on VEVO.

Two rules catch people out:

• You must enter Australia within 12 months of the visa being granted. Your 12-month stay starts from the day you arrive.
• If you get a new passport after your visa is granted, tell Home Affairs through ImmiAccount before you travel, or the airline may not let you board.

You can apply for a second Working Holiday visa if you do 3 months of “specified work” (usually regional farm, construction or tourism work), and a third after 6 months. UK passport holders no longer need to do specified work for a second or third visa (since 1 July 2024). Irish, French and Canadian citizens still do. Read our sister site’s regional work guide.

2. Proof of funds

You need enough money to support yourself, which in practice means around AUD 5,000, plus enough to buy a ticket home (you don’t need to hold a return ticket). You may be asked to show it when you apply or at the border, so keep a recent bank statement handy.

Bring a little cash for the first day or two, but not much. A card is far more useful, and you can open an Australian bank account before you arrive (see below).

3. Travel insurance

Insurance isn’t a visa condition for most nationalities, but medical care in Australia is expensive. Australia has reciprocal health care agreements with a handful of countries, including Ireland, the UK, New Zealand, Italy, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries. They only cover the basics (Ireland’s covers public hospital care, for example), not ambulances, repatriation, theft or a cancelled trip. See the Services Australia list.

Steve went with True Traveller, which covers working holidays, and we can recommend it.

4. Unlock your phone (or get an eSIM)

Unlock your phone before you leave home so you can put in an Australian SIM. Even easier: set up an eSIM before you fly so you have data the moment you land, then switch to a local plan once you’ve settled.

5. Driving licence

Each state sets its own rules on driving with an overseas licence. In general you can drive on a valid licence from home while you’re a temporary visitor, but some states have time limits, and if it isn’t in English you’ll need an International Driving Permit or official translation. Check the road authority for the state you’re heading to (for example Transport for NSW).

6. Copies of important documents

Take photos of your passport, visa grant, licence, insurance policy and any qualifications. Keep them in your email or cloud storage and keep paper copies separate from the originals.

7. Somewhere to stay for the first nights

Book your first few nights before you land so you’re not hunting for a bed while jet-lagged. Hostels are the cheapest start and great for meeting people. Compare hostels and hotels on Booking.com.

After you land in Australia

8. Get a Tax File Number (TFN)

Full guide: working holiday tax in Australia (TFN, backpacker tax rates, super and tax returns).

Apply online for free on the ATO website once you’re in Australia. You’ll need your passport and an Australian address, and it arrives within 28 days. You can start work before it arrives: just give your employer your TFN within 28 days, or they’ll have to tax you at the top rate.

Working holiday makers pay 15% tax on the first AUD 45,000 they earn. When you leave, you can lodge a tax return and may get some back. Read the working holiday tax refund guide.

9. Open a bank account

Opening an account is easy, and most big banks let you start the application online before you arrive and then verify your ID in a branch. We went with Commonwealth Bank. Shop around, as many banks waive monthly fees for newcomers. Our guide to the best bank in Australia compares the options.

10. Move your money over (cheaply)

This is where we made our biggest mistake. We transferred our savings straight between our home bank and our Australian bank, and the fees and poor exchange rate cost us over $500. Don’t do that.

• Wise is the easiest option for everyday transfers, with the real exchange rate and a small, clear fee.
• For larger amounts (AUD 5,000 and up), TorFX charges no transfer fees and gives you a dedicated account manager.

More detail in our international money transfer guide.

11. Set up a superannuation account

Super is Australia’s compulsory pension. Your employer pays 12% on top of your wages into a super fund, on everything you earn (the old $450-a-month threshold was scrapped in 2022). Choose one fund yourself and give the details to every employer, or you’ll end up with several accounts each charging fees.

When you leave Australia and your visa has ended, you can claim it back as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment. Be aware it’s taxed at 65% for working holiday makers. Here’s how to claim your super back.

12. Get an Australian phone number

Prepaid plans are cheap and easy to pick up at the airport or any supermarket. Choose based on where you’ll be: Telstra has by far the best coverage outside the cities. We were with Optus and our phones were useless for long stretches of our Perth to Melbourne road trip and the East Coast. Cheaper brands like Boost run on the Telstra network.

13. Start job hunting (and get your RSA)

Seek is the biggest job site, and Indeed and Gumtree are also worth checking. In Perth it took us a month of constant interviews to get a job, nothing fancy. In Melbourne we both found good jobs within the first week. Bigger city, more opportunities.

• The national minimum wage is AUD 26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026, and casual workers get at least 25% more. Many awards pay more than the minimum.
• You can generally work for one employer for up to 6 months (there are some exceptions).
• For bar, restaurant or hotel work you’ll need an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certificate. Each state has its own, so get the one for where you’ll work.
• Tailor your CV to Australian style: short, recent experience first, no photo.

Our sister site Irish Around Oz lists jobs and has a full first week in Australia checklist. And don’t miss our 110 tips we wish we’d known before moving to Australia.

14. Find longer-term accommodation

Hostels are great for the first few weeks, but you’ll want your own space eventually. Most people rent a room in a share house, using sites like Flatmates.com.au and Gumtree. Renting a whole apartment usually means a 12-month lease, an unfurnished place and a bond of up to four weeks’ rent, so a room is the easiest option on a working holiday. House sitting is another option, especially outside the cities.

15. Get a public transport card

Each city has its own system:

• Sydney: Opal, or just tap on with your contactless card or phone.
• Melbourne: Myki (including a mobile Myki on your phone). Contactless card payments are being rolled out.
• Brisbane and South East Queensland: tap on with your contactless card or phone, and fares are a flat 50 cents.
• Perth: SmartRider.

16. Join YHA

YHA membership is now free, and members get 10% off at YHA hostels across Australia. Sign up online or at your first YHA stay.

Any questions about your working holiday? Ask in the comments.

Steve and Sabina

Planning your trip? Pin this guide to your Pinterest board for later.

Some links are affiliate links. If you use them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Visa rules, fees and wages change every year; always check the official Home Affairs, ATO and Fair Work websites.

Planning to drive? Read our guide to buying a car in Australia (and cheap campervan relocations).