Everything you need to know about the WHV in Sydney

Before arriving in Sydney, make sure you are fully prepared for your adventure by reading Departure preparation for your working holiday (the full guide).

Once you arrive, you will need to complete the following steps (in no particular order) to get set up:

1. Open a bank account

In order to be paid when you start working, you need to open an account with one of the Australian banks. The main ones are Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, NAB (National Australia Bank) and ANZ (Australia New Zealand Banking Group). You will find these banks throughout Sydney and across Australia. You can find all the details in How to open a bank account in Australia.

2. Get your Tax File Number

You must apply for a Tax File Number (TFN), which is mandatory if you plan to work in Australia. To find out more, read Everything you need to know about the Australian Tax File Number (TFN).

3. Buy a mobile phone plan

The major operators in Australia are Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. There are also low cost operators who “piggyback” off the big 3 networks, e.g. Boost (piggybacks off Telstra) or Coles Mobile (piggybacks off Optus). Obviously, not all of them offer the same network coverage, services and prices.

To learn more, read Which operator and phone plan to pick for your working holiday in Australia.