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Policy changes in Australia that affect our guides — already in force or coming soon — and the guides we have checked most recently. There are 54 recorded changes, each linked to its official source. You can also follow this page by RSS. RSS feed

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Age Pension

The Age Pension is the Australian Government's main income support payment for people aged 67 and over. It is paid by Services Australia through Centrelink. It is not automatic: you must pass an income test and an assets test, and you normally need to have been an Australian resident for 10 years, including at least 5 years in a row. The rates change on 20 March and 20 September each year. If you get the Age Pension, you automatically get a Pensioner Concession Card.

Apply for a tax file number (TFN)

A tax file number (TFN) is your personal reference number in Australia's tax and superannuation (super) systems. It is usually 9 digits and stays the same for life. You need it to work, open a bank account and claim government payments in Australia, and applying is free. If you hold a foreign passport, are already in Australia and have a valid visa with work rights, you can apply online on the ATO website and usually receive your TFN by post within 28 days.

Arriving in Australia: declaring food, medicines, duty-free goods and cash

Everyone who arrives in Australia completes an Incoming Passenger Card. If you carry food, plant material, animal products or traditional medicines, you must declare them honestly. Declaring is free and brings no penalty; if you do not declare and officers find the items, you can get an infringement notice of up to A$7,280, and visa holders may have their visa cancelled on the spot. Commercially packaged mooncakes without meat are allowed, but sausages, ham, fresh fruit, whole eggs and raw rice are not. Adults have a duty-free allowance of A$900 in general goods, 2.25 litres of alcohol and 25 cigarettes. Cash of A$10,000 or more must be declared to AUSTRAC before you reach customs.

Becoming an Australian citizen (conferral)

Once you are a permanent resident (PR), you can apply for Australian citizenship by conferral if you meet the residence requirement, are of good character and pass the citizenship test. The general residence requirement is 4 years of lawful residence in Australia before you apply, with the last 12 months as a permanent resident, and limits on time spent outside Australia. The application fee is A$595 (2026–27 financial year); children aged 15 and under can be included in a parent's application for free. After approval you must attend a ceremony and make the pledge before you become a citizen. You must then enrol to vote and can apply for an Australian passport.

Buying a home: first home grants, stamp duty concessions, the 5% Deposit Scheme and foreign buyer rules

Your visa status comes first when you buy a home in Australia. Australian citizens and permanent residents can buy straight away, and can apply for the federal 5% Deposit Scheme and their state's first home grant and stamp duty concession. Temporary visa holders and buyers living overseas count as 'foreign persons': you must get FIRB approval from the ATO before you buy, you generally cannot buy an established (existing) home between 1 April 2025 and 30 June 2029, and you pay your state's foreign buyer surcharge duty on top. This page covers the federal scheme and the rules in NSW, VIC and QLD. It is not loan or investment advice.

Buying a used car: checks, transfer of registration and duty

One step applies everywhere in Australia when you buy a used car: search the PPSR for A$2 using the VIN to check whether the car has money owing on it, or has been stolen or written off. Everything else depends on the state. The buyer must transfer the registration within 14 days and pay a transfer fee and vehicle duty (stamp duty). In VIC the seller must provide a roadworthy certificate, in QLD the seller must provide a safety certificate, and in NSW a private sale with current registration does not need an inspection certificate. Buying from a licensed dealer gives you a statutory warranty; buying privately gives you almost none. This page covers NSW, VIC and QLD.

Child Care Subsidy (CCS)

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is the Australian Government's child care payment. It is paid directly to the child care service you use, so you pay less in fees. Your subsidy percentage depends on your family income, and there is an hourly rate cap. From 5 January 2026, the 3 Day Guarantee gives eligible families at least 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. CCS only covers government-approved child care, and you must meet residence rules and your child must meet immunisation requirements.

Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and state Seniors Cards

If you have reached Age Pension age but do not get the Age Pension, you can apply to Services Australia for a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC). With the card you pay the concession price for PBS medicines, doctors may bulk bill you, and you may get higher Medicare Safety Net benefits. It has an income test only, with no assets test. Separately, each state government has its own Seniors Card (from age 60 in NSW and VIC). State cards are based on your age and your weekly work hours, and the benefits (public transport, business discounts) differ from state to state.

Consumer rights: refunds, repairs, warranties and complaints

When you buy goods or services in Australia, the Australian Consumer Law automatically gives you a set of 'consumer guarantees': goods must be of acceptable quality, match their description and do what you asked for, and if something goes wrong the seller must repair, replace or refund. For a major problem you choose between a refund and a replacement; for a minor problem the seller can repair it. But you cannot demand a refund just because you changed your mind. A 'no refunds' sign is illegal. Contact the seller first; if that fails, go to your state's consumer protection agency. The ACCC does not handle individual complaints.

Create a myGov account and link the ATO, Medicare and Centrelink

myGov is the Australian Government's online gateway to its services. With one account you can link the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Medicare, Centrelink and other agencies, receive government letters, lodge your tax return and check Medicare claims. All you need to create an account is a personal email address. When you link each agency, you prove your identity by answering questions about information that agency holds about you. myID is a different thing: it is the government's Digital ID app, which you can use to sign in to myGov more securely.

Domestic student fees: Commonwealth supported places, HECS-HELP and repayments

Most domestic students at Australian universities study in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP): the government pays part of the fee and the student pays the rest, called the student contribution. Australian citizens can defer the student contribution with a HECS-HELP loan and repay it through the tax system once their income passes the threshold (A$69,528 for 2026–27). Permanent residents and New Zealand citizens can generally get a CSP but cannot use HECS-HELP, so they pay each term up front. International students and temporary visa holders get neither and pay full fees. HELP balances as at 1 June 2025 were reduced by 20% in a one-off cut.

Driving on an overseas licence and transferring it to a state licence

Driver licensing is run by each state, so there is no single national rule. Temporary visa holders can generally drive on a valid overseas licence: in NSW for up to 6 months after arrival; in VIC you must transfer before you have lived there 6 months; the QLD, WA and SA websites set no time limit for temporary visa holders. Once you get permanent residency or citizenship, NSW, QLD and WA require you to transfer within 3 months, SA within 90 days, and VIC still counts 6 months of living in the state. A licence from a country that is not on a state's recognised list, for example mainland China, needs a theory test and a driving test in every state; check whether your own country is on the list. This page covers NSW, VIC, QLD, WA and SA.