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With a population of 22 million, sparsely spread across three time zones, Australia is the world's sixth largest country*. Australia's magnificent scenery includes world famous beaches and coastlines, dense tropical rainforests and ancient artifacts.
Most Australians have a love for sport, food and the great outdoors, and you'll find them to be a relaxed and friendly bunch of people.
*Source: Tourism Australia www.australia.com
To compare the cost of living between your home country and Australia, please visit the Numbeo website.
School is compulsory for all children aged between five and sixteen years, and you can choose between:
- Public schooling, which is provided by the government and is either free or with minimal fees
- Private schooling, where you will pay tuition fees of between $6,000 and $30,000 a year.
For younger children, you'll also find a range of childcare centres and community-based day care available.
Places at these centres fill up very quickly, so it's a good idea to start looking and then registering for childcare before you arrive in Australia.
Australia has a world class health-care system, with both government-funded public hospitals and privately run hospitals available.
Public health care: Medicare is the Australian government-owned health care system under which you will have automatic access to. You can register and find out more about Medicare here.
Private health insurance: This will help to pay for any medical treatment and prescription medicines, if you get sick or have an accident, on top of what you receive from Medicare.
Private health insurance also covers some services that are not covered by Medicare, such as physiotherapy, dental and optometry.
Some of the largest private health insurance companies in Australia are:
You can find more about private health insurance in Australia here.
It's a great idea to bring with you an adequate supply and the exact details of any medication you take regularly, as brand names may differ between your home country and Australia.
Some medications that you can buy 'over the counter' at home may require a prescription in Australia.
This applies to all antibiotics, the oral contraceptive pill and some asthma medications, so you will need to visit a doctor first before buying these. Other medications, like painkillers and antihistamines, are available at pharmacies without a prescription.
The emergency assistance number in Australia for the police, ambulance or fire brigade is 000.
You'll find 24-hour automatic teller machines (ATMs) all around Australia. Most ATMs will accept cards issued by other banks, however you'll have to pay a fee to access your money.
You can also use your card (credit or debit) at most businesses to pay for items or services directly via EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale).
Opening a Citibank Plus everyday transaction account gives you access to an extensive ATM network, making it easy to access your money.
The local currency is the Australian dollar (AUD). There are 100 cents in one dollar. You'll find 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2 coins, and $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes.
If you're carrying AUD $10,000 when you are arriving or departing Australia, you must declare it.
While not expected, tipping in restaurants is common, with 10% being standard for excellent service.
Citibank Plus Account is issued by Citigroup Pty Limited ABN 88 004 325 080, AFSL 238098, Australian credit licence 238098 ('Citibank'). The Terms and Conditions that apply are available on request.
Any advice is general advice only. It was prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Before acting on this advice you should consider if it's appropriate for your particular circumstances.
Further information and our dispute resolution process is available at www.citibank.com.au or by phone on 1300 137 931.
Total balances held by a depositor with Citibank, up to an amount of AUD$250,000, automatically access the Financial Claims Scheme. For more information go to www.apra.gov.au or call 1300 55 88 49.
© 2013 Citigroup Pty Limited. Citibank®, Citi® and Arc Design® are service marks of Citigroup Inc.
There are three time zones in Australia:
(GMT + 10), includes Sydney and Melbourne
(GMT +9.5), includes Adelaide
(GMT +8), includes Perth
To maximise daylight hours, some states have 'Daylight Saving' between the first Sunday in October and the first Sunday in April each year, where clocks move forward one hour.
You can find out the time difference between home and Australia here.
Australia experiences four seasons throughout the course of the year:
Due to the size of the continent, it's no surprise that the weather can vary dramatically between states. In Sydney, you can expect average temperatures of 16°C during winter. Melbourne experiences slightly cooler temperatures, with an average temperature of 14°C during winter. Most states see average temperatures of around 30°C in the summertime*.
*Source: Tourism Australia www.australia.com
Australia's Significant Investor Visa is an exciting opportunity if you're considering moving to Australia.
This new business visa gives high net worth investors a much easier pathway to gain permanent residency in Australia, with the key requirement being an investment of A$5 million for four years into complying investments.
Citibank can help you to invest in complying investments that match your personal preferences and investment objectives - whether that's capital security, generating an income stream or achieving capital growth.
To learn more, please email our dedicated Significant Investor team, or complete an online enquiry form
Any advice is general advice only. It was prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Before acting on this advice you should consider if it's appropriate for your particular circumstances.
© 2013 Citigroup Pty Limited ABN 88 004 325 080 AFSL No. 238098. Citibank®, Citi® and Arc Design® are service marks of Citigroup Inc.