When a child first heads to Australia to study, many parents choose to go along — partly to see them off, but mostly to help get accommodation and paperwork sorted. However, Australia’s rental rules, bank account opening process and public service logic differ significantly from those in China. Working out in advance what parents and children should each do — and shouldn’t do — will save a lot of headaches.
The checklist below covers pre-departure preparation, arrival-day actions, key tasks for the first week, and the areas where parents need to step back.
Before Departure: Lock Down Three Things
Secure a definite address for accommodation
Where your child will stay for the first few days after arrival must be booked before leaving, with a usable address in hand. Options include student accommodation, listings on reputable short-stay platforms, or chain hotels. Don’t plan to find something on arrival — without a fixed address, opening a bank account, getting a SIM card and updating details with the school will all hit a wall.
Book your own short-term accommodation as well. It’s not advisable to squeeze into an unstable share house or temporary transition accommodation with your child — it’s inconvenient and may breach short-stay rental rules.
Sort out the money path
Plan the remittance route for the approximate amounts of tuition, rental bond and first month’s living expenses in advance. Check whether your foreign exchange purchase quota is sufficient, whether cross-border bank transfers require extra verification, and roughly how long transfers take to arrive. Your child can open an offshore bank account with an Australian bank while still in China, then activate it on arrival — reducing the pressure of carrying large amounts of cash.
Keep both paper and digital backups of documents
Print a copy of the passport, visa grant notice, Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) and accommodation booking confirmation email to carry at all times, and save a copy on your phone as well. Border officials may ask to see these documents on arrival. Parents need their own visa documents ready too.
Arrival Day: Settle In First, Don’t Rush Errands
After a long-haul flight, attention spans are short. On arrival day, only do the most basic things.
Get settled into accommodation first
Take your child to the booked short-stay accommodation, check the condition of the room, save the address and look up the route and transport options to campus. If the booking doesn’t match what’s advertised, contact the host or platform immediately — don’t just make do.
Sort out communication
Help your child buy a local SIM card at the airport or in the city, or activate an eSIM in advance. Save emergency contacts, the accommodation provider’s phone number and the school’s international student office contact details. Once you have internet access, everything else can move forward.
Carry enough cash for the first few days only
Bring a small amount of Australian dollars for incidental spending and emergencies in the first few days; larger amounts should go through remittance. Cash or foreign currency equivalent to AUD 10,000 or more must be declared on arrival — don’t take the risk.
First Week: Work Through Key Procedures One by One
Open a bank account
Accompany your child to a bank branch to activate or open an account. Required documents typically include a passport, visa grant notice and proof of temporary address. After opening the account, remind your child to apply online for a Tax File Number (TFN) as soon as possible — bank interest is subject to tax, and without a TFN the highest marginal rate will be withheld.
Inspect rental properties in person
If your child needs to rent independently, property inspections must be done in person, or via a trusted friend doing a video walkthrough. Never transfer any money before viewing a property. The bond must be confirmed as going into the state government’s Residential Tenancies Bond Authority holding account, with an official receipt issued. In a share-house arrangement, make sure your child’s name is on the formal lease rather than an informal sublet — the latter carries risks for both visa compliance and legal protections.
Get a transport card and learn the neighbourhood
Take your child to get a local transport card, ride a bus or train to campus once to learn the route, and walk through the nearby supermarkets, chemists, post office and clinics to build a basic sense of the local area.
Confirm health insurance is active
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is a mandatory condition of the student visa and must cover the entire visa period. Confirm the insurance starts from the day of arrival, find a nearby General Practitioner (GP) clinic that accepts OSHC, and save the contact details. For non-urgent health issues, see a GP first; only go to hospital emergency for urgent matters.
Attend Orientation Week and get a student ID
Attend Orientation Week on campus — it’s the most direct opportunity to get familiar with the campus, understand course enrolment procedures and meet fellow students. Also collect the student ID card, which will be needed for the library, exams and various student discounts.
Update your address with the school
The student visa carries a key condition: you must notify the school of your address within 7 days of arrival. This is a visa compliance requirement, not a suggestion. Address changes must also be updated promptly.
A Note on Roles: Where Parents Should Step Back
Australia’s rental rules, contract signing and bank account management all operate on an individual basis, with legal effect falling directly on the signatory. Parents can accompany, advise and help double-check, but the following matters must be handled by the child themselves or completed independently:
- Signing a lease: Whoever lives there signs. A lease signed by a parent cannot build a rental record for the child, and later issues with bond refunds or disputes can raise authorisation problems.
- Bank account opening: The account is in the child’s own name. Parents cannot operate daily transfers or bill payments on their behalf — the child needs to independently master basic financial transactions.
- School communication: For matters such as grades, course selection and visa status updates, the school only deals with the student directly. Parents cannot act as an agent unless the student has signed a formal authorisation document.
- Medical appointments: Your child needs to learn to book GP appointments, describe symptoms and understand the referral process. This is a basic skill for long-term independent living.
The value of parental accompaniment lies in transitional support, not substitution. After the first week, letting your child take over the local procedures themselves is far more valuable than doing everything for them.
Notes for Parents Themselves
Parents entering on a Visitor Visa must comply with its conditions, including no work, no extension of stay, and departure before the visa expires. If you have health issues while in Australia, visitor visas generally do not include public health insurance — it’s advisable to purchase overseas travel medical insurance covering Australia before departure.
For everyday spending, credit cards and mobile payments are widely accepted in Australian cities, and cash use is gradually declining. Public transport generally supports contactless payments, but transport card systems and fare rules vary between cities, so allow time to learn how it works on first use.
Intercity travel is mainly by air; for shorter distances, trains or long-distance coaches are options, but frequencies and punctuality vary by region, so build buffer time into your itinerary. While public service details differ between Australian states, the basic rules above apply nationwide.
Accompanying your child on their first landing in Australia is ultimately about helping them establish a starting point for independent life — not getting everything done in one go. Lock down accommodation and the money path before departure, focus on settling in on arrival day, work through the paperwork in the first week, then gradually let go — this pace is more sustainable for both parents and children.
Partner links. Using them costs you nothing extra and may earn us a commission.