The most important things to consider when you leave Blighty on the move to Sydney include your flights out, shipping your stuff, taxation, your post, banking and private healthcare. You can also see a checklist that includes a word attachment so can be printed out and modified appropriately (if there are further items you think I should include please email).
Obviously there are heaps of operators and multiple choices of routes take. We decided to take a holiday in Thailand on the way, to relax after the stresses of packing up our life and emotional goodbyes to family and friends! (Top tip - stay at the divine The Sarojin Kao Lak, Phuket). We also chose to buy a return so that we could come back for a holiday a year later. The only thing to say about flights is . baggage allowance! Check early what your airlines policy is you are leaving the UK to live and are likely to have a larger suitcase than normal as you are living out your suitcase until your shipping arrives! We had the misfortune of arriving at BA with our 2 large suitcases (we were entitled to take 4), each suitcase was over the weight allowed for one suitcase (although a long way under the weight allowed for the 4) so they insisted we buy another suitcase there and then (Yes that's right we were NOT allowed to pay an excess!).
Each airline has their own requirements so you could begin your flight on an airline that allows a larger allowance, change planes on the stopover and find your baggage becomes a problem at that point especially if you have to re check-in.
Oh shipping where do I begin
Well first let me say if you are being sponsored and your company is offering to pay and suggests you use their nominated company USE THAT COMPANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And then whatever goes wrong will be dealt with directly by your new company and extra costs (which I will come onto later) will be met directly without any grovelling on your behalf! I foolishly decided I wanted to use a UK based company that was well reputed and internationally well known (well known I ask myself for what, in hindsight!).
Read on for The little story of shipping horrors at Le Manoir'
Act 1, scene 1 - The unnamed company decided I wasn't taking enough goods to warrant coming out to discuss my requirements with me, and therefore relied on my inexperience to discuss the proportion of container we required to ship our goods by sea. We were taking a large wooden trunk, a nest of wooden coffee tables, a lamp, some pictures and what I believed would fit into 4 tea crates. Now I am by no means an expert and the last time I saw a tea crate they were waist high and could fit a small person in, the initially very helpful Charlotte assured me that tea crates were from the last century and flat pack boxes were the way of the new world, and they did have a box of similar size.
Act 2, scene 1 - so the day arrived, the two guys arrived and the trouble started, the unnamed company had failed to pre-organise parking in the area (we lived in Westminster so there is no visitor parking), nor did they raise with me I might want to consider this. Somewhere buried in the paperwork (of which there was a mountain) it stated it was my responsibility I have no issue with this, but it would have been helpful if they could have raised this with me. The guys were trying to get me to give them cash (I kid you not) to pay for their meter. I was on the phone to Charlotte, who knew the whole way along my company were paying for this so all costs had to be accounted for upfront in an invoice format rather than handing over shrapnel! Of course, had they come in advance, this would have been picked up (this became the mantra!). Parking was resolved and they were in
Act 2, scene 2 - I had chosen the option of them packing, I had separated out what was staying and what was going and let them loose. They started mumbling about there being more than they anticipated! 42 yes 42 boxes later and 5 hours they were packed! I had ordered 4 (according to their detail) medium boxes, I draw your attention again to insisting they come out to inspect and both you and them agree how many boxes. You are not the shipping/packing experts they are! So I was constantly moving around watching them packing what a debacle! It was like some crazed animal was going through our house. Packing to me means neatly putting in boxes to ensure goods are in a fit state at the other end their approach was to stuff everything in any way possible, regardless of value. Literally, clothes were rolled up! As we had left it too close to our departing day I had no choice but to sit back and watch and try and intervene when it was seriously amiss (there are grades of amiss when things get this bad!).
Act 2, scene 3 - eventually they finally left and I picked myself off the ground relieved it was over if nothing else! Dreading the inevitable call after the week-end of how much it would cost, our initial quote was about 600 GPB and I had what appeared to my inexperienced eyes 10 times that a sleepless week-end ahead!
Act 3, scene 1 the following week I get the expected phone call, to my great delight it is the small matter of 300 GPB more I start to feel relieved and happy it was done and dusted and my work were willing to pick up the outstanding amount (I was still under budget just!). Surely that would be the worst of it (hear theatrical music of a dire nature kick in )
Act 4, scene 1 in Sydney for a month no news of arrival
Act 5, scene 1 still no news at month 2. Slightly nervous email exchange with Charlotte who said it was still in the UK but would be on its way soon . I would be informed in due course once it set sail!
Act 6, scene 1 miraculously I am informed by the Sydney branch it has set sail and arrived in Singapore where it missed its connection so would be delayed marginally .. what happened to the email informing me it was due to set sail was a mystery.
Act 6, scene 2 it has arrived and I am informed Customs want to charge me AUS$155 for a customs inspection that is entirely normal and expected so why, I ask, was I not informed upfront with the original invoice? Back to company to grovel for more money it is getting embarrassing now I am over budget! My company gracious as ever picks up the tab!
Act 6, scene 3 DELIVERANCE. 'Robina' (Charlotte's Australian counterpart) calls me to say 5 months (YES 5 MONTHS it was meant to be 8-12 weeks) our goods have passed through customs, and that they would like to deliver the following Monday. I am pleased at how quickly they would like to deliver but remind them that, as they know, I work full time, so am only available on a Saturday. Robina asks if I requested a Saturday delivery (hear blood boil in ears). I assure her I did, and as they have known all along I was coming here to work as my well known international company have been paying the bills directly. They, you would have thought, assumed that. Robina will confirm with the UK. Robina reverts to me and tells me this was not on the original forms so I will have to pay $450 (hear blood reach boiling point and explode). I explain in a very tightly strained voice she had better investigate further. I remind her of the dismal service I have had so far and to come back to me.
Act 6, scene 4 Robina emails my company directly, slyly asking for the cash behind my back. (Hear me explode and spit and froth at the mouth!) The audacity of it! I demand her manager calls me to explain. Manager calls and arranges time for Saturday delivery (the next day) and apologises for his over enthusiastic member of staff... there are other ways of describing her and the company in my mind.
Act 7, scene 1 Goods arrive 5 months late, the boxes quite battered and in some cases wet but overall everything is one piece.
There are various forms you need to fill out when leaving the UK. Either speak to an accountant or your local tax office. Do not forget to mention if you are renting your place out as this will require further forms to ensure tax is not collected by the estate agent. There are some helpful articles on the Inland Revenue's web site.
Re-direct your mail using Royal Mail's redirections service, if possible change all bank account addresses etc to a family member as the redirection service is not (from our experience) 100% accurate. We also left labels (see checklist) at our old address, for times when mail arrived so they could forward this on to a member of family.
We thought we would be as organised as possible and set up as many things as possible. Without ever finding a real checklist we compiled our own and banking was a glaringly obvious area for consideration. Firstly let me state this is our experience and in no way constitutes financial advice or an opinion as to the best course of action for your own circumstances.
Knowing the palaver that accompanies setting up an account in the UK, we embarked on some hardcore internet research. To our great surprise there were a few options. We could open an account with one of the international banks, where they had multi-currency accounts (e.g. Citibank) or where you had an account with them in the UK (e.g. HSBC). Or, and this really was a surprise, an Australian bank would let you open an account from overseas, you could send money across and it would be waiting for you on arrival (this was with the Commonwealth Bank).
A few things we have discovered on arrival about the banking system
- EFTPOS a way of accessing cash from ATM's and paying for goods
in shops using a PIN number;
- not all banks offer debit cards, where credit cards are issued you
still sign your receipt; and
- you cannot use an EFTPOS card to pay for good on the internet/over the phone. Many places only take credit cards or cash (yip that means no EFTPOS, and if your bank doesnt offer a debit card you are somewhat forced into applying for a credit card!).
The following is our interpretation and experience and in no way constitutes to advice.
It is important to chose the right package based on your visa, for example an unconditional visa to work and live in Australia may allow you normal Medicare cover (the Australian NHS but a seriously restricted version. This only covers a certain amount of the cost, and the rest is either paid for by yourself of private healthcare. There are 'bulk billing' doctors surgeries where the cost is charged directly to Medicare, but these are few and far between and usually very busy.), whereas the 457 visa only allows you reciprocal Medicare cover under a UK/Australia arrangement, and therefore the Private Healthcare companies will have to provide a fuller package. It might be best to sign up for the fuller package and reduce this on determination of your Medicare status. The big thing to watch out for is the waiting periods, usually 2/6/12 months depending on the treatment. Some people may want to start paying a couple of months in advance to ensure they are covered for the doctors/dentists from their arrival in Australia.
See some of the providers below (These are not recommendations. All terms and conditions should be read in full before making any decision):
There is also a company that will search the most appropriate package called iSelect.