Top 3 Money Transfer Providers for Australia to UK

If you are moving to the UK from Australia, you will need to obtain the relevant visa. The most common reasons that Australians move to the UK are employment, to join up with their family or with their spouse, or to study at university. There are a number different categories of visas required for moving to the UK, and eligibility will depend on your profession, who you are moving over with, or if you are studying. Most work visas are Tier 2 visas, whereby people are transferred by their company or qualifying professionals take up a new job offer. For the latter, there is a limit on the number of non-EU nationals who can secure such a visa each year. The Tier 1 visa is aimed at a small number of “high-value migrants” such as entrepreneurs and investors. Entrepreneurs are required to have access to and transfer to the UK at least £50,000 in capital, while investors are required to have at least £1,000,000 of disposable funds. Australians who are moving to the UK to live with family have the opportunity to apply for a UK ancestry visa. This allows Australians who have a parent who was born in the UK the opportunity to move to the country as long as they satisfy a certain number of criteria.

While the UK is popular with Australians as a place to work, relatively few come to study. That said, there were 1,880 students from Australia in the UK in the 2012/13 academic year, according to the UK government. According to a 2013 study by HSBC, the average annual cost per year of study in the UK for international students is £18,759 (around A$34,000) – there are £11,933 of fees, and the cost of living is £6,825. Fees for foreign students can often be higher than those for UK nationals, reaching as high as £38,532 per year for a taught clinical postgraduate degree at a leading university in London, for example. The number of Australian students coming to the UK has actually fallen over the last seven years though, and in fact Australia is close to overtaking the UK as the second most popular overseas destination in terms of studying.

Given that Australia is outside the European Economic Area, Australian students will need to obtain a Tier 4 (General) student visa. Once your place at an accredited institution is confirmed, the process of applying is simple, but you have to be able to demonstrate that you have sufficient savings to fund your course and cost of living. It is, however, usually possible to work part-time for up to 20 hours a week in term time, full-time in a non-permanent role during term breaks, and pursue a sandwich course. Once your course ends, you can work full-time hours for up to four months. You can also bring dependents on a Tier 4 visa, but you must be able to show that you have sufficient savings to cover them too.

To open a bank account in the UK, you will need proof of your income and employment, evidence of a local UK address, and a passport.

There are several commercial banks in the UK, but none of the major Australian banks have a substantial UK network. It will be easiest to have a UK account set up before sending money from Australia to the UK either for general living expenses or for a major transfer, as payments in the UK can then be made out of that account.

The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April of the following year, whereas the Australian tax year runs from 1 July to 30 June. This will have implications for tax planning. Australia does have a double tax treaty with the UK, but you should still check which items may not fall under the treaty and may be taxed twice. It is essential to familiarise yourself with relevant UK financial regulations in advance of moving from Australia to the UK, particularly if you are considering purchasing a property or making a large currency transfer from Australian dollars into pounds.

Australia has strict rules laid out by the Department of Agriculture (formerly under the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) governing whether you can bring your pet over when you move. Typically, cats and dogs can be brought into Australia as long as strict quarantine rules are adhered to. These rules include your pet being up to date with its shots as well as being fitted with a microchip. The quarantine period for a dog or cat entering Australia is 190 days, but 180 of these days can be completed in the country of origin. There is a mandatory ten-day quarantine for all animals entering the country. While it is unlikely, there is also a possibility that any EU-enforced rules regarding transporting pets may be abolished after the UK leaves the EU.