Travel Tips for Indian Students Before Going to Australia

On the list of countries that have the highest international students in the world, Australia is fifth on the list. In 2019, over 5.3 million students went to study abroad. If the current pace of growth continues, this figure will reach nearly 8 million by 2025.

As a student, you should not be too worried about going to Australia. You will have many students around you that have come from a foreign land. Your focus should be on getting ready to travel to a new country to fulfil your dreams.

We will discuss travel tips to ensure you don’t have to spend too much time getting ready for travel:

1. Documents
The first step in the planning is to ensure you have all the required documents to travel to Australia. You must have a passport, visa, driver’s license, health record, birth certificates, and academic documents. Check your university’s website to know the list of documents needed, ensure you keep them.

2. Clothing
Australia is not just about beaches and deserts as you would have seen in the movies. At times, the weather there is harsh and cold. You should carry a good number of clothes, but you should not overpack. Carry a winter jacket, lightweight clothes, a rain jacket, etc.

The best approach would be to carry minimum clothes and buy them in Australia depending on the weather. Local clothes are more suited for local weather. You should carry bedsheets and towels from India with you as they are expensive in Australia.

3. Driving license
You can use your current Indian driving license in Australia to drive. However, many state and territory governments of Australia require you to get an Australian driver’s license if you are here for more than three months.

4. Cooking utensils
Though you will find many Indian restaurants in most Australian cities those are not affordable. If you don’t want to miss Indian food for long, the best thing is to learn cooking and carry the basic cooking utensils. You must carry a pressure cooker and Tawa as these are super expensive in Australia and difficult to find. Also, you should carry Indian spices and pickles as they are not easily available there, and if they are, they are costly.

You cannot get started with cooking from day 1. Hence you should carry some ready-to-eat packets from India. It will help you survive the first few days.

5. Electronics
You can carry your laptops and tablets from India if you have one. If you plan to buy a new one, you should check the specification your college is asking you to have. The better option would be to buy from Australia as you would get free services and can make use of the warranty.

All the mobiles work in Australia, so you can carry your existing mobile phone. To capture the beautiful beaches, make sure you have a good phone camera. Or you can take a camera if you like photography.

6. Accommodation
You need to include accommodation in your travel plans. If the college is providing you with on-campus accommodation, and you are comfortable with the cost (on-campus living is expensive), you don’t have to think much about it.

However, if you what to explore other options, you should decide according to your budget, area, facilities, how close you want to stay from university, etc. One of the best options for students who do not want to stay on-campus is shared accommodation near to the college. It will bring down your rental expenses significantly. There are many websites — you can explore the option before you travel.

7. International Calling Plans
Being a student in Australia, you would need to have a good International Calling PlansThere are numerous providers that offer cost-effective plans which every student wishes for.Few good companies are Telstra, Optus, TPG, Dodo, Felix, Lyca mobile etc.

8. Bank Accounts
Being a student in Australia, it is imperative to open a bank account that will be used for your everyday banking and can be used for paying your bills, international money transactions and managing your student accommodation. Australia’s four main banks NAB, Commonwealth Bank, ANZ and Westpac offer online applications for their standard current and savings accounts which are open to anyone, including those travelling on visas.

9. You can work in Australia
A lot of students are looking to work part-time in Australia to meet their expenses. The good news is there are many options for students to work in Australia. Students are permitted to work for 20 hours per week while studying, with a minimum estimated national wage of $17.70 per hour. This way the students can safe well enough tosend money home .

10. Australian Dollar
Last on the list, but it is very important before you close your bag to travel to Australia. You must buy Australian Dollars to meet your initial expenses there, like paying for your very first transportation to reach your destination or for the food, sim card, etc.

You can get the currency exchanged at the airport, but it will cost you a lot. Also, the Indian Rupee cannot be exchanged at the airport in Australia. So, you should be buying Australian Dollars from India itself. You can carry up to 10,000 AUD (Australian dollar) without the need to declare it with the customs.

Ending Note
With the above information, you are all set to travel to Australia. Once you are on the flight, ensure you fill out the Incoming Passenger Card. It is a legal document provided by the Australian Border Force to provide passenger identification and record of a person’s entry to Australia. If you are traveling first time to a foreign country, you should understand the exit process at the airport. It will make it easy for you. We wish you all the best for the new phase of your life.

Google Source: Indian Students Before Going to Australia