Australia Arrival Checklist for Nepali Students covers the first practical tasks after landing: keeping visa and enrolment records accessible, reaching verified accommodation, activating a phone, opening a bank account, applying for a TFN, creating a USI, updating the provider with a local address and attending orientation. The order matters because reliable contact details and provider access support every later step.
Information checked on 24 July 2026 using current Study Australia, USI and Australian Government guidance. Provider instructions and local transport systems vary by location.
First-week tasks at a glance
| Item | Current official guidance |
|---|---|
| Residential address | Tell the education provider within seven days of arrival |
| USI | Create it after landing and clearing customs |
| USI identity | Use the non-Australian passport and Australian visa |
| Bank account | Take eCoE, passport and Australian address evidence |
| TFN | Apply free through the ATO after arrival if eligible |
| Mobile service | An unlocked phone can use prepaid or SIM-only service |
| Emergency | Call 000 for police, ambulance or fire |
Keep essential documents in hand luggage
Carry the passport, visa grant notice, eCoE, Letter of Offer, OSHC details, accommodation address, airport transfer contact and medicine documents. Keep secure digital copies separately.
Do not place every identity document in checked baggage. A delayed suitcase should not prevent border clearance or reaching accommodation.
Complete border declarations accurately
Answer the Incoming Passenger Card and biosecurity questions truthfully. Food, plant material, animal products, rural footwear and some medicines can require declaration.
If unsure, declare the item and let an officer assess it. Declaring does not automatically mean it will be confiscated.
Use a verified airport transfer
Confirm the pickup provider, meeting point, phone number and destination before leaving Nepal. Save a backup route using official airport, public-transport or licensed taxi information.
Do not accept an unsolicited ride from someone who only knows the student’s name from a sign. Verify the driver through the booked service.
Check into the real accommodation
Confirm the full address, room, key handover, payment receipt and emergency contact. Photograph the initial condition where a lease or residence process requires it.
Do not transfer a surprise bond or rent increase at the airport. Use the signed agreement and official state bond process.
Tell family that arrival is complete
Send a short message after border clearance and again after reaching accommodation. Share the verified Australian address and local number with a trusted person.
Avoid posting passport, boarding pass, visa grant or live room details publicly.
Activate an Australian mobile service
Study Australia says an unlocked phone can use a prepaid service or SIM-only plan. Compare coverage, data, calls, contract term and international features.
Use the real telecommunications provider and complete identity checks. Keep the Nepal number active temporarily if it receives bank or account codes.
Install provider and transport tools
Set up the education provider’s student portal, email, learning platform and authentication app. Install the official local public-transport app and understand the fare card or contactless rules.
Test the route to campus before the first class. Check evening service, walking time and accessibility.
Attend orientation
Orientation explains enrolment, timetable, campus access, academic integrity, safety and support services. It is also the right place to clarify a missing subject or account problem.
Record the international student office, after-hours security, counselling, housing, careers and academic-support contacts.
Open a bank account
Study Australia advises visiting a bank branch with the eCoE, passport and proof of an Australian address such as a lease or phone bill.
Compare monthly, ATM, overdraft and international transaction fees. Secure the app and never share a PIN, password or verification code.
Apply for a Tax File Number
An eligible foreign-passport holder with work rights can apply online through the ATO after arriving. The application is free.
Use exact passport details and a reliable postal address. The ATO says to allow up to 28 days and not to submit duplicate applications during that period.
Create the Unique Student Identifier
International students studying VET or higher education in Australia need a USI. They cannot create it with a foreign passport and Australian visa until after landing and clearing customs.
Use the official USI Student Portal, enter the legal name exactly and share the resulting identifier with the education provider.
Create the USI before leaving Australia
The USI office warns that an international student may be unable to graduate or receive a statement of attainment after leaving without creating one.
Create it early and keep it for life. If the system finds an existing USI, recover it rather than creating a duplicate.
Update the residential address within seven days
Study Australia states that visa condition 8533 requires the student to tell the education provider the residential address within seven days of arriving.
Use the provider’s stated form or portal and keep confirmation. Update later changes within the required period as well.
Confirm enrolment and timetable
Check the course, campus, subjects, class locations, start dates and compulsory sessions. Resolve timetable clashes before attendance is affected.
Do not assume an online-looking class permits offshore or remote participation. Follow the registered course and provider delivery requirements.
Learn the academic system
Read assessment briefs, due dates, referencing rules, academic-integrity policy and special-consideration process. Add all deadlines to a calendar.
Use provider learning support for writing, study skills and English. Do not pay another person to complete an assessment.
Locate health care and review OSHC
Save the OSHC membership details and understand the insurer’s claims and provider-finder process. Locate a nearby GP, pharmacy and urgent-care option.
Call 000 for a life-threatening emergency. Basic OSHC does not make every health service free, so ask about out-of-pocket charges.
Buy only essential household items first
Check what the room already includes before buying bedding, cookware, adapters or furniture. Keep receipts and compare return policies.
Use a first-week spending limit. Arrival costs can rise quickly when small purchases are made without a list.
Understand work conditions before job search
Check VEVO and do not start work before the visa allows it. Most students have a 48-hours-per-fortnight limit while the course is in session.
Prepare a lawful resume, TFN process and bank details. Employers never need the Student visa account password.
Set up a first-month budget
Record rent, transport, food, phone, utilities, course materials and setup costs. Keep an emergency amount outside daily spending.
Do not depend on finding immediate part-time work. Compare actual spending with the pre-departure budget after the first week.
Learn basic safety contacts
Use 000 for police, ambulance or fire in a life-threatening emergency. Save campus security, accommodation management and the local international-student service.
Walk unfamiliar routes in daylight first and use official transport information. Protect drinks, devices, keys and identity documents.
Arrival scam warnings
- An airport driver who cannot verify the booking
- An urgent accommodation payment outside the signed agreement
- A SIM seller asking for banking passwords
- A paid service claiming it can issue a TFN or USI faster
- A caller threatening visa cancellation unless money is transferred
- A job offer requiring payment or passport surrender
- A message linking to a fake provider or bank login
Seven-day arrival checklist
- Clear the border. Complete every declaration truthfully.
- Reach verified housing. Confirm keys, receipts and safety.
- Activate communications. Set up phone, provider email and MFA.
- Attend orientation. Save academic and welfare contacts.
- Open banking. Use verified documents and secure access.
- Apply for TFN and create USI. Use only government portals.
- Update the provider. Submit the residential address within seven days.
- Confirm study. Check timetable, campus and assessment dates.
Common first-week mistakes
- Packing all documents in checked baggage
- Using an unverified airport ride
- Missing orientation and provider messages
- Creating a USI before immigration records show arrival
- Forgetting the seven-day address update
- Starting work without checking VEVO
- Sharing identity or bank codes with a helper
- Spending the emergency fund on setup items
Frequently asked questions
When must I give my Australian address to the provider?
Study Australia says within seven days of arriving under visa condition 8533.
Can I create a USI before flying to Australia?
No. A foreign-passport international student creates it after landing and clearing customs.
What identity is used to create a USI?
An international student can use the non-Australian passport and current Australian visa after arrival.
What documents can a bank request?
Study Australia lists the eCoE, passport and proof of an Australian address.
What is Australia’s emergency number?
Call 000 for police, ambulance or fire in a life-threatening emergency.
Official sources
- Study Australia: first week in Australia
- USI: international student requirements
- USI: arrival and qualification rules
- ATO: TFN after arrival
- Study Australia: student support
Arrival preparation support in Nepal
For a visible pre-departure document check, housing plan, airport arrival list and first-week budget, use MKS Education study in Australia guidance. For IELTS, PTE, GRE, GMAT or SAT requirements still pending before enrolment, compare current support at MKS Prep. Australian border, provider and government instructions remain final.