Moving to Sydney or Melbourne from India

A move from India to Australia is often made for a company posting, a new role or a family joining someone already here: a working day four and a half to five and a half hours apart, a school year that starts at a different time, and a new city to learn before you choose where to settle. Westprecinct offers managed serviced residences in Sydney and Melbourne, exquisitely furnished and presented to The Westprecinct Standard. You arrange it before you fly, move in when you land, and keep the feeling of home while you find the right suburb.

Arranged from India. Choose your residence by email, phone or video call. Sydney and Melbourne are four and a half hours ahead of India from April to early October, and five and a half hours ahead during Australian daylight saving, so your morning overlaps with our afternoon.

Try the neighbourhood first. A few months in Balmain or Barangaroo, or in Toorak or Brighton, shows you the commute, the schools and the weekends before you sign for anything long-term.

Room for the whole family. Many households include parents who come for a long visit. Residences with two or three bedrooms, a full kitchen and premium linen are ready on arrival, so everyone has room from the first day.

Made for company postings. If your employer is moving you from an office in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi or elsewhere, we work with you or your mobility team directly: one point of contact, and itemised invoices if your employer is covering the stay.

Time to settle properly. If the home search or the school start takes longer than planned, your stay can continue by arrangement, subject to availability and the guest terms.

Visas. The Department of Home Affairs sets visa rules. For employer-sponsored, skilled and family visas, speak to a registered migration agent. Indian passport holders aged 18 to 30 can register for a yearly ballot for a Work and Holiday visa, which has education and English requirements. Parents of an Australian citizen or permanent resident may be eligible for a Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, for visits of up to 3 or 5 years at a time.

Health care. Australia has no reciprocal health care agreement with India. Unless you are a permanent resident or have applied for permanent residency, you are generally not eligible for Medicare. Home Affairs strongly recommends private health insurance for anyone not covered, and some visas require it.

Driving. On a temporary visa, you can drive on a current Indian licence for up to six months of living in NSW or Victoria, with an English translation or an international driving permit if your licence is not in English. To keep driving after that, you need a local licence. India is not on the recognised list in either state, so expect knowledge and driving tests. Permanent residents in NSW have three months to transfer.

Pets. India is not an approved country for importing cats and dogs, so pets cannot travel to Australia directly from India. They must first live in an approved country for at least 180 days before export, with all vaccinations and tests done there, and then meet that country's import conditions in full. Plan this early with a pet relocation specialist. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry sets the rules.

School year. CBSE schools run from 1 April to 31 March, with Class 10 and 12 board exams in February and March. Australia's school year runs from late January or early February to mid-December, so families often weigh a January start in Australia against finishing the year in India. In 2027, Victorian government school students start on Thursday 28 January, and NSW students in the Eastern division on Wednesday 3 February. Term 3 begins in July. International schools may follow different calendars.

We do not advise on visas, tax or health cover. We look after where you live while you settle.

In Sydney, our residences sit in harbourside and inner-west neighbourhoods: Barangaroo, a walk from CBD offices; Balmain and Rozelle, with village streets and a ferry into the city; and Drummoyne, Cabarita and Breakfast Point, quiet waterfront living popular with families. In Melbourne, they sit in Toorak, Armadale and Malvern, leafy and close to well-regarded schools, and in Brighton, by the bay.

Sydney stays are from around three months, and Melbourne stays are 30 days and beyond. Higher rates may apply for under 6 months. Your stay can continue by arrangement, subject to availability and the guest terms. Through The W Circle, Westprecinct’s recognition programme, paid stays from now count towards standing from 1 January 2027, carried across Sydney and Melbourne.

Send us your flight date, the city and the suburb or school you would like to be near, the household (including any parents visiting and any pets) and how long you expect to stay. We come back to you with suitable residences and a clear proposal, by phone, email or video call at a time that suits India.

Over 20 years of looking after residents who are new to the city. A residence with the feeling of home, ready when you land.