Moving to Sydney or Melbourne from Korea

A move from Korea to Australia is often made for a company posting or for a child's schooling: a working day only one or two 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 Korea. Choose your residence by email, phone or video call. Sydney and Melbourne are one hour ahead of Seoul from April to early October, and two hours ahead during Australian daylight saving, so our working days overlap almost entirely.

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 commit to a longer-term home.

Settled before school starts. Families arriving for the Australian school year can move in during January. Furniture, a full kitchen, premium linen and a quiet place for homework are ready on arrival while your shipment travels.

Made for company postings. If your employer is moving you from a head office or regional office, 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. Korean passport holders aged 18 to 35 can apply for a Working Holiday visa. A parent coming to care for a child under 18 who holds a Student visa may be eligible for a Student Guardian visa, which should be applied for at the same time as the child's. For employer-sponsored and family visas, speak to a registered migration agent.

Health care. Australia has no reciprocal health care agreement with Korea. 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 Korean licence for up to six months of living in NSW or Victoria. Carry an English translation or an international driving permit with it. To keep driving after that, you need a local licence. Korea is not on the recognised list in either state, so expect knowledge and driving tests. In NSW, a translation of a Korean licence can come from the Consulate-General of the Republic of Korea. Permanent residents in NSW have three months to transfer.

Pets. Korea is a Group 3 country. Cats and dogs need a current rabies vaccination and a rabies blood test, and can travel no sooner than 180 days after the blood sample reaches the laboratory. Dogs from Korea must also be vaccinated against canine influenza. Pets fly directly into Melbourne. Quarantine at Mickleham is at least 10 days if a government veterinarian checked your pet's identity before the blood test, and at least 30 days without that check. Allow at least seven months. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry sets the rules.

School year. Korea's school year begins on 1 March, with a long winter break over January and February. Australia's runs from late January or early February to mid-December, so many families move during the Korean winter break and start at the beginning of the Australian year. In 2027, Victorian government school students start on Thursday 28 January, and NSW students in the Eastern division on Wednesday 3 February. 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 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 Korea.

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