Relocating to Sydney or Melbourne from New Zealand

On paper, crossing the Tasman is simpler than most international moves: New Zealand citizens are usually granted a visa on arrival, cats and dogs that meet the standard conditions need no quarantine, and in NSW your licence transfers without tests. The harder part is choosing where to live in a city you may only know from visits. Westprecinct offers managed serviced residences in Sydney and Melbourne, exquisitely furnished and presented to The Westprecinct Standard, so you can move in when you land and keep the feeling of home while you find the right suburb.

Arranged from New Zealand. Choose your residence by email, phone or video call. Auckland is usually just two hours ahead of Sydney and Melbourne, so our working days overlap.

Try the suburb 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.

Nothing to buy or ship in a hurry. Furniture, a full kitchen, premium linen and a proper place to work are ready on arrival, so you can decide later what to bring across.

Bring the pets. Cats and dogs from New Zealand that meet the standard conditions need no import permit and no quarantine, so they can arrive with you. Pets are considered on application.

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.

Visa. New Zealand citizens are usually granted a free Special Category visa on arrival, which lets you live, work and study in Australia for as long as you remain a New Zealand citizen. It ends when you leave and is granted again when you return. Family members who are not New Zealand citizens need their own visa. The Department of Home Affairs sets the rules.

Health care. New Zealand citizens living in Australia can enrol in Medicare, for example with proof you will be living here for six months or more. Visitors from New Zealand may also be covered under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement. Services Australia sets the rules.

Driving. A current New Zealand car licence, other than an old paper licence, is recognised in NSW and can be transferred without a knowledge or driving test. You can drive on it in NSW for three months before transferring. In Victoria, you can drive on a current overseas licence for your first six months of living there, then convert it with VicRoads.

Pets. New Zealand is a Group 1 country. Cats and dogs that meet the standard health certificate conditions need no import permit and no quarantine. Allow one to two months for checks and paperwork with an MPI-listed vet, or at least six months if the pet has lived outside Australia and New Zealand. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry sets the rules.

School year. Australian school years run in four terms from late January or early February to mid-December. In 2027, Victorian government school students start on Thursday 28 January, and NSW students in the Eastern division on Wednesday 3 February. The NSW Department of Education and the Victorian Government publish term dates.

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 moving 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.

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