Moving to Melbourne: Things you should know before you immigrate to Melbourne

Being the capital of the state of Victoria, Melbourne is the second biggest city in Australia. Known for its high standard of living, people from all over the world are drawn to Melbourne, which always scores high on researches related to the livability of cities. Founded in 1835, when the first settlers from Europe arrived, it soon turned into “Marvelous Melbourne”, when the first gold rush started in the 1850s. After being the capital of Australia between 1901-1927, many important organizations stayed loyal to Melbourne and reside there until today. Nowadays, Melbourne is an economic powerhouse that only comes second to Sydney in Australia. Also, want to join the millions of people who came to Melbourne for a bright future? Then come with us when we explore the city of Melbourne and all its key points of interest.

International Removals to Melbourne with Eurosender.

Moving to Melbourne from the USA, or from any other country on the planet, is moving to a city that has long been popular among immigrants and expats. With good opportunities when it comes to education, employment and accommodation, Melbourne

is an attractive place to settle down. With large minorities of people from all around the globe, you will easily feel at home as you can always find someone from your home country to hang out with. If not, you can always join one of the many expat organizations that are present in the city. Add to that the beautiful scenery and the beautiful nature that surrounds the city and you understand that there is not much to say against a move to Melbourne.

Before joining the many immigrants that came to Melbourne before you, you should know at least the basics about the “City by the Bay”.

Whether you are relocating from the USA to Melbourne, or from any other country on the planet, international removals Melbourne with Eurosender will definitely help you save both time and money. Order online now or contact our logistics experts for an individual offer catered to your needs.

Living in Melbourne

It is only when you start living in Melbourne that you can truly feel the spirit of this multicultural city. Here are some of the things you should know about living in “Marvellous Melbourne”.

• The weather may come as a bit of a shock to many newcomers. Melbourne is famous for having days with four seasons in one.
• The AFL (Australian Football League) is so popular that the Friday before the annual Grand final is a public holiday. You can either root for the Melbourne Football Club, also known as the Demons, or the North Melbourne Football Club, that go by the name of the Kangaroos
• Melbourne offers a wide array of events for different audiences. Here is a brief listing of the main events in Melbourne.
  • Sports: The Australian Open (tennis), the Grand Prix of Australia (Formula 1) and the Melbourne Cup Carnival (horseracing)
  • Culture: Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne Fashion Week and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
• In Melbourne, you can find the largest Chinatown in the world.
• Due to its remote location on the world map, citizens of Melbourne pay more for their plane tickets and visits to family and friends can be a costly affair.
• The Queen Victoria Market is the largest open-air market in Australia and a great way to buy fresh products for a reasonable price.

Visa Regulations for Melbourne

Although getting a visa for Australia is not as easy as it used to bee, there is still a good chance that you can obtain the permits you need. Australia offers a wide range of visas, which we will briefly describe below. When you want to apply for one, always contact your local Australian embassy for the exact application procedure.

Some of the visas you might consider are the following:

• Holiday visa: You can stay up to 3 months if tourism is the purpose of your stay.
• Migration Visa: Visa for someone with a job offer from an employer in Australia. Your future employer must sponsor you and show that you have the right education and background.
• Migration Visa: Visa for someone without a job offer from an employer in Australia. This is when you apply for the Skilled Migration Program. Your skills must be in demand to complete a successful application.
• Visa for a Working Holiday: While doing odd jobs around the territory of Australia you can stay for a year on this visa. Only requirements are that you have at least 2 employers during this time and that you are no older than 30.

Healthcare in Melbourne

The Australian Medicare system covers most medical costs for both citizens and permanent residents of the country. Besides this public healthcare, you can also take private healthcare. This is used for things as dental care, which are not included in Medicare. When you are on a temporary permit, it is good to know that private insurance companies also offer insurance for you. Start preparing your insurance plan before your relocation, so that you can compare prices, plans and make sure that you always have the right insurance.

School and education

When you are moving to Melbourne with children, education is your top priority. In Melbourne the facilities are top-notch and there is an abundance of choice. Let’s take a look at the day-care options you have.

• Community daycare centres are the most budget friendly and are widely available across Melbourne. Visit the website of your local city council to find out about the locations in your district.
• Private daycare facilities are pricier and may not be available in certain areas of Melbourne.
• Family daycare is when a person takes care of a number of children in their own home. This could be for example a stay-at-home mom making some extra earnings.
• A nanny or an au pair is the perfect solution when you work around the clock or when you want to have your children around the house all day.

From age 6-17 it is mandatory to attend school and classes are from 0900-1500 on weekdays.

• Public schools are free of charge. However, you do have to pay for books and uniforms. You can attend any school in your “neighborhood zone”.
• Private schools charge tuition fees and are historically run by the Catholic church.
• International schools are the best choice when you want to relocate again later in life. Your child studies an international curriculum and can easily switch between countries.

After graduating from school can go on to study at famous universities like the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).

The job market in Melbourne

With a city so big as Melbourne, there are numerous possibilities for finding employment. Here is a brief overview of some of the most important areas in Melbourne.

• Decades ago, manufacturing was one of the most important areas in the economy of Melbourne. This changed in the ’70s and ’80s of the previous century but nowadays it is still possible to find employment in this sphere.
• The loss of jobs in the manufacturing sector has been filled for a large part by the service sector which has been steadily growing for the last few decades. Areas such as IT, tourism and education have become heavy contributors to the economy of Melbourne.
• Agriculture is an important sector for Melbourne and the state of Victoria. Some of the main products are meat, dairy, fish, fruit and vegetables.

Property information

When you are moving to Melbourne, the most logical option for your accommodation is renting an apartment. Here are some things you should keep in mind when looking for living space.

• Rent prices in Melbourne have been going up for years now and it is expected that this trend will continue for the years to come.
• With a lot of construction going on in Melbourne, there are no shortages in the rental market.
• When you just arrive and want to reduce costs, you can go for sharing an apartment. You will then also have the opportunity to easily make new friends.
• When you just arrive, you can also temporarily stay at a caravan park, while you look for something more permanent.

Cost of moving to Melbourne

Relocating to Melbourne means thinking about stuff like How much is shipping from the USA to Melbourne? The cost of moving house to Melbourne depends on the distance between the pick-up address and the delivery address. Choosing the right service is also essential. Let’s take a look at the options you can choose from.

• When your items stay within the dimensions below you can use our Standard Shipping
• • Maximum weight of 40kg (30kg in some cases).
  • A maximum length of 175 cm.
  • Length (in cm) + 2x width (in cm) + 2x height (in cm) < 300 cm.
• For the big and heavy items, you can opt for our Freight Service. This means shipping your items on pallets. When using this service it is important that you use the right type of pallet. This is the best option when you are looking for the cheapest way to move furniture to Melbourne
• With Dedicated Van Delivery, one van will go directly from the pickup address to your new destination and there won’t be any other items in the van.
• Not sure which service to use? Or do you have items with special requirements? Contact our team of logistics experts for an individual offer.

When you have chosen the most suitable service for your shipment, you know what your average moving costs to Melbourne will be. Also, keep the following things in mind when preparing your shipment.

• With our detailed packing instructions, you can be confident that your package won’t get damaged along the way.
• Payments at Eurosender are quick and simple.
• Adequate Insurance is important with such a big step as moving to Melbourne.

Cost of living in Melbourne

With life in Melbourne being quite pricey at times, you want to be sure that you hang on to your budget. Especially when you are waiting for that first paycheck to come in, here are some tips that can easily help you save money.

• Shops such as Daiso, Hot Potatoes, and Reject Shop offer a wide range of products at discount prices and a great resource to save on your daily shopping.
• There are loads of free exhibitions to keep you entertained during your time off in Melbourne. You can also find many street performances in the center of Melbourne. Whether you like music, break dancing, or living statues, there is something to everyone’s liking.
• Tram transport within the city center limits is free and a great way to avoid expensive taxi costs.
• St Kilda beach and Brighton beach are two fantastic spots for escaping the hectic city life and it is easy to get there by train.
• When you like a good evening out with friends, be on the look-out for happy hour, which you can find in most bars around Melbourne.

Driving in Melbourne

Before you start driving around in the streets of Melbourne, always make sure that you have the right documents on board of the vehicle you are driving.

• Driving License: When your driving license is in English you may use your local license. When this is not the case, you will need to obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP).
• Insurance documents
• Vehicle registration documents

When driving in Melbourne, you will soon find out that there are some peculiarities in this city. Let us point out some things that might need your attention when hitting the Melbourne streets for the first time.

• There are several tollways in and around Melbourne. They work without booths, but you can either easily buy a pass online or pay until 3 days after you use the tollway.
• Metered parking is the norm in Melbourne with an average time limit of 1 hour. In most areas paid parking time restrictions end at 2030.
• Do you want to bring your own car to Melbourne? To bring your vehicle to Australia, you need a “Certificate of Roadworthiness”. This serves as a protection measure to keep the Australian roads safe.
• There is a massive network of trams in Melbourne, which needs extra attention when driving within the city limits.

Other destinations?

Disclaimer: The materials provided in this article were collected from other credible resources to be used for general information purposes only. Given that the legislative basis of the country and its economic development have a changing nature, the information provided in the article could be subject to change. Whilst we endeavour to keep the information up-to-date and correct, Eurosender will not be liable for any inappropriate, incomplete, or inaccurate information. Certain links will lead to websites which are not under control of Eurosender. Thus, Eurosender accepts no liability in respect of materials, products or services being not under control of Eurosender.