How to send money to Australia in 2026: an international transfer in 1-3 business days and payments by phone number
In Australia an account is opened online before you arrive, and inside the country money arrives in seconds by phone number. In 2026, without a tax file number the bank withholds 47% of interest, a student visa requires $21,000 (A$29,710) for a year of living, and a foreigner buys new builds with foreign investment approval.
In short
- An international transfer takes 1-3 business days and needs a 6-digit branch code and the account number.
- Without a tax file number the bank withholds 47% of interest.
- A student visa requires $21,000 (A$29,710) for a year of living.
- Deposits at one bank are guaranteed up to $180,000 (A$250,000) per person.
In detail
In 2026 the simplest way to send money to Australia is an international transfer to your own account at an Australian bank: money from abroad takes 1-3 business days, and crediting needs a 6-digit branch code and the account number. Major banks open an account online before you arrive, and the card is issued at a branch after a passport check. Inside the country money moves in seconds by phone number or email, Australia has no gift tax, and without a tax file number the bank withholds 47% of interest.
Australian dollars converted into US dollars at the European Central Bank rate of 7 October 2026 (1 Australian dollar = 0.6951 US dollars), rounded up. What works on 8 October 2026:
| Method | Status | Currency credited | Time | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| international transfer to your own account | works | Australian dollars or a foreign-currency account | 1-3 business days | branch code, account number, international bank code |
| account opened before arrival | works | Australian dollars | money waits on the account until you land | passport and visa, a check at a branch after arrival |
| instant transfer inside the country | around the clock | Australian dollars | seconds | the recipient's phone number, email or account details |
| money transfer system to an account | works | Australian dollars | from a few minutes | the recipient's name, branch code and account number |
| paying for a new-build home | works | Australian dollars | per the contract | Foreign Investment Review Board approval |
A 6-digit branch code and instant transfers by phone number
Australia has no international account number: the recipient's bank is found by a 6-digit branch code, and the account by its number, usually 6-9 digits. For a transfer from abroad you add the bank's international code of 8 or 11 characters and the recipient's name as the bank has it. Inside the country an instant payment system works: money arrives in seconds at any time, and instead of account details a phone number or email linked to the account is enough.
A transfer from abroad is credited in Australian dollars. If the sender's bank exchanges currency at a poor rate, it pays to send US dollars and exchange them in Australia or hold them on a foreign-currency account.
We will advise how best to send money to Australia: we will compare the sender bank's rate with the Australian bank's rate for your amount.
Transfer before you land: tax file number and the recipient account
Major Australian banks open an account online several months before the move: with a passport and visa you get an account number and send money to it, and after landing you pass a check at a branch and receive the card. That way money for rent, the bond and the first expenses is waiting for you in Australia on the day you arrive.
Right after arrival you get a tax file number from the Australian Taxation Office and give it to the bank. Without the number the bank withholds tax on interest at the top rate of 47%; with it, tax is worked out according to your status, and for a non-resident the bank withholds 10% of interest.
Studying in Australia: $21,000 (A$29,710) for a year of living
For a student visa a foreigner shows money for a year of living: $21,000 (A$29,710) for themselves, $7,300 (A$10,394) for a spouse and $3,100 (A$4,449) for each child, plus the first year's tuition and travel. The Department of Home Affairs looks not only at the sum but at the history of the money on the account, so a large deposit just before applying is explained with documents.
Tuition is paid straight to the university account against its invoice, and living money goes to your own Australian account opened before arrival. Statuses are covered on the Australia residence permit page.
Property in Australia for a foreigner: new builds and the state surcharge
A foreigner without permanent residence buys new housing in Australia: a flat in a building under construction or a plot to build on, with Foreign Investment Review Board approval. Existing homes on the resale market are bought until 30 June 2029 by citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens. On top of the usual duty a foreign buyer pays a state surcharge: 9% in New South Wales, 8% in Victoria and Queensland.
Approval is obtained before signing the contract, or the contract is signed with an approval condition, and the application fee depends on the price of the home. Money for the purchase reaches the Australian account before settlement, and the bank checks its origin together with the purchase approval.
A manager will advise how to fit the approval, the transfer and the documents on the money into one schedule. Choosing a home is covered in how to buy an apartment in Australia.
Three amount levels and an Australian bank's questions
Up to $10,000. Rent, the bond, the first weeks of living: the payment purpose and your name as account holder are enough for the bank.
From $10,000 to $100,000. Savings, a car, tuition: the bank will ask where the money came from and request a statement or a sale contract.
Over $100,000. Property and investments: a full pack on the origin of the money over several years and the purchase contract with Foreign Investment Review Board approval.
The government guarantees deposits at one Australian bank up to $180,000 (A$250,000) per person. How to gather the documents is covered in moving home sale proceeds abroad and sending large sums abroad, and a full capital transfer is on the capital relocation page. Tell a manager about your amount, and they will choose the route and the bank.
Tax on money from abroad: gifts are not taxed
Australia has no gift or inheritance tax, and money sent by relatives from abroad is not counted as income. An Australian tax resident pays tax on worldwide income, including interest on foreign deposits, while a non-resident pays only on Australian income. The tax office treats as resident someone who lives in Australia and someone who spent more than half of the tax year, 1 July to 30 June, in the country; a student on a course longer than six months also counts as resident. A resident pays no tax on the first $13,000 (A$18,200) of income a year. Details are on the taxes in Australia page.
We will help you send money to Australia
Mistakes cost more than fees: exchanging currency at the sender bank's rate without comparing, an account without a tax file number losing 47% of interest, student visa money arriving just before the application with no explanation, and a deposit on a home before Foreign Investment Review Board approval. We will help you avoid them: we choose the currency and the transfer route before the move, gather source-of-funds documents and build the home purchase schedule.
Details and cost are with a manager in the chat: everything depends on the amount, the visa type and the purpose of the transfer.
From an Australian account to Asia and Europe
From Australia money is most often sent to the United Kingdom, India, China and Japan by international transfer in 1-3 business days.
Sending money to nearby countries
- How to send money to Tonga
- How to send money to New Zealand
- How to send money to Vanuatu
- How to send money to Indonesia
- How to send money to Timor-Leste
- How to send money to Papua New Guinea
Other countries are on the capital relocation page.
FAQ
How many digits is a branch code in Australia?
Can I open an account at an Australian bank before moving?
What happens to deposit interest in Australia without a tax file number?
How much living money do you need to show for an Australian student visa?
What surcharge on the duty does a foreign home buyer pay in Sydney?
Is money sent by parents from abroad taxed in Australia?
Up to what amount does the government guarantee a deposit at an Australian bank?
We will suggest the best way to send your money
We will choose a transfer method for your amount and country, prepare the documents on the origin of the money for the bank, make the transfer through licensed partners and follow it until the money is credited. Ask your question in the chat - the manager will suggest the best terms and the cost. The legal side with banks and government bodies is handled by Murblz specialists and locally licensed partners.
Details and cost are with the manager in the chat. Describe your situation and we will reply right away.
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