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Settling in

Settling in Sydney

Sydney is prepared from France: each person's visa, private health insurance since Medicare is not open to French people on temporary visas, then, once there, the tax file number, the bank account, housing and the Opal card. Here is what we would have liked to know before arriving, checked against Australian official sites and the consulate's.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival and first steps

You do not settle in Australia without a visa obtained before departure, and every family member must be covered by health insurance. Consular registration is done online once you arrive.

Good to know

  • Most expatriate families arrive on the employer-sponsored work visa, the Skills in Demand (subclass 482): the partner and dependent children can be included in the application as family members. Source
  • Many temporary visas carry condition 8501: each holder must keep adequate health insurance for the whole stay, taken out with a registered Australian insurer (individual or family policy, often an Overseas Visitor Health Cover). Source
  • France is not among the eleven countries with a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia (UK, Ireland, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries...): on a temporary visa, you are not entitled to Medicare. Source
  • Registration on the register of French nationals abroad is free, valid for 5 years and done online on service-public.fr: French ID card or passport, proof of residence in Australia and a recent ID photo. It is required to apply for a school grant. Source
  • Week 1, in order: online Tax File Number application for the working parent (possible as soon as you are in Australia with a visa allowing work), bank account, health insurance card, choosing a GP near home, Opal cards for the family, then consular registration. Source
  • Shipping your belongings from Europe takes several weeks, including a thorough customs inspection: plan for a furnished flat or rented furniture until the container arrives. Source

Addresses

  • Consulat général de France à Sydney

    Consulate

    St Martins Tower, Level 26, 31 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000

    Right in the city centre, covering all of Australia. Open to the public Monday to Friday 9am to 12.30pm, most procedures by appointment; passports and ID cards collected without appointment Monday to Thursday 12pm to 12.20pm and Friday 9am to 12pm.

    Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

In Sydney, you choose your neighbourhood according to the school: the Lycée Condorcet in Maroubra, the bilingual programme in Killarney Heights to the north or the one in Taren Point to the south. The rental market is the most expensive in Australia and very competitive, but well regulated by law.

Good to know

  • Three French-speaking school hubs shape where families live: the Lycée Condorcet (AEFE) in Maroubra in the Eastern Suburbs, Killarney Heights public school and its bilingual programme on the North Shore, and Taren Point public school and its bilingual stream in the south. Source
  • Sydney is the most expensive city in Australia for housing, and rents are quoted and paid weekly. Agency listings are almost all on domain.com.au and realestate.com.au; viewings are often 15-minute group open homes. Source
  • At the start, the landlord can only ask for a holding fee of at most one week's rent, a bond of at most 4 weeks' rent, lodged with NSW Fair Trading through Rental Bonds Online, and at most 2 weeks' rent in advance. You receive a condition report: complete it with your own photos. Source
  • Nothing else can be charged: not the background check, not the drafting of the lease, not a pet bond. Since 19 May 2025, the landlord needs a reason to end a lease or refuse a pet, and rent can only rise once a year. Source
  • Prepare your application before viewings: passport and visa, proof of income (employment contract), references from previous landlords and a bank statement. Beware of too-good-to-be-true flatshare ads on classifieds sites, scams are common. Source
  • Before signing, check the school catchment area, which determines access to the public school, as well as the flood and bushfire risk of the area. Source

Addresses

  • Maroubra, Coogee et Randwick

    Neighbourhood

    The heart of the community: the Lycée Condorcet is on Anzac Parade, minutes from Maroubra and Coogee beaches, and the Sydney Children's Hospital is in Randwick. Houses and flats, buses to the City.

    Source

  • Bondi, Bronte, Clovelly et Bondi Junction

    Neighbourhood

    The seaside Eastern Suburbs, between beaches and coastal walk; Bondi Junction has the train station and the big shopping centre. Highly sought after, so expensive.

    Source

  • Woollahra, Paddington et Double Bay

    Neighbourhood

    The harbour side of the Eastern Suburbs: Victorian terraces, Centennial Park close by, and the trip to Maroubra stays reasonable.

    Source

  • Lower North Shore : Mosman, Neutral Bay, Cremorne, Lane Cove, Chatswood

    Neighbourhood

    Affluent northern suburbs facing the CBD, very green, with ferries and trains; the Alliance française has a media library in Chatswood. Handy if work is in the city or to the north.

    Source

  • Northern Beaches : Manly, Freshwater, Balgowlah, Killarney Heights

    Neighbourhood

    Beach life and the ferry to Circular Quay; Killarney Heights has the highest share of French-speaking families in greater Sydney and its public school runs a bilingual programme, backed by the FANS association.

    Source

  • Sutherland Shire : Cronulla et Taren Point

    Neighbourhood

    'The city in the country' according to Sydney Accueil members: beaches, Royal National Park, gentler rents and the City about thirty minutes away by train. Bilingual stream at Taren Point public school.

    Source

  • Inner West : Balmain, Leichhardt, Annandale, Newtown

    Neighbourhood

    Lively neighbourhoods close to the centre, cafés, old houses and good transport; far from the lycée, they suit families who choose the Australian school.

    Source

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Phone and insurance

Your phone is activated in minutes. As for insurance, two are a must: health, required by your visa, and third-party cover for the car.

Good to know

  • For your mobile, a prepaid SIM or eSIM (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and their budget brands) is activated with an ID check using your passport; Telstra's network remains the widest outside the cities.
  • The health insurance required by your visa must be active from arrival and cover every family member: keep the insurer's card with you, it is used at the doctor's, the pharmacy and the hospital. Source
  • In New South Wales, CTP third-party insurance (the 'green slip') is compulsory to register a car; it only covers personal injury, hence the value of additional cover for the vehicle itself. Source
  • Home insurance is not compulsory for tenants, the building being insured by the owner; contents insurance is still useful, especially when the container arrives. Source

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Banking and money

A bank account opens quickly, sometimes even before you leave. Day to day, everything is paid by contactless card, and transfers between individuals go through PayID.

Good to know

  • Several big banks, including Commonwealth Bank and NAB, let you open an account online before you arrive: at CommBank, up to 14 days before arriving in Australia, or within 12 months after. Source
  • Give your Tax File Number to your bank as soon as you have it: it is not compulsory, but without it the bank must withhold tax on interest at the highest marginal rate, plus the Medicare Levy. Source
  • Until your local account is open, your French card works, within the limits set by your bank. Wise also offers its multi-currency account and card to Australian residents. Source
  • Day to day, contactless cards work everywhere. To pay an individual, a babysitter or an activity, you use PayID: a mobile number or email address linked to your account is enough, with no BSB or account number. Source
  • Keep at least one account in France, useful for bills and refunds, and tell your bank before you leave: it switches to non-resident status, and some products such as the LEP savings account must be closed. Ask about the conditions it applies to non-residents. Source

Addresses

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Getting set up

Three large IKEA stores around Sydney, Kmart, supermarkets everywhere and Gumtree for second-hand: setting up is quick.

Addresses

Getting around with children

Train, metro, bus, ferry and light rail are paid by Opal card or contactless bank card, with a daily and weekly cap. Under-4s travel free and prams are welcome everywhere. A car remains useful for weekend national parks.

Good to know

  • You tap on and tap off with an Opal card, a bank card or a phone. Trips are capped per day and per week, the cap is halved on Fridays, weekends and public holidays, and off-peak trips cost less. Source
  • Children aged 3 and under travel free, without a ticket. From 4 to 15, they pay child fares with a Child/Youth Opal card, no proof needed, with caps half those of adults; secondary students aged 16 and over must carry a concession card. Source
  • Prams travel free. The metro is fully accessible and step-free; on buses, a space near the front lets the child stay in the pram, otherwise it must be folded. On trains, board near the guard's compartment. Source
  • On a temporary visa and having arrived after 1 July 2023, you can drive on your French licence for up to 6 months, then you need a NSW temporary overseas visitor licence. Permanent residents have 3 months to transfer their licence. Source
  • France is a recognised country: no knowledge or driving test to get a NSW car licence. Your French licence must come with an approved translation (Multicultural NSW or the Home Affairs translating service). The consulate says it no longer certifies driving record statements pending a decision by NSW authorities. Source
  • In the Eastern Suburbs, on the North Shore or in Manly, buses, trains and ferries are enough day to day; many families still buy a car for distant beaches and national parks. Urban motorways have electronic tolls.

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Admin: taxes, Medicare and the consulate

No French-style social security number: the number that counts is the Tax File Number, and Medicare is reserved for permanent residents and citizens. The consulate remains your town hall and prefecture.

Good to know

  • The Tax File Number (TFN) identifies each taxpayer with the tax office (ATO). With a visa allowing work and once in Australia, you apply for it online for free. Source
  • Tax is withheld from pay by the employer; the tax year runs from 1 July to 30 June and the return is lodged online (myTax) by 31 October. Source
  • Tax residency follows its own rules, separate from immigration: you can be an Australian tax resident without being a permanent resident. The ATO offers online tests to work it out. Source
  • Medicare, the public health insurance scheme, is open to citizens, permanent residents and some permanent residency applicants; the day you get permanent residency, enrol the whole family. Source
  • What the consulate does: passports and ID cards, transcription of births, marriages and deaths, PACS, nationality, the electoral roll, census certificates at 16, and means-tested school grants for the Lycée Condorcet. Source
  • What it does not do: Australian visas, translations (it publishes a list of NAATI-certified translators), the French defence and citizenship day, and it does not cover your medical or repatriation costs. Source

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Budget: what costs more, what costs less

Three items weigh heavily in Sydney: housing, childcare and private health cover. On the other side, outdoor life is free and children's transport costs next to nothing. Without precise figures, here are the orders of magnitude.

Good to know

  • Housing: much more expensive than in France, and even more so near the beaches and the French school. It is the biggest budget item, along with childcare. Source
  • Childcare: very expensive, and the public subsidy (Child Care Subsidy) is subject to residence rules that many temporary visas do not meet. Check your situation before budgeting for a daycare. Source
  • School: without Australian citizenship or permanent residency, public school usually charges fees for children of temporary visa holders, through the NSW Department of Education's Temporary Residents Program. The Lycée Condorcet charges fees, see our school fees page. Source
  • Health: private insurance is a real cost, and it does not cover everything; there is often a 'gap' left to pay at the doctor's or hospital. Always ask for an estimate before planned care. Source
  • Transport and leisure: free for under-4s, capped and half price for 4 to 15-year-olds; beaches, ocean pools, parks and big museums such as the Australian Museum or the Art Gallery of NSW are free. Source
  • Everyday costs: comparable to a large French city for daily shopping, according to the Lycée Condorcet; restaurants, cafés, alcohol and products imported from France are much more expensive. Source

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Sydney will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Consulat général de France à Sydney
  2. 2 Home Affairs, assurance santé des titulaires de visa
  3. 3 NSW Government, signer un bail et emménager
  4. 4 Transport for NSW, tarifs enfants Opal
  5. 5 Australian Taxation Office, Tax File Number
  6. 6 Sydney Accueil, s'installer à Sydney
  7. 7 lepetitjournal.com Sydney, se loger à Sydney
  8. 8 CommBank, ouvrir un compte en arrivant en Australie

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