Find information on travelling from the airport and around your new home city below. You can also refer to the public transport options section.

If you already have a phone when you arrive in Australia you may want to just buy a sim card with a phone plan which you can put into your current mobile phone.

There are two types of mobile phone accounts you can choose from:

To see what is best suited to your budget have a look at some of the phone providers below:

• Optus
• Vodaphone
• Telstra
• JB Hi-Fi

The below companies only sell phone plans. They do not sell mobile phones. You can order a SIM card from them and put it in any phone.

• Belong
• ALDI Mobile
• Amaysim

To make international telephone calls from Australia, dial 0011 followed by the country code, the area code (if required) and the telephone number.

To call Australia from overseas, dial 61 followed by the area code and telephone number. To make calls from one location to another within Australia, dial the area code (if required) followed by the telephone number.

Firstly, check to see if your accommodation provider offers internet access with your accommodation.

If not, many internet providers in Australia are also mobile or fixed phone carriers, and they offer pre-paid or contract internet plans similar to the above. If you choose a contract service, you will receive a modem, and pay each month for a certain data allowance. Ask the providers you are considering for details of plans that might suit you.

You can compare internet providers. Some of the main internet providers are:

• Optus
• Vodaphone
• Telstra

Study Australia also has helpful information about mobile phones and internet.

Find information on travelling from the airport and around your new home city below.

Note: International students are not usually entitled to student travel concessions (discounted city public transport tickets).

If you plan on driving in Australia during your time living here you will likely need to change your license over to an Australian one or obtain an international driver’s license.

Requirements differ from state to state so make sure to read up on the state you will be spending the most time in.

• Queensland - Overseas Driver's Licence
• New South Wales - Overseas Driver's Licence
• South Australia - Overseas Driver's Licence
• Victoria - Overseas Driver's Licence

Check out Insider Guides - Driving in Australia.

If you are planning to bring children to Australia who are younger than school age, you may wish to enrol them into childcare (please note this is not a visa requirement).

As an international student working in Australia, you have the same protections as any Australian in the workplace. Here are some things you need to know, and a checklist to make sure you are well prepared. Check the Work right Fact Sheet

The basic unit of Australian currency is the dollar (AUD). There are 100 cents in one dollar ($1). Australian dollar notes come in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. Coins are issued in denominations of 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2.

For more information, click here.

Knowing the average living costs in Australia is an important part of your financial preparation.

Find out about some of the costs associated with living and studying in Australia (all costs are in Australian dollars).

Food and household products

In Australia, we have many options to purchase food like greengrocers, fruit shops, corner stores, convenience stores and specialty shops. For your main staples, the biggest and most affordable place to purchase is from supermarkets.

Supermarkets are everywhere in Australia so it won’t be hard to find one close to your accommodation. Here are the main ones in Australia:

• Coles
• Woolworths
• Aldi
• IGA

Once you have settled in Australia you may choose to share an apartment or house with other students. These are normally rented through a real estate agent.

With the homestay option, you’ll have the opportunity to live with a local family, experience Australian culture and get to know the area you’ll be living in.

Host families are thoroughly screened to ensure they can provide a suitable living environment for students.

Homestay accommodation can be organised through the Australian Homestay Network (AHN).

Hotels can be an expensive choice but allows you privacy in your own room while you familiarise yourself with your new city in a safe environment before exploring other accommodation options.

• Hotels.com
• Bookings.com
• Tripadvisor

Hostels are a much cheaper option but this often comes with shared rooms, cooking and laundry areas.

• Hostelworld
• YHA Australia
• Tripadvisor

Social connections are important to help you feel settled. Getting involved in your local community is also a great way to explore Australia and Australian culture.

There are many different cultural groups and religious centres that can make you feel welcome.

When we talk about the international student experience, it’s easy to focus on things like academics, visas and budgeting. Sure, these details are crucial to think about to ensure your educational success. But it’s equally important to discuss the things that affect your personal life and wellbeing.

You have the right to feel welcome and safe at all times. You are also responsible for showing others the same level of care and respect. It is everybody's right and responsibility to make ours a safer community!

Above all else, it’s important to prioritise your safety in your personal and professional relationships, and sex and dating life.

Check out our Respect and Safety pages for information about: 

• Bullying and harassment
• Domestic and family violence
• Sexual assault and sexual harrassment
• and other support and services we offer

There are plenty of steps you can take to properly protect yourself.

Helpful guides

• Online Dating Safety
• The Low Down - Your guide to sexual health and relationships

When you leave home to travel to your new country, you naturally take your own personality and cultural ways with you. When you arrive in a new country with a different culture you can experience a wide variety of feelings and reactions. For example, you may feel confused, nervous, irritable, uncertain and dependent on others.

If you experience these things, then you probably have culture shock.

Australians have particular attitudes, customs and habits that might take some getting used to. It could be something small (such as restaurants closing at 9pm because locals eat dinner early, or how the bin system works) to bigger cultural differences (like the way people speak to and interact with one another). Clothing, food, teaching and learning styles, and people’s behaviours may also be completely different from what you’re accustomed to.

The culture shock might be disorienting at first, as you’re settling into a new way of life. But you’re not alone! It will just take a little time to adjust.

Wherever you are in Australia, if there's a life-threatening emergency, use your mobile phone to call 000 (zero zero zero).

It's a free call, even from your mobile. An operator will answer and will ask which of the following services you need:

If you're not sure which service you need just tell the operator what you are calling about and they will help guide you.

If you don't speak English, tell the operator your language and you will be connected to a translator who will be able to assist.

When calling:

1. You will hear a short recorded message stating that you have dialled the emergency number and then a Telstra operator will ask which service you require - police, fire or ambulance?
2. You must stay on the line.
3. Respond with the service you need and the state (Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland) you are in. (If you are using a mobile telephone you will be asked for the city and state you are in).
4. Your call will then be connected to the emergency service you need. Requests for an ambulance will be connected to the Emergency Operations Centre at your location.

It is important to remain calm. The operator will ask questions:

• What is the exact address of the emergency?
• What is the phone number you are calling from?
• What is the problem, tell me exactly what happened?
• How old is the person?
• Are they conscious?
• Are they breathing?

They can even help you perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other first-aid treatments while you wait for the ambulance to arrive.

As a student at Torrens University, and as an international student in Australia you have rights. For assistance with workplace rights, consumer rights, and university rights please see below.

Policies:

• Torrens University - Policies and Forms
• Think Education - Policies and Forms

Contact your country's consulate if you want to:

• renew or replace your passport or other official documents
• report to your country any births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adoptions that happened in Australia.

Your consulate may also be able to help if you:

• are in distress or emergency situations where the Australian authorities cannot help
• are arrested, seriously injured or a victim of crime
• need information about social security in your country
• have questions about national service obligations in your country
• need to contact your family in an emergency
• need travel advice for travel to your country.

See the list of consulates on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website. Consulates open during normal Australian business hours.

Here are some other helpful organisations dedicated to assisting international students.