Moving to Brisbane 

Moving to Brisbane & Australia

We invite you to browse the pages of BCL to find a wide variety of information related to your needs and interests and to subscribe to the free BCL newsletter.

On this page we have grouped links to information of particular interest to people planning to move to Brisbane. 

Entry Visas etc

• LIVE IN australia.com, Australia's leading online immigration service, provides advice on obtaining an Australian visa
• Australian Immigration  
  • Fact Sheets
  • Information for migrants and refugees
  • Migrating to Australia
  • Visiting Australia
• Australian Customs Service
• Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
  includes info on taking your cat, dog or other animals into or out of Australia

Money and Currency Conversions

• The Universal Currency Converter will tell you how Australian dollars compare to your own currency.

Housing and Accommodation

Most Brisbane houses are on their own block of land. Semi-detached houses are rare and are called duplexes. Most modern homes are single story, with brick walls and a tiled roof. Many older homes are timber (weatherboard) and there are still many traditional "Queenslanders" in older suburbs. Backyard pools are common and by law must be fenced to prevent drowning accidents. Townhouses are becoming more common.

Flats and apartment blocks are common in the inner city suburbs. Check the BCL real estate listings to get an indication about prices. You could also try the rental property listings to get an idea about costs. Most expect 4 weeks rent as bond. The Residential Tenancies Authority regulates rental agreements and bonds.

Many people who work or study in Brisbane commute from surrounding areas including Pine Rivers, Redcliffe, Caboolture, Ipswich and Logan.

• Check the BCL Accommodation Guide for hotels, apartments, motels and other accommodation. Bed & Breakfasts can offer a lot of extra services and local knowledge when you first arrive. Many offer reduced rates for weekly or monthly bookings and can arrange transport from the airport.
   
• Search for properties for sale in Brisbane & Queensland or browse homes for sale and rental properties in the Brisbane region

Employment and Work

• BCL employment page has links to agencies and information.
• Skills Recognition - Recognition of Work or Training and Overseas Qualification Assessments
• NOOSR (National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition) 
• Check award wages using WageNet

Education - Schools and Study

School fees vary from approx $1500 per year for Catholic and smaller private schools to $6-8,000 for the bigger private schools. Most don't have their fees on their web pages. State-run schools are free (with expenses) but if you are not an Aust resident, there is often a charge. Details on this should be available from Education Queensland. In our opinion, both state and private schools range from poor to excellent. 

Cost of Living

• Check award wages using WageNet - Queensland
• BCL Vehicles - check car and petrol prices.
• The Universal Currency Converter will tell you how Australian dollars compare to your own currency.
• Rent New Cars - a car rental site for Europcar and Thrifty economy, intermediate, full- size, luxury and sports cars, buses, Wagons and 4 wheel- drives in Australia. RentNewCars quotes very low prices on over 200 city and airport locations including Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Cairns and many cities throughout Australia.

Contacts

• Get a Life is a site where all social events are created by the members themselves. Here you can meet people and form friendships by joining several local groups and activities, anything from bush walking, to theatre visits, to Friday drinks to dinner dates.    
• BCL - Multi-cultural Groups