How to pay in Aussie $ outside of the UK?

**Faye&Matt** · 23-10-2008, 09:15 AM

I was wondering if anyone knew how we can pay in Aussie dollars outside of the UK, i have been looking on the immi website and it says that we may be able to do this. However it doesnt state this in the how to pay section? It is a lot cheaper to pay in $A so if anyone has any ideas it would be very helpful?

**Gollywobbler** · 23-10-2008, 11:25 AM

Hi Faye & Matt

Do you mean pay in AUD whilst you are outside Australia?

All clearing banks in the UK can issue foreign currency drafts. CHAPS transfers can be arranged in foreign currencies as well.

What do you wish to buy with AUD and in which country, please? Obviously if you want to shift a large amount of AUD to Australia in order to buy a house there then you need to consider how to get the best deal on the transaction.

If on the other hand you want a draft for a couple of thousand AUD in order to pay DIAC's fees for a visa application you might simply choose a foreign currency draft from your bank for convenience, even though the Bank will sting you on the exchange rate and by that I mean will sting you, not might sting you. That's banks for you nowadays, regrettably.

Best wishes

Gill

**Faye&Matt** · 23-10-2008, 11:46 AM

Hi, my bf wrote that message and I don't think he was clear about it. It says on the immi website that you can pay in Aussie dollars for the defacto spouse visa which we want to do as it works out about a hundred pounds cheaper or something like that which, as we don't have much money would obviously be better. We are in the UK but were thinking he could pay from his Aussie bank account for the visa but aren't sure what methods of payment they accept. We thought we'd ask on here rather than ringing the expensive immigration phoneline!

**Gollywobbler** · 23-10-2008, 12:08 PM

Hi Faye

Thanks for clarifying this. Does your OH have an Aussie credit card which would pay DIAC in AUD as its "default option"?

Obviously he could ask his Aussie Bank for a draft in favour of DIAC and he could instruct the bank to send the draft to him in the UK but that could take weeks.

What DIAC never do is reveal enough of the details of their receiving accounts to enable anyone to transfer money straight into DIAC's accounts, which I assume are all held at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It would not be practical to try to do that in any case.

My guess is that it is going to be a case of either using an Australian card or biting the bullet on the exchange rate, commissions etc unfortunately - in the interests of speed.

Best wishes

Gill

**jewels1356** · 23-10-2008, 12:28 PM

try hifx this will be chjeaper and quicker than using banks
julie
xx

**Faye&Matt** · 23-10-2008, 02:31 PM

Thank you for that info Gill. I'll ask him about it tonight. He doesn't have an Australian credit card only a British one which he got when he moved over here. I'll ask him tonight about getting a bankers draft from Aus which is what I think we'll have to do. We've got a few weeks so I'll get him to ring up and see how long it would take.

Thank you for that Julie. I've not heard of Hifx but I'll check that out.