KZ1

I can also recommend Wise. Had an account for a few years & found them to be great. Within the App you can have an AUD & GBP ( + others) accounts & transfer funds instantly & at the interbank rate. The only issue to watch is drawing cash. For an Aust issued card the limit is 2 cash withdrawals per month & under $350 total, before a 1.75% fee kicks in, but there are easy work-arounds.

[quote So, I'd say you wouldn't have much trouble getting a job back in the UK - the only problem you might have, is getting a job back in Sydney if you don't settle in the UK. Absolutely spot on advice from Marisa.

ILR lapses after 2 years out of the UK

Registration is about $650 for a 4 cylinder car. That includes compulsory 3rd party insurance, which covers personal injury only, not damage to other parties vehicle. There is no MoT equivalent in QLD. You must maintain a car in roadworthy condition, but there is no annual inspection. Other states are different.

Moneycorp are a company. I used to use them, but changed to OFX as they had better rates.

For transfers I have used OFX for the past few years, with an average of at least 1 transfer per month. I highly recommend OFX. www.ofx.com Occasionally compare rates with other companies, and OFX have always been best. Transfers usually take about 24 hours. Also they are listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, so you are dealing with a Public Company, not some private operation.

Interesting to see comments re requirement to travel in/out of Australia on an Aust passport. Wife travelled in/out of Aust several times for 15 years on UK passport (while based in UK), even though an Aust citizen for over 20 years. (Had never held an Australian passport as she could not see the point in paying for two). Each time on entry to Aust the Australian citizenship box was ticked, requiring immigration to go and look up their records to confirm. Each time they recommended she get an Australian passport as it would make transit through immigration quicker (& no doubt easier for them), but at no time were we told it was a "requirement"

Would have thought that as she has a UK birth certificate, it would be a case of simply applying for a British passport Only reason I can think of why she would not have full UK citizenship is if neither parent had the right to stay in the UK at time of her birth (i.e. They were tourists)

try a specialist such as Shannon's www.shannons.com.au for an insurance quote . the other costs will be your import duty and probably a valuation fee. Then there will be registration. There is a thread on here where you can get an estimate of costs from Iron Lady imports on the likely costs even after all the costs it would probably be worth more in Aust than the UK should you decide to sell it. Anyway there are more fine days in Aust to enjoy a car like that.

Compared to some of the bureaucracy in Australia, importing a car is not that bad. You just need to work out what is needed at the various steps and make sure you understand how the system works. i.e. the difference between importing & registering a car, why a valuation is needed, the registration process for an import etc. All the info is on this site. If that is all too complex or time consuming for someone, then just let IronChef handle it all for you.

If your aircon is gassed with R134a you will be OK & do not need to degass - you simply sign a waiver (for a pre-charged equip licence) that the aircon gas meets the requirements.. Most cars within the last 10-15 years use R134a. Anyone importing a car under PIS can gain an expemption from obtaining a "pre-charged equipment licence" SUBJECT TO the the refridgerant type. R134A are fine and you can sign the waiver Most cars have a yellow sticker in the engine bay stating the type of gas used.

The Federal govt is in the process of harmonising Australian Design Rules with EU regs, but is has taken a LONG time, now up to 4-5 years...one day ISOFIX will be fine...one day... Hi Iron Chef To relay our own experiance, our car was passed with just the ISOFIX child seat anchors. No additional child seat anchor points were required. Maybe the regulations are moving, ..... or maybe the inspector was having a good day K

Re: don't need to degas: Just check that your Air Con gas is not one of the old nasty ozone harmful types. If it is, you will be in for all sorts of grief from Customs (and huge expense) as they can not be imported under any circumstances. Most cars less than 15 years old are fine. Generally speaking anyone importing a car under PIS can gain an expemption from obtaining a "pre-charged equipment licence" SUBJECT TO the the refridgerant type. Most current types (such as R134A) are fine and you can sign the waiver as suggested by Big Steve. Just clarifying that the waiver exemption does not always apply. All the info is here: http://www.environment.gov.au/atmosphere/ozone/licences/vehicle-import.html

PIS applications: Email with scanned documents are fine. Just did mine that way. If they want originals (unlikely) they will ask. The email address is Imports.Vehicle@infrastructure.gov.au K