How hard is it to set up an account in Australia for non-resident?

[Okila]

Hi everybody!How hard is it to set up an account in Australia for non-resident? I will go to Sydney for several months to see my auntie and would like to have a local card? Or is there any EU card (I'm from Germany) which work perfectly in Australia? Let me know the options pls.

[Marisawright]

You can use your EU cards in Australian machines without any problems.   

[Susan from Moneycorp]

Hi Okila,

Yes, your EU cards will all work fine here - but beware of the exchange rates and fees that your German bank may charge.
Definitely check their policy on those.

Otherwise, before I moved here I opened an expat account with Westpac and it was seamless. Could not have gone smoother.
You can use your Aunt's address as your temporary address and just go into your local branch when you arrive to collect your ATM cards etc.

You won't want to do your FX Euro/AUD through them though because their margins are very big. Shop around for a good FX provider who only take a small margin.

Good luck!  

[Se7en8]

Hey! I'd like to add one more option which I use... I'm from Italy but live in Sidney. I have blackcatcard, that's a euro debit card, opened online for citizens of any country and no matter where you are. All transactions are free and unlimited. The card itself is in euro. Account is opened with ID and selfie (registration is a bit laggy, but I managed to finish it quite fast) and the card is delivered within 10-15 days. You can withdraw money at any mastercard ATM at 2% in any place