Moving your Money to Australia

The goal here is simple: to get as many Australian dollars for your New Zealand dollars as possible. This is how we did it, and it worked out well for us:

1. Please, please do not take large sums of cash or travellers' cheques! You are literally wasting money by doing so. The best way to convert anything other than the smallest sums of money is to send it via telegraphic transfer (TT).
2. Open an Australian bank account before leaving New Zealand so that you can minimise the amount of cash you need to take with you..

Of course, you can wait until you get to Australia before opening an account. This will be easier if you prefer a bank that doesn't allow you to open an account online from New Zealand.

You can still convert your New Zealand dollars to Australian dollars in cash, as it isn't dependent on opening an account before you leave New Zealand.

Having all your finances sorted before you go is possible.

To help you prepare for your new life in Australia, the International Customer Services Team (ICS) at Commonwealth Bank can assist with all your banking needs before you leave for Australia.

The Commonwealth Bank is one of Australia's leading financial institutions, offering a comprehensive range of personal, business and institutional banking products and services under one roof.

Naturally you want to get the best deal on converting your New Zealand dollars into Australian dollars. We share our experiences in "Move to Aus Now - The Guide for Kiwis by Kiwis", in setting up an Australian bank account before leaving New Zealand, and how to get the most Australian dollars for your Kiwi dollars.