Bringing cash

[Smithers]

Coming out early next year, looking to rent a house for the first year.

Is there a maximum amount of cash we are allowed to bring into the country per person?

thinking of paying the bond and 6 months rent in advance to try and secure a house as quickly as possible thought cash would make it easier and quicker.

cheers

[Ashleigh]

$10k max to bring in, not sure if that's per person or per family though!

[snifter]

The 10k and anything over is the amount that you must declare. Amounts under $10k do not need to, tho if bringing in $9995 or some such, safer to declare.

 

Open up an Aus bank account online before you move, leave UK account open. Then make going to the bank and activating your Aus account and collecting bank cards etc one of the first things you do when you arrive. Then just transfer funds over.

[Guest Guest75]

As Snifter said......... I'd not be carrying a large amount of cash all that way and sometimes in busy /confusing circumstances.

[Guest BurgessFamily]

I can carry it for you Tyke.

[Rammygirl]

You can even transfer funds before you arrive if you open an oz account, just can't take them out until you have been in person to register..

 

use a forex company you will get a better rate than the bank.

[debbie lawrence]

we brought a large amount of UK cash with us (due to the bank mucking up getting out money - long story) but we declared it and as we had something to declare went straight to the front of the line, no problems at all, just showed them the cash had a little chat about our travel and was straight out, when to the bank on the way from the airport as the rental wasn't free till lunchtime and deposited it and opened an account, very easy, bank cards came to the rental 3 days later. Wouldn't recommend travelling with that sort of money but if you have to wasn;t a problem.

[Smithers]

Thanks Debbie that's helped a lot. Without being nosey about how much you had,do you think we could bring 10k each?

I bet you haven't still got it anyway!!! Heard it's got more expensive since I was last there in 99!

cheers

steve

[snifter]

You can bring 10k each, just you must declare it. And be carrying it individually from what I recall. Not saying you have 10k each but it's all in one persons bag. You are supposed to declare for your own luggage iykwim.

 

One person can carry 20k and it's fine, so long as you declare they are carrying it.

 

http://customs.gov.au/faq/Currency.asp

Edited February 27, 2014 by snifter

[debbie lawrence]

it was about 10,000 GBP (can't really remember exactly) about $17,000, paid most of it in but kept enough for a bond and months worth of rent, not had that much cash before (or since) lol, wouldn't recommend it though. Not sure about more expensive as we'd never been before, we made a point of not converting things back, if we needed to buy stuff - $'s is what we need to pay. When your earning $'s its all relative so try not to compare, very occassionally we do like last night, ticket for a fringe show $16 about 8 GBP not bad for a night out or Bon Jovi tickets for $30 so not all bad

Debbie

[Rammygirl]

Just to add most agents don't like accepting cash. We had to pay our bond via on line banking or bank cheque.