Emigrating to Australia, Moving down under?

Yes, there will be big spiders, big roadside sculptures and big adjustments by you and your family. But you can ease the transition from Britain to Australia by ensuring you have the essentials covered before you embark on your adventure Down Under.

Australia is the most popular country in the world for British migrants, according to The Office for National Statistics, beating the US in second place. Skilled migrants are in demand, especially in IT and engineering, with business consultancy IBISWorld also predicting a yearly increase in job opportunities in the oil and gas sector of 11 per cent. Most Brits moving to Australia are coming to a job and have sponsored work visas, although this doesn’t apply to partners or spouses. The largest cities, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are the preferred destinations.

Your family can benefit from great quality of life with a strong outdoors element and good healthcare and educational systems. Expectations should include a higher cost of living in terms of rent and consumer goods, but local purchasing power is about 25 per cent greater in Australia than it is in the United Kingdom (source: Numbeo).

Leaving home

Major life changes like relocating to a new country are inherently risky. There is so much not in your control that has the potential to go wrong, from disruptions to your travel plans to navigating unfamiliar traffic.

One of the major demands you may face as a permanent migrant is relocating your household and setting up home in your new town or city. Employing export packers may be a smart move, whether you opt for a sole container or share container space, and insuring your household and personal goods against damage or loss can be one of the essentials of your big move.

Renting out your own property in the UK? Ensure peace of mind at distance by taking out expat landlord insurance, which covers you for loss of rent, legal liability costs and damage by. For downtime between tenants, Gallagher’s Intasure property insurance for expats covers your home (and swimming pool if you have one), whether it is occupied or not.

In Transit

Once you land, you may require transport. Australian cities are large and sprawling. Melbourne’s footprint is six times London’s with half its population, for example, and Brisbane is 20 times larger than New York City. You might choose to rely on the public transport system – trains, bus and tram services in metros are good compared to international standards – or you might decide to hire a car or simply purchase one.

As in the UK, third party insurance is mandatory in Australia. Gallagher also offers options for 4WD and recreational vehicles, or even that pleasure craft for taking advantage of Australia’s 21,000 miles of coastline, lakes or rivers!

*The opinions and views expressed in the above articles are those of the author only and are for guidance purposes only. The authors disclaim any liability for reliance upon those opinions and would encourage readers to rely upon more than one source before making a decision based on the information.