Before you start

You must already be in Australia to apply for a TFN online
A foreign passport or travel document
A visa with work rights
An Australian postal address that will still be yours in a month

Step-by-step

1
Apply for a TFN through Individual Auto Registration
The ATO's online form matches your passport and visa against Home Affairs records in real time. Free, no appointment, no interview, and it requires a valid work-rights visa.
OnlineWho: YouAbout 20 minutesFree
2
Wait for the TFN letter by post
The number is never shown on screen and never emailed. It is posted to the Australian address you supplied, which is why that address must still be yours in four weeks.
OnlineWho: ATOAllow up to about 28 days
3
Complete the TFN declaration for your employer
Usually inside payroll onboarding or through myGov in your first days. Tell payroll you have applied if the number has not arrived — that preserves a 28-day grace period at ordinary withholding rates.
Via employerWho: YouWithin 14 days of starting
4
Nominate a superannuation fund
Your employer must pay 12% of ordinary time earnings into super. You can choose your own fund; otherwise a 'stapled' fund follows you or the employer default applies. Check the fees and the default insurance before accepting.
Via employerWho: You
5
If you plan to buy, check the First Home Buyers Assistance thresholds first
A full exemption applies up to AUD 800,000 and a concession tapers to AUD 1,000,000, for new and existing homes, subject to residence requirements. Newcastle's median sits inside that band in a way Sydney's does not, which is a concrete financial reason the Hunter works for first buyers.
OnlineWho: You
6
Lodge a return after 30 June
The tax year runs 1 July to 30 June. Self-lodged returns are due 31 October through myTax in myGov with employer, bank and health fund data pre-filled. A registered tax agent engaged before 31 October extends the deadline substantially.
OnlineWho: YouAnnually

Documents you’ll need

Foreign passport or travel document
Valid visa with work rights
Australian postal address
Australian bank account details for refunds
Private health insurance statement, if you hold hospital cover

Things most newcomers don’t know

New South Wales charges foreign purchasers 9% — the highest in the country.

Surcharge purchaser duty rose from 8% to 9% on 1 January 2025 and applies to the full purchase price, on top of ordinary transfer duty. Queensland and Victoria charge 8%, South Australia and Western Australia 7%, and the ACT charges no purchase surcharge at all. On a AUD 900,000 Newcastle house the NSW surcharge alone is AUD 81,000, and it is a genuine reason a foreign buyer might look at Canberra instead.

Source: Revenue NSW — surcharge purchaser duty

The annual foreign owner land tax surcharge went to 5%, and it has no threshold.

From the 2025 land tax year the foreign owner surcharge rose from 4% to 5%, and unlike ordinary land tax it applies to the entire unimproved land value with no tax-free threshold. That is a recurring annual cost on top of the one-off 9% at purchase, and it is what makes NSW the most expensive place in Australia for a foreign person to hold residential property.

Source: Revenue NSW — surcharge land tax

Newcastle's median price sits inside the first home buyer exemption band and Sydney's does not.

The First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme gives a full transfer duty exemption up to AUD 800,000 and tapers to AUD 1,000,000. In Sydney that band buys very little; in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie it covers a real share of the market, including houses rather than only units. For a first buyer choosing between the two, the duty saving compounds with the lower price.

Source: Revenue NSW — First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme

Since 1 April 2025 most foreign persons cannot buy an established dwelling at all.

A federal ban on foreign persons, including temporary residents, purchasing established dwellings took effect on 1 April 2025 with limited exceptions available through the ATO. It was legislated to run to 31 March 2027 and the 2026–27 Budget announced an extension. In an established-housing market like Newcastle that closes most of what is for sale to a temporary resident. Confirm the current position on the ATO's foreign investment pages before making an offer.

Source: ATO — foreign investment in Australia, established dwellings

Common mistakes to avoid

Applying for a TFN before arriving — the online route requires you to be in Australia.
Using a short-stay address for the TFN letter and moving out before it arrives.
Missing the 28-day grace period and being withheld at 45–47% on your first pay runs.
Budgeting a Newcastle purchase as a foreign person without pricing the 9% surcharge duty and the 5% annual land tax surcharge.
Assuming a temporary resident can buy an established house — the federal ban has applied since 1 April 2025.
Missing the First Home Buyers Assistance thresholds by a few thousand dollars on the purchase price.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

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