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How do I leave Australia, and in what order?

Leaving Australia goes smoothly when things happen in the right order. Most steps take days, but a few, like your lease, your pets and your super, need planning months ahead.

Last checked 8 Oct 2026·Information, not advice

In 30 seconds

  • Check your lease end date first: in NSW and Queensland you give at least 14 days’ notice to leave at the end of a fixed term, and in Victoria at least 28 days
  • Your final pay must include any unused annual leave. Keep an Australian bank account open for it, your bond and any tax refund
  • On a temporary visa, you claim your super (DASP) after you’ve left and your visa has ended. Permanent residents and citizens usually can’t take it out until preservation age
Lease notice14–28 daysEnd of a fixed term, by state
Employer notice1–4 weeksBy length of service, under the NES
DASP tax35% or 65%Taxed element; 65% for working holiday makers
Car sale14 daysTo tell NSW or Victoria you’ve sold it

The order that works

  1. 3–4 months before: check your lease end date, get removal and pet transport quotes, and apply for transfer of residence relief so your belongings can enter the UK free of duty and VAT
  2. Your notice at work: as your award, agreement or contract says
  3. Your lease: give written notice in time for the end of the fixed term, or agree an early exit
  4. Your car: sell it and lodge the notice of disposal, or cancel the registration and claim any refund
  5. Your last weeks: final inspection, bond claim, utilities and phone, mail redirection
  6. After you fly: claim your super if you can, and lodge your last tax return

Make a dated version for your own leaving date in Step 5: Moving on.

Your job

  • If your employer ends your job, the National Employment Standards set minimum notice: 1 week for up to 1 year of service, 2 weeks for 1 to 3 years, 3 weeks for 3 to 5 years and 4 weeks after 5 years, plus a week if you’re over 45 with at least 2 years’ service
  • When you resign, the notice you give is set by your award, enterprise agreement or contract, not the NES. Many awards mirror the same scale. Check yours before you set a date
  • Your final pay must include unused annual leave, with leave loading if you’d normally get it. Unused sick and carer’s leave isn’t paid out

Your home

StateNotice to leave at the end of a fixed term
New South WalesAt least 14 days, in writing. The date can’t be before the fixed term ends
VictoriaAt least 28 days, on a notice of intention to vacate. If you give no notice, the lease becomes periodic
QueenslandAt least 14 days on Form 13. The tenancy ends on the later of 14 days or the end of the fixed term
Other statesCheck the state tenancy body. Leaving before the fixed term ends can mean a break fee or compensation
  • Go to the final inspection if you can, and take dated photos. In Victoria the landlord or agent must complete an exit condition report to compare with the one from when you moved in
  • Bonds are held by the state, not the landlord. In NSW you can claim through Rental Bonds Online; in Victoria through the RTBA. If nobody disputes the claim within 14 days, the bond is paid out
  • Give your bond authority an Australian bank account that will stay open

Your car

If you sell privately, tell the state you’ve sold it. In NSW, lodge a notice of disposal with Service NSW within 14 days of the sale; in Victoria, tell VicRoads within 14 days, ideally with the buyer still there. Until you do, you can be held responsible for the buyer’s fines and tolls. If you don’t sell, cancelling the registration can get you a refund of unused tax: see What do I need to close before I leave Australia?

Your belongings and pets

Transfer of residence relief lets you bring household goods, a car and pets into the UK without import duty or VAT if you’ve lived outside the UK for at least 12 months in a row and owned and used the goods for at least 6 months. Apply on form ToR1 and get HMRC’s approval before you ship. For pets, start at least 2 to 3 months ahead: see How do I take my pet back to the UK?

Super and tax

  • Temporary visa holders can claim their super as a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) once they’ve left Australia and their visa has ended or been cancelled. The fund withholds tax: 35% on the taxed element and 45% on any untaxed element, or 65% on amounts from contributions made while you held a working holiday visa (subclass 417 or 462)
  • Permanent residents and citizens can’t claim a DASP. Your super stays in your fund until you meet a condition of release, usually reaching preservation age (60 for anyone born after 30 June 1964) and retiring. Keep your fund’s address and contact details up to date
  • Tax: if you’re leaving permanently before 30 June and won’t earn more Australian income other than interest, dividends or royalties, you may be able to lodge your return early on a paper form. The ATO takes up to 50 business days to process it. Otherwise, lodge between 1 July and 31 October as usual
  • The ATO only pays refunds into an Australian bank account
Telling people you’ve gone. Update your address with the ATO and your super fund, and tell Services Australia if you get Medicare or Centrelink. The full list is in What do I need to close before I leave Australia?

What to do next

  1. Make your dated leaving plan in Step 5
  2. Check your lease end date and your state’s notice period
  3. Apply for transfer of residence relief before you book shipping

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Next in Moving onWhat do I need to close before I leave Australia? →All of Step 5: Moving on