Settlement services
Practical, step-by-step help for settling in Victoria.
Fees, phone numbers and eligibility change. Always confirm details on the official website before you rely on them.
Australia services
8 guidesPractical, step-by-step guides to settling in Victoria — licences, housing, work, insurance, business and legal help.
Victorian driver licence
If you have moved to Victoria on an overseas driver licence, you can drive on it for up to 6 months, but if you plan to stay longer you must convert it to a Victorian licence through VicRoads. What you need to do depends on your age, the country that issued your licence and how long you have held it, and may include a Hazard Perception Test and a practical drive test. Use the VicRoads online requirements checker to find your exact steps and to book an appointment.
Renting or buying a house
In Victoria, newly-arrived migrants can either rent or buy a home. When renting, you sign a rental agreement, usually pay rent in advance plus a bond (security deposit) that is held by the government's Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA), and receive a condition report before you move in. When buying, you save a deposit, use a conveyancer or solicitor, and pay land transfer (stamp) duty; first home buyers may get a duty exemption or concession and, for a new home, a First Home Owner Grant. The Victorian Homebuyer Fund shared-equity scheme is now closed to new participants.
Renting or buying a car
This covers buying a car in Victoria, transferring it into your name, registering it (including bringing an interstate car when you move), and insuring it. When you buy privately you deal directly with the seller: you check the car and its history, the seller provides a roadworthy certificate, and you lodge the transfer with VicRoads and pay a transfer fee plus motor vehicle duty. Your registration includes a compulsory Transport Accident Commission (TAC) charge that covers injury, but you should also arrange separate car insurance for damage, and if you borrow to buy, compare car loans carefully.
Job hunting
This covers how to look for and apply for work in Australia using Workforce Australia, the Australian Government's free employment service, and how to have overseas qualifications and trade skills formally assessed and recognised (for example through VETASSESS or Trades Recognition Australia). It is for newly-arrived migrants who want to find a job or keep working in their profession or trade in Australia. Private job boards such as Seek and LinkedIn can be used to search, but the official process and any eligibility rules come from government sources.
Insurance
Insurance you may need after settling in Victoria falls into three main areas: health cover (Medicare for permanent residents, or private Overseas Visitors Health Cover / Overseas Student Health Cover for temporary visa holders), car insurance (compulsory injury cover is included with your vehicle registration through the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) charge, plus optional cover for damage), and optional home and contents insurance. This guide explains what each cover is and links to official government pages so you can compare and choose. It is general information, not personal advice.
Starting a business
This explains how to start a business in Victoria, Australia: choosing a business structure, applying for an Australian Business Number (ABN), registering a business name or a company, and finding the licences you need. Business Victoria (the Victorian Government) provides local guidance, while federal services (the Australian Business Register and ASIC) handle the ABN, business name and company registrations. It is for newly-arrived migrants who want to start their own business in Victoria.
Free legal help
This is about free and low-cost legal help in Victoria for people who have recently arrived. Victoria Legal Aid, a government body, gives free legal information to everyone and free legal advice to people who are eligible, and will arrange a free interpreter when you call. Community legal centres are independent, not-for-profit organisations that give free advice, casework and legal education, and some specialise in areas such as migration, tenancy and family violence. This guide explains how to get help and how to find your nearest service.
Services map of Victoria
An interactive map of the offices new arrivals need most often: VicRoads customer service centres, Victoria Legal Aid offices, Services Australia (Centrelink and Medicare) centres, community legal centres, and our own venue. Use the list below the map if you prefer plain text, or if the map does not load. Opening hours and services offered differ between offices — check the official site before you travel.
Country-of-origin services
4 guidesConsular, civil-record and legal help relating to your country of origin, for community members living in Victoria.
Albania
This page helps Albanian citizens and people of Albanian descent living in Victoria and elsewhere in Australia deal with their home country: renewing passports and ID, obtaining civil-status certificates (birth, marriage, death), confirming or reacquiring Albanian citizenship, registering to vote from abroad, and arranging notarial acts such as powers of attorney for matters in Albania. It points you to the resident Albanian Embassy in Canberra and to the official Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MFA) online consular services and the e-Albania portal.
Kosovo
This page helps Kosovar-Australians deal with Kosovo (Republic of Kosovo) government matters from Australia: consular assistance, civil records (birth, marriage and death registration), Kosovo citizenship, travel documents, and registering to vote from abroad. Kosovo has a resident Embassy in Canberra whose consular service covers Australia, New Zealand and other countries in the region. Many civil-status certificates can also be obtained online through the eKosova platform without visiting the embassy.
North Macedonia
This page helps citizens and descendants of North Macedonia living in Victoria deal with their home country from Australia: renewing or applying for passports and emergency travel documents, obtaining birth, marriage and death certificates, handling citizenship matters, arranging powers of attorney and other notarial acts, and finding the right official mission. All details are drawn from the North Macedonia Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). North Macedonia maintains a Consulate General in Melbourne and an Embassy in Canberra, so most Victorian residents deal with the Melbourne consulate.
Montenegro
This page helps Montenegrin-Australians (including members of Montenegro's Albanian minority) in Victoria deal with their home country's authorities: passports and travel documents, citizenship, registering births and other civil records, and notarial and legal matters. All information here is taken from the official Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) pages on the Government portal gov.me. A key point: Montenegro has no embassy, consulate-general or honorary consul in Australia, so most services must be arranged through a Montenegrin mission abroad, directly with authorities in Montenegro, or (for emergency consular protection) through a Serbian mission.