Moving to Australia

1. Customs clearance in Australia

Customs are inevitable when you travel or ship your goods from a country to another. You have to go through them and clear your goods. Of course, Siam Relocation knows perfectly this process and can offer you to deal with customs.

1.1 Customs process

When you arrive into Australia, you will need to go through Customs check, as it is the case for any other country. But in Australia, procedures are quite strict and well organized. First proof, the documents required for importing removal goods are almost twice more than in other countries:

• Ocean Bill of Lading or Airway Bill
• Duly completed Customs form B534 (version 6/00)
• Passport ID and signature page(s) needed for clearance. Signature on the B534 must match passport’s.
• A blank copy of the current Unaccompanied Personal effects Statement (B534 form)
• Inventory of goods written in English
• Each package needs to display list of contents in English
• Copy of Identification page and Visa from owner’s passport.
• Visa grant letter where visa stamp is not in passport for non-Australian citizens.
• Full name and Australian residential (not business) address of the owner.

*If you travel by sea, you will be needed to issue the Incoming Passenger Card to the officers.

You should note that all household and personal effects entering the country are subject to an examination by the Department of Agriculture (DOA). This quarantine examination can cause a delay of up to 14 working days after the arrival of the shipment. To facilitate the process, we advise you to clean thoroughly your goods before shipping them, especially those who may have come into contact with soil or vegetation.

Usually, goods with a value of less than AUD.1000,00 are not subject to any duties, taxes or charges during custom clearance. But since July 2018, some goods, even of low value, are subject to a 10% GST (Goods and Services Tax).

1.2 Taxes exemption

The biggest tax exemption in Australian Border Customs simply is that goods with a value lower than AUD.1000,00 are not subject to duties (apart from some exceptions like alcohol).

Missions, posts and privileged individuals can import or purchase goods without paying duties if it is related to an official use. To be granted this status, you have to contact the ABF’s ACT Regional Office at act.op.command@abf.gov.au and then ask for a Customs Identification Number to claim customs duty exemption. For instance, administrative staff or humanitarian volunteers may be granted the status.

1.3 Vehicle importation

*Like in many countries, bringing your car in Australia is very complicated. You will face many rules and regulations.

Fist, here is the list of documents you will need:

• A formal customs entry
• A copy of passport
• Registration papers
• Sales invoice
• Paid receipt
• Vehicle import approval
• OBL
• B534
• Registrant compliance form if the vehicle is equipped with air conditioning system

The first thing to do is to obtain a vehicle import approval by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport. You will need to apply at the Vehicle Safety Standards office in Canberra.
When granting your approval, the Department of Customs will attribute a levy to the car, calculated thanks to the age and type of the vehicle, which should vary between 0 and 20% of the value of the vehicle (Duty + GST). The value of the vehicle is calculated with the original country purchase price and the Australian Landed Value.

To be given the Import Approval Permit, your vehicle must meet safety and pollution standards, which can be quite strict in Australia. For instance, your car must be equipped with seat belts, child restraint anchor points, Australian standards mirror on the driver side, etc.

The documents to submit to the Department of Infrastructure and Transportation to get your permit include:

• Weighbridge certificate
• Engineer certificate
• Imported Blue Slip ensuring the RTA the vehicle fits with the road
• RTA Visual Identification Unit inspection.

1.4 What duties and taxes will I pay for my personal effects?

2. Method of transportation

In order to move to Australia from Thailand, you can choose the way you want. It can be by sea or by air. Each one has advantages and drawbacks, so our moving consultant will help you determine the most suitable solution according to your budget.

Sea freight rates

We can’t calculate sea freight rates without knowing all the relevant information of the situation. The rates depend a lot on what you ship (nature of the goods and quantity) but also on where you ship it in Australia, if you need trucking after unloading at port, etc.

We generally advise to choose a FCL if you ship more than 15 cubic meters and a LCL if less. Our experts will obviously guide you in this choice.

*According to your budget, we can adapt our solution (with or without a packaging and/or loading service) which could have huge influence on the quotation. 

Why choose us?

SIAM Relocation provides dedicated services to best respond to your specific needs and has been doing so for years. Our expert consultants will help you get the best for you.

As proof, if you transport small volumes, you should note that SIAM Relocation is the only moving company to have a rate for the first cubic meter. If you want to ship 1 cubic meter of your goods, other companies will charge you 4 cubic meter as it is their starting rate, SIAM Relocation will charge you 1 cubic meter because we seek for a fair service and relation.

Air freight rates

To calculate air freight rates, the more important is to know what you ship full well for the cost of air freight is very sensitive to weight and volume. And also because the final cost of custom clearance will depend on applicable taxes on your goods.

Why choose us?

We, at SIAM Relocation, have been dealing with air freight since our first contracts and are used to working with the very best process in the world. Australian clients are frequent and we know how to make them satisfied. To find out the best solution to your needs, please contact our moving consultants.

Let’s see together how air freight are calculated. The most important aspect that you have to understand is the difference between actual weight and volumetric weight. Once you get it, you can understand your air freight quotations.

Sunset in Sydney

3. Additional moving services

SIAM Relocation has been dealing with relocations for a long time and always with the same perspective: the client comes first. That is why, through years of operations and observations, we decided to create specific offers in order to better fit your needs.

3.1 Moving insurance

When there is a risk, there is an insurance to cover it. And international freight does not come without a risk. Damages, delay, theft or loss during transit are rare but can happen because of weather, itinerary and other factors.

That’s why we think any valuable cargo shipping should be insured. Cargo insurance ( also called freight insurance or marine insurance, even for air freight) usually covers damages that can be caused by bad weather, inadequate storage, fumigation services, etc.

Of course, each insurance decides what it covers so it varies according to your insurance broker.

To subscribe to an insurance, you can choose to go through a standard insurance company, a specialist insurance broker, your bank or us, Siam Relocation.

*By contacting our consultants, you will be sure to make the right choice.

3.2 Moving with your pet to Australia

The first thing to know is that from Thailand, you will go through a lot of difficulties. But you should keep in mind that it is simply for security reasons and because Australia wants to stay a pet-friendly place.

All animals must be inspected by Thailand’s government vet before leaving the country. For this reason, exactly three days before your departure, you must go to the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Custom and Animal Quarantine Office. Your animal has to be up to date about its vaccinations (especially Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Para-influenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica).

During this inspection, you will need several documents:

• A rabies certificate, with all the contact details in English of the vet who made it. The pet must also have undergone a blood serology test to check for rabies antibody levels at least 30 days afterthe rabies vaccination. The test result must be at least 0.5 IU/mL.
• A copy of your valid passport
• Your flight details
• Your pet’s micro-chip number if your animal has one

Then, once at the office, you will have to fill in an export request form.

After conducting the health check, the government vet will hand you the documents you require for your travel and charge you 50 Baht per animal. Do not forget to have your original pet health certificate, the airport vet certificate and the export permit with you when you travel, three days later.

*That was what you have to do regarding Thailand. But of course, Australia also has its requisites, and they will have you do a lot for your pet importation, even before the airport inspection.

The Australian Department of Agriculture sets the conditions with which your pet must comply. They vary according to the country.

The Australian Department of Agriculture does not accept pet import directly from some countries. And unfortunately, Thailand is part of those countries. We explain:

All pets entering Australia must have a rabies titer test run by a licensed veterinarian. This test can be done in Thailand but the blood sample has to be sent and examined in a OIE-approved laboratory in China, France, Korea, United Kingdom or South Africa. And for the 6 weeks before transport to Australia, your pet must relocate to an approved country to pass the final rounds of testing. Then your pet needs to enter Australia from this approved country. Please check the Australian Department of Agriculture’s website to know the list of approved countries.

You need to fill in an import permit application form and pay an application fee. You can do it online. Do it after the rabies titer test is done and sooner than 42 days of import.  The import permit is valid for 12 months after being issued.

Quarantine is compulsory for all animals arriving into Australia. There are quarantine facilities run by the Department of Agriculture in Sidney and in Melbourne. The quarantine will last quite long (3-4 weeks maybe), especially as your pet originally comes from Thailand.

*Here is a list of banned dog breeds : Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Pit Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull, Fila Brazileiro, all types of wolfdogs, Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario

3.3 Packing service

*Here are the most common packing materials.

Packing box surely is the standard packing equipment. Packing boxes exist in different sizes and are resistant enough to transport your goods.

Bubble wrap is useful to be cautious with fragile items. For instance, you should use it for glasses and crockery in order to avoid all damages.

When a large packing size is required (or any fragile items), we opt for wooden crates. They are bigger and more resistant than packing boxes and can resist more things like humidity for example.

3.4 Warehousing service

There are times when a warehousing service can be very useful. Let’s imagine your plane leaves one week before the cargo relocation (which would be convenient to be prepared to the goods arrival at destination), you would be glad to have somewhere else than your friend’s apartment to stock your belongings.

3.5 Office moves

Please take note that we also have a service specialized in commercial moving for companies, associations and government agencies.

4. Our moving packages

In order to adapt our offer to the customer, to his needs but also to his budget, we created three moving packages : from the simple package to the complete package.

5. Life in Australia

5.1 Visa & Business

Visa

There are dozens of visas in Australia with slightly different names and it can be very confusing. Thus, to choose your visa, you will just need to check the visas requirements and see what you are eligible for.

Yet, we can regroup the visa in a few categories: the visitor visas, the working and skilled visas, the studying/training visas and the family/spousal visas.

*Obviously, for a durable relocation, a working visa or a family visa are the most suitable.

Business

With 24 million of inhabitants with relatively high standard of living compared to the rest of the region, Australia is a big interesting market. It is the second country in the world in terms of wealth per adult inhabitant.

*Service sector is the most profitable and represents the 61% of the GDP.

5.2 Living in Australia

Overview

Coming from Thailand, Australia can be disorienting because very unfamiliar. It definitely is a western country because of its History. Standards of living are very different than in southern Asia.

The 24 million of inhabitants represent a very diverse population where 75% of the Australians can identify at least one of their ancestors who was not an Australian according to a 2016 Census question. 45% report having one parent (or more) born overseas.

*52% of Australians say they are Christians but from different Churches.

Cost of life

Surprisingly, the cost of basic consumer prices only is 34% lower in Bangkok than in Sidney. But what need to be underlined is that purchasing power is also 66% lower in Bangkok than in Sidney.

Below, our table compares Australia and Thailand costs of basic needs and leisure based on August 2018 data:

• Consumer Prices in Bangkok are 33.45% lower than in Sydney
• Consumer Prices Including Rent in Bangkok are 44.00% lower than in Sydney
• Rent Prices in Bangkok are 58.87% lower than in Sydney
• Restaurant Prices in Bangkok are 57.33% lower than in Sydney
• Groceries Prices in Bangkok are 22.43% lower than in Sydney
• Local Purchasing Power in Bangkok is 65.88% lower than in Sydney

5.3 Local contacts