You need a reliable postal address – you should make sure that you check your mail regularly, and that your address is kept current with relevant organisations and service providers.

Change of address?

If you move house, an easy way to keep getting your mail is to lodge a redirection notice with Australia Post. (There is a fee to redirect your mail that varies depending on how long you would like the service to continue). This service can either forward the mail sent to your old address to your new one, or will hold the mail at the Post Office for you to collect. If you lodge a redirection notice with Australia Post, you can also go online and notify certain registered organisations of your change of address.

You are required by law to change your address on your drivers licence or personal identification within 14 days – check out your state or territory information below.

It’s also important to change your address with the Australian Electoral Commission for the Electoral Roll – if you don’t, you risk having your name removed completely and you will be unable to vote. It’s easy to do online, and will change your address on the national roll as well as your state or territory roll. The Australian Passport Office also uses names and addresses from the Electoral Roll for sending out information and passport renewal forms, so it’s pretty important to make sure you do it.

You should also notify any other important institutions like ATO, Centrelink, Medicare, and your bank – it’s best to go in to your local branch (make sure you take some photo ID) and they can change your details then and there.

For things like your insurance company and your superannuation fund, check out their website for how they prefer to record your change in address.

Tip: A clever thing to do is make a list of all mail redirected to you after you move, and tick off your change of address with each one as you do it.

It is really important that any financial or legal documents are kept in a safe place. You should keep all important documents for seven years, including payslips, bank statements and receipts.

When you move house, start a job, open a bank account, sign a contract or start receiving Centrelink you are generally given copies of important documents. You should always make sure these documents are stored in a safe dry place.