International students

Welcome to the McLennan Library's webpage for international students. This page has been created specifically to assist international students who are studying at Melbourne Business School, either full time or on exchange.

Resources listed here, together with information on food, housing and recreation and shopping will provide you with practical and useful information which we hope will save you some time settling in Melbourne.

This page will be reviewed regularly by library staff and we welcome suggestions from students on useful resources to add.


Transportation

Self- Drive
You are able to drive while in Australia provided you have a valid drivers licence or permit, and that the licence is in English or is accompanied by a certified English translation. Australians drive on the left-hand side of the road and operate right-hand drive vehicles.  Wearing seatbelts is mandatory.  For information on driving and the Victorian road rules, or on obtaining a learners permit please visit the Vic Roads web page.

Public Transport
Buses, trams and trains operate throughout Melbourne and Victoria. Visit the Metcard website for information on he ticketing system used throughout the Melbourne metropolitan region.

Use the VicTrip website to find timetables of buses, trams and trains and for all the information needed to plan your journey in advance.

Melway Street Directory
A copy of the latest Melway Street Directory of Greater Melbourne is available for reference from the loans desk in the library. An online version of the Melways can be consulted at StreetDirectory.com.


Postal and telecommunications

There are several phone companies that provide access to landline, mobile and internet services. Many phone companies also offer pre-paid mobile phones deals. Some of the major suppliers represented in Australia include Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and VirginMobile.

Australia Post operates Australia's main postal service. A full list of Australia Post products and services, information about sending letters and parcels and a postage calculator, can be found on the Australia Post website.


Banking

Banks operate from Monday to Friday, generally between the hours of 9 am to 4 pm (some of the major branches in the business district open earlier and close later than this). Banks and all large shops and hotels are willing to change travellers cheques. Credit cards are accepted throughout Australia. Most banks have 24 hour internet banking facilities.

To open a bank account in Australia you must present to the bank with your passport within 90 days of arrival. Leaving it any later will result in you having to provide 100 points of ID. You will also need to provide the bank with address details. Some banks will allow you to set up your bank account prior to arriving to Australia.

Below are links to some of the major Australian Banks.

  • ANZ Bank
  • Bank SA
  • Colonial First State
  • Commonwealth Bank
  • Macquarie Bank
  • QBE Mercantile Mutual
  • Metway Bank
  • National Australia Bank
  • St. George Bank
  • Citibank

    Employment

    In some cases international students may wish to work part time while studying in Australia.  Depending on your visa conditions, as an international student you can work part time for up to 20 hours a week while studying, or full time during vacations. Contact the Department of Immigration if you are not sure of your visa conditions.

    You will be required to fill in a tax declaration if you work in Australia. To obtain a Tax File Number (TFN) fill in an application form available from any Australia Post office or from the Australian Tax Office website and submit it to the Australian Tax Office. 

    Victorian branches of the ATO are listed here.

    More information on employment and job hunting is available from the Careers and Development section of the McLennan MBS student pages . We advise students to contact The MBS Career Management Centre (CMC) before you commence job hunting.


    Health services and more

    Melbourne University Student Union  is the representative body for all students of the University of Melbourne. Owned and managed by students, it works to promote student interests and provide quality services (eg dental, legal and medical services, equipment hire, a student computing centre etc.) to students on campus. For a comprehensive guide visit the student union website.