I have a couple friends coming from overseaz this year and one of them was asking me about creating a bank account. They are going to be touring and traveling for a year and won't reaaaaaaally have a fixed address. I don't mind if they use mine, but is there anything else weird they need to create an account, being crazy foreigners?

ANZ have this page which seems to indicate all they need is a passport and they can do the first part of the application online, but I'm always suss about things like this and don't want them to rock up and then get told they need their birth certificate and a pint of blood or something. ANZ are awesome so I don't imagine that'd be the case but just wanting to double check. THANKS YO!

don't trust them
they'll need 100 points and some bit of official mail which has their residential address - its hard enough trying to setup a bank account as an Aussie after moving interstate, I pity foreigners who just want a local account for ease of use

imo scan & photoshop his name onto your rates/elec bill or similar to help smooth the process out for your mate

Personally I'd be calling ANZ, and specifically asking these questions. Then asking for their manager and confirming all of the responses you received. Then writing down their names, call centre, date, time etc. Then when you go into the branch you can really get up them if they are wrong.

(You're probably going to do this anyway and I have no experience in this area, just my 2c)

Yeh I'm going to call ANZ a bit later, just canvassing to see if anyone has experience with other banks (I use ANZ for everything and love them but there might be better options for international tourist-types that I'm not aware of)

Also, do the world a favour and when you are inquiring and they ask if you would like to know more about their home loans, tell them "NO, DID I ASK ABOUT HOME LOANS? I'M NOT GOING CRAZY, I DON'T THINK I DID!"

I'm sick of banks, can you tell? The only way to get what you want these days is to threaten to close your account. I'd rather deal with an insurance claim than talk to a bank.

Don't forget that because they won't have TFNs, the maximum tax withholding will apply.

Don't forget that because they won't have TFNs, the maximum tax withholding will apply.

s***, I didn't even think about that. Can they get TFNs? They're planning on working in pubs and stuff like that, little casual jobs for beer money and stuff.

I was under the impression that you couldn't open a back account without a tax file number? I would of thought this in itself would prevent any none aussie from opening one up.

IIRC, he'll still need to fill out the Tax Dec form, if he's working legally here. He'll have to pay the max tax as the exception will not apply to him. Also the employer will have to pay him Super, which he can cash out when he leaves.

Not sure about TFN, probably don't need it but AFAIK you don't need TFN for normal savings bank account. I could be wrong though.

No, it's your right to not tell anyone except the ATO your tfn.. You just then have income/interest taxed at the top marginal rate. You certainly don't have to tell your bank your tfn

That's how it was stopped from becoming "an Australia Card". I believe it is illegal to collect it unless authorised, eg your video store can't ask for your tfn

Opec are you serious, the guy can collect the employer contributions to super when he leaves? I would of thought they just wouldn't pay super in the case of someone that was never intending of staying here permanently.

Opec are you serious, the guy can collect the employer contributions to super when he leaves? I would of thought they just wouldn't pay super in the case of someone that was never intending of staying here permanently.

Yeah super payment is compulsory for all employers to pay regardless AFAIK. It's a bit different for foreign workers obviously as they won't have to wait until they retire to access the funds. They'll have to apply to get it when they leave. Employers need to treat them as normal workers just tax them differently however, other entitlements still apply I think.

ATO link regarding temporary resident and super

We had to pay backpackers tax and supers, and they just take care of it when they leave. Unless I'm wrong which is entirely possible hehe.

I am wondering what you have to go through then if being an Australian you leave to go live permenantly in another country?

candian mate just come over, got one easy as with commonwealth.

I am wondering what you have to go through then if being an Australian you leave to go live permenantly in another country?

i can go into this in depth... UK == c***, USA / Canada, no worries.

Opec are you serious, the guy can collect the employer contributions to super when he leaves? I would of thought they just wouldn't pay super in the case of someone that was never intending of staying here permanently.

If your working in the country legally (ala citzen, visa etc) then its law to pay you super, and apply every other law such as work place health and safty.

last edited by mooby at 15:04:43 28/Jan/09

Could you go into depth please, mooby?

I was always under the impression that only people on temporary visas would meet the Leaving Australia Permanently condition of release. Any permanent citizen that chooses to leave Australia would need to satisfy another condition of release to access the preserved portion of their entitlement.

Even for the temporary visas, the guidelines are set up by the ATO but the trustees of the fund are the ones who sets the rules. So one fund could be quite easy to get money out of, and others can be a real pain.

you only need a TFN if you're getting money deposited by an employer. You can bank as much cash as you want without one and not have to worry about tax.

If they have a visa to do vacation work here, then they can apply for a TFN from the ATO.

some credit unions will make it difficult to get a bank account opened.

they can get their tax file number before they come i think, and with a passport and proof of address they can open up an ANZ bank account no worries. my jap roomate did no f***in around at all.

just sign them up to your address for tax purposes, and use the letter from the tax dept as proof of address

trog, I hear HSBC are fairly good. They have branches in most countries, so setup an a/c there and then you have a 'relationship' with them and it's easier to get an a/c setup overseas.

My company sorted all my s*** out when I came over here, but it can be a f***ing nightmare trying to get s*** sorted in other countries and from what I've hear from a number of people at work it's fairly hard to setup a .au bank a/c.

also a TFN is only required for withholding tax purposes on a .au bank a/c isn't it? that and to pay tax on interest earnt which I'd say would be minimal if they are spending all the phat lewt they earn

Why don't they just get a VISA card from their own bank?

If they are working locally whatever employer they have will want to pay by book back