One of the most worrisome and cumbersome issues may be bringing your money to Australia.
Due to the global economic situation, exchange rates are constantly moving, making it difficult to calculate how much you will be left once you change pesos (or any Latin currency) into Australian dollars.
There are many ways to make the transfer or bring your money, here are some tips that can help you:
Nothing like cash! If you plan to bring cash, look carefully at the limits set by international customs, since you can travel with money but up to a certain limit. Another point to consider is that there will always be a risk of losing it since you do not have security or guarantees when transporting cash. If you have many notes, this can be a headache. My recommendation is that you have cash available (you can change it at the airport when leaving or when you arrive in Australia) for expenses of, at least, the first month. Let’s say about 1,000 or 2,000 dollars maximum, depending on whether you have already found a fixed place to stay or not and on you opening a bank account.
Open a bank account from your country. Some banks, such as Westpac, NAB, Commonwealth or ANZ, offer accounts to international students that can be created months before arriving in Australia and that do not charge commissions during the first year. This was what I did, and to transfer my money from Mexico to my Australian account, I went to the bank (Ixe) and they made the transfer of pesos to Australian dollars, charging $ 15aud as commission per transaction.
Online services: Money transfer. This service is fast and fully digitised. You can look for other options like Ozforex, however it is not available for all countries. Another very good option may be PayPal, which although they charge a slightly higher exchange rate, is safe and fast. Other options are Nexpay, Western Union, Xpress Money, Money Gram, Travelex and Transferwise.
In any case, you should consider the time you are going to be in Australia and evaluate what suits you in the short and long term.
As for credit cards, most likely you have to tell your bank that you are going to live in another country but that you want to continue using your credit card, this will prevent you from not recognizing the charge or getting your card declined.
If you would like to obtain a credit card in Australia, you should check the % of interest, if they require you to be a permanent resident and if you need to work to obtain credit (which in most cases you need to be working).
Good luck!!
