Last checked: 24 October 2026
Newcomers to Australia need photo ID, usually a foreign passport with a current visa, to activate a prepaid SIM, and a credit check plus the same ID for a monthly contract. Prepaid is the usual first step because it needs no credit check. Until the local plan is active, a data only eSIM keeps maps, email and internet calls working from landing day.
Australia SIM card for international students: what you need
A prepaid SIM needs your passport and visa details, and it will not work until the ID check is done at activation. Prepaid registration is mandatory under the Telecommunications (Service Provider: Identity Checks for Prepaid Mobile Carriage Services) Determination 2017. The provider records your name, date of birth and address and verifies your ID visually or through the Document Verification Service. In December 2025 the ACMA amended the rules to allow government accredited Digital ID checks, with a wider review planned for 2026.
What to have ready:
- Your foreign passport, which is accepted for prepaid registration
- Your current Australian visa details, since Telstra's in store list asks for an international passport with a valid Australian visa, and Optus asks temporary visa holders for an international passport with current visa entry grant as primary ID
- An Australian address to give at activation
Where to buy: shops, supermarkets, newsagents and provider stores, and airport SIMs are sold without a lock in contract. Telstra's prepaid starter kit is sold online and posted, usually within 5 days in metro areas, with eSIM as an option. Check the operator's own site for anything not listed here, including visa length eligibility rules for postpaid plans, which are not confirmed.
Prepaid SIM or monthly contract: which comes first
Start with prepaid, then move to a contract once your paperwork and credit history are in place. Prepaid and SIM only plans are widely used by students because they carry no bills, contracts or minimum commitments, and there is no credit check.
A monthly contract usually needs:
- A credit check, with Optus and Telstra using credit reporting bureaus
- An international passport with current Australian visa as ID, as Optus states
- Possibly a bond or upfront payment if you have no Australian credit history, though this is anecdotal rather than published
Optus also accepts a current year tertiary student ID with photo as a supporting document. The 100 points of ID test is not stated on the telco pages found, so treat it as not confirmed and confirm with the operator. Local operator eSIMs exist: Telstra sells a prepaid eSIM activated through the My Telstra app on compatible phones, while Optus and Vodafone eSIM options for newcomers are not confirmed on their own pages.
How long the paperwork takes
Allow up to 28 days for a Tax File Number and a branch visit for a bank account, so plan your first month around those waits. A TFN usually takes up to 28 days to process, and a second application can delay it further.
For banking:
- Some banks let students apply before arrival, with CommBank cited as up to 14 days before arrival
- Identity must then be verified in a branch before the account is fully usable
- Bring your eCoE, passport and proof of Australian address to the branch
- A TFN is not needed to open the account, but without one interest is taxed at a higher rate
A prepaid SIM activates in minutes once the ID check is complete, so it is the fastest piece of admin. A posted starter kit adds a few days, so choose eSIM or a shop purchase if you need service on day one.
Your first 30 days in Australia: a timeline
Days one to three are for a SIM and a bank branch, the first fortnight for address proof, and the first month for your TFN. A simple order that matches the waits above:
- Before you fly: check your phone is unlocked and eSIM compatible, and install a data eSIM so you have internet on landing.
- Day one: activate a prepaid SIM with your passport and visa details, or buy one at the airport.
- Days one to seven: visit a bank branch with your eCoE, passport and proof of address. Banks accept a phone bill as proof of address, so a local mobile account helps here.
- Week one to four: apply for your TFN once, and wait up to 28 days rather than reapplying.
- Week two to four: once you have address proof and, if needed, a credit check, consider whether a monthly contract suits you.
See the Australia destination page for plan options and the moving abroad hub for the wider checklist.
Staying connected until your local plan is ready
A data only eSIM covers the gap between landing and your first local SIM, with no shop visit and no ID check. Slashtel eSIMs are data only: there is no local phone number and no calls or SMS, though WhatsApp and other internet calls work over the data. Data options are 1, 3, 10, 20 and 50 GB, with the 1 GB plan from $2.99.
How it works:
- Buy online with an email address and a card, Apple Pay or Google Pay; the QR code arrives by email within minutes
- Validity starts when the eSIM first connects at the destination, so you can buy and install it at home before the flight
- The network is chosen automatically and cannot be picked by hand
- More data can be added to the same eSIM later, with no new QR code
- Your phone must be unlocked and eSIM compatible; check with the compatibility guide and the install guide
Keep your home SIM in the phone for calls and bank codes, and turn off data roaming on it to avoid roaming charges. Support is on WhatsApp and email, 7 days a week.
Getting a local number for your bank and admin
You need an Australian number for bank verification, account recovery and most admin, and a prepaid local SIM gives you one; the Slashtel eSIM does not. Banks and services send codes by SMS to a local number, and a phone bill in your name also serves as proof of address.
What to do:
- Activate a prepaid SIM with your passport and visa details to get a local number
- Give that number to your bank and any service that verifies by SMS
- Keep the eSIM in the phone for data while you set this up, so you are not offline during the switch
For how codes and data work side by side, read calls, texts, OTPs and data. If you are weighing how much data you need before a local plan starts, the data calculator helps.
When family visits you in Australia
Visiting family can use a Slashtel eSIM for the trip, and you can buy it for them from Australia. Enter the visitor's email at checkout and the QR code goes straight to the person who will use it, so nothing needs to be forwarded at the last minute.
A short checklist for a visit:
- Confirm the visitor's phone is unlocked and eSIM compatible before they fly
- Buy the eSIM and send the QR code to their email, then have them install it at home
- Remind them to keep their home SIM in the phone for calls and bank codes, with data roaming off
- Choose a data size for the length of stay; validity starts on first connection in Australia
For a sim card for parents visiting Australia, this keeps them reachable on WhatsApp and maps without a shop visit or an ID check. See the Australia plan page for options.
Keeping your home number active
Keep your home line alive for bank codes and family calls, and top it up rather than letting it lapse. Many newcomers keep a prepaid home number for a while after arriving, because some accounts and apps still verify against it.
How to manage it:
- Leave the home SIM in the phone with data roaming off, so it receives SMS without roaming charges
- Use Slashtel mobile top ups to more than 100 countries, delivered in minutes, to keep a prepaid home line active; see top up and recharge
- Read keeping your number active before you decide to cancel anything
Once your Australian number is in use for banking and admin, you can review whether the home line is still needed.
First-week catches to avoid
Most first week problems come from ID, a locked phone or a posted SIM, and all three are avoidable with a little preparation. Watch for these:
- A prepaid SIM will not work until the ID check is done, so carry your passport and visa details when activating
- A phone locked to your home provider will not take an Australian SIM; check it is unlocked before you fly
- Telstra's online prepaid kit is posted, so allow a few days or choose eSIM
- Banks accept a phone bill as proof of address, so a local mobile account helps with banking
- Do not apply twice for a TFN, as a second application can delay it
For students specifically, see the students in Australia page. Where a rule is not covered here, the official site or the operator will confirm it.
Sources
Checked 2026-10-24. Rules and waiting times change, so check the official sites before you rely on them.
- Australian Communications and Media Authority: https://www.acma.gov.au/acmas-rules-id-checks-prepaid-mobiles
- ACMA: https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2025-12/acma-strengthens-consumer-protections-digital-id-verification
- Telstra: https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/prepaid-mobiles/2-prepaid-sim-starter-kit
- Telstra: https://www.telstra.com.au/content/dam/tcom/personal/support/pdf/mobiles-tablets/Telstra-ACMA-DVS-PDF-Final-version-Online-TD.pdf
- Optus: https://optus.com.au/support/answer/optus_id_requirements_9438
- Finder: https://www.finder.com.au/credit-score/mobile-phone-plans-affect-your-credit-score
- Study Australia (Australian Government): https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/en/plan-your-move/your-first-week-in-australia
- Macquarie University: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/new-students/international/arrival-in-sydney
- University of Wollongong: https://www.uow.edu.au/future/studyabroad/mobilephones/index.html
- ATO Community: https://community.ato.gov.au/s/question/a0JRF000003myUn/p-00395157
- Finder: https://www.finder.com.au/international-students-open-bank-account-australia
Questions, answered
Can I get a phone plan in Australia without a credit check?
Yes. Prepaid and SIM only plans have no credit check and are widely used by students because they carry no bills, contracts or minimum commitments. You still need to complete the mandatory prepaid ID check with your passport and visa details at activation.
What ID do I need for a prepaid sim Australia purchase?
A foreign passport is accepted. Telstra's in store list asks for an international passport with a valid Australian visa, and Optus asks temporary visa holders for an international passport with current visa entry grant as primary ID. The provider records your name, date of birth and address at activation.
Is an esim Australia option available from local operators?
Telstra sells a prepaid eSIM activated through the My Telstra app on compatible phones. Optus and Vodafone eSIM options for newcomers are not confirmed on their own pages, so confirm with the operator.
How long does it take to get a Tax File Number?
Usually up to 28 days to process. Do not submit a second application, as that can delay it further.
Can I open an Australia bank account before I arrive?
Some banks let students apply before arrival, with CommBank cited as up to 14 days before arrival. Identity must then be verified in a branch before the account is fully usable, so bring your eCoE, passport and proof of Australian address.
Do I need a TFN to open a bank account?
No, a TFN is not needed to open the account. Without one, however, interest is taxed at a higher rate.
Can I use a data only eSIM until my local SIM is active?
Yes. Slashtel eSIMs are data only, with no local number and no calls or SMS, but WhatsApp and other internet calls work over the data. Validity starts when the eSIM first connects in Australia, so you can install it before you fly.
Can someone else buy an eSIM for a visitor?
Yes. Someone else can buy the eSIM and enter the traveller's email, so the QR code goes straight to the person who will use it. This suits a sim card for parents visiting Australia.
Will my home phone work with an Australian SIM?
Only if it is unlocked. A phone locked to your home provider will not take an Australian SIM, so check it is unlocked before you fly. It must also be eSIM compatible if you plan to use an eSIM.
How do I keep my home number active after moving?
Keep the home SIM in the phone for calls and bank codes with data roaming turned off, and use mobile top ups to more than 100 countries, delivered in minutes, to keep a prepaid home line active.