Section 3 | "Leaving the UK"
Choose an Option
Leaving Home
Included In this Section
Furniture
Rented Furniture
Contact the furniture hire company to facilitate a removal date that coincides with leaving the property (remembering that you have up to two weeks serviced accommodation).
NOTE: You may need to break the contract - this requires them to be flexible.
Bought Furniture
You have an entitlement to bring back 2.25m² of a shipping container – this must only be approved furniture.
To Consider
NOTE: Lawn Mowers and BBQ's are not approved.
There is a collection and delivery fee that the removalists will charge you – this is reimbursable by the High Commission.
Removal
The Defence Administration Office at the Australian High Commission London is responsible for your return to Australia administration. The following information is provided to assist you in the planning of your return to Australia. (Your parent Defence Program or the Overseas Administration Team may require you to complete separate or similar administrative requirements).
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Military members will normally receive a posting order from the relevant career management agency (NPCMA, DOCM-A, SCMA or DEFAIR).
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Posting orders are not usually sent by Navy; the Navy Posting and Promotions notification may be used as the relevant authority for your RTA.
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The original Notification of Persons Posted Overseas form is regarded as the authority for civilian members. The ‘with effect date’ for RTA is taken to be the conclusion of the overseas posting tenure and, therefore, you should depart the overseas country of posting by that date.
Motor Vehicles
1. Conduct Research
Bringing a vehicle back into Australia is no simple task – the vehicle must be able to drive safely on Australian roads, not breech strict bio security restrictions and so forth.
2. Apply For An Approval to Import A Vehicle
You will need to register an account with ROVER (Road Vehicle Regulator), which is an administration system for the Road Vehicles Standards Act 2018. There is a cost involved.
3. Receive Approval To Import A Vehicle
You can only proceed with an approval at this point, it may contain conditions that must be met before proceeding with the process.
4. Arrange Shipping For A Vehicle
The vehicle will need to be steam cleaned inside and outside to reduce quarantine risk, and if necessary materials such as air-conditioning gas and asbestos will need to be removed.
5. Get Customs Clearance
You will need to lodge an import declaration for and pay customs duties, Goods and Services tax, and luxury car tax (these may be waivered if your posting was Diplomatic).
6. Meet Australian Quarantine Requirements
The vehicle will be subjected to a range of biosecurity checks upon arrival in Australia, both internal and external (if it is a used vehicle) and external (if new). This will be at cost to you.
7. Meet Approval Conditions
You may need to arrange for modification to the vehicle depending on the approval conditions set out in step 3. Additional compliance testing will then be required – at additional cost to you.
8. Register The Vehicle
The vehicle will then be required to be registered in your returning State / Territory.
Utility Bills
Before You Leave:
Must provide final meter readings to your Utility Company – pay this final bill and as per your normal Utility Bill, it will be reimbursed to you.
Your water bill may be billed to you via ‘water rates’, if this is the case, you will need to inform the local council of your imminent departure.
Pets
Australia's biosecurity rules have changed from 1 March 2023
From 1 March 2023 there are new quarantine requirements for importing cats and dogs to Australia. These will affect the time some pets spend in quarantine.
Bringing cats and dogs to Australia:
You can only bring your cat or dog into Australia under strict import conditions. When your cat or dog leaves Australia it immediately loses its Australian health status. This means you might not be able to bring it back to Australia at short notice.
Your dog or cat should have a rabies vaccination and rabies neutralising antibody titre (RNAT) test before leaving Australia. This will ensure they can return to Australia in the shortest possible time. Rabies vaccinations last between one and three years and you will need to check this validity with your veterinarian. An RNAT test with an acceptable result (0.5IU/ml or more) is valid for 12 months from the date the blood was drawn.
If you want the option to return your animal to Australia at short notice you will need to maintain valid rabies vaccinations and RNAT tests for the entire time your dog or cat is overseas. If you don’t do this, your animal will have to meet the mandatory 180 day waiting period overseas following an RNAT test.
Useful links:
Step by step guide for importing a dog
Step by step guide for importing a cat
Bringing pets to Australia is complicated and expensive. It may take months, and many thousands of dollars for you to bring your pet home.
Rehoming Your Pet In The UK:
There are several charities in the UK which can help with rehoming your Cat, Dog or Rabbit.
You can find further information from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and www.petraveller.com.au
Tenancy Agreements
If the High Commission helped organise your accommodation then they have included a Break Clause to allow you to not suffer any financial burden if you are posted away earlier than expected (for any reason). Be mindful, Tenancy Agreements are in your name, not the High Commission.
To Consider
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HCR will serve notice to the Landlords / Agents.
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Dilapidations negotiations will be taken care of by HCR on your behalf, however....
The final amount will be covered by the member not the High Commission.
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HCR will have the Bond released from the Landlord / Agent and paid back to the High Commission – no administration burden to the member.
Mail Redirection
Just as when you redirected your mail from home to the UK, you will have to consider redirection of UK mail back to your Australian address. Luckily, dealing with Royal Mail is just as easy as dealing with Australia Post for this matter. Redirection can be set up for 3, 6 and 12 month periods, and prices vary depending on your family make up: single, couples or family prices.