Student Starter Pack

International students below 18 years old will need to apply for homestay accommodation as it is part of the requirements for Australia immigration. 

Off-campus

Tips: find suburbs that are around the university so it is not as expensive as on-campus accomodation. 

Curtin University is at Bentley, so nearby suburbs are: Wilson, Waterford, Cannington and Como

University of Western Australia is at Nedlands, so nearby suburbs are: Subiaco, Churchlands, Perth City, Northbridge

Murdoch University is at Murdoch, so nearby suburbs are: Winthrop, Canning Vale, Kardinya.

Edith Cowan University is at Joondalup, so nearby suburbs are: 

On-campus

University of Western Australia has a few residential colleges that requires the student to book half a year in advance, and the price range is $350 - $650 per week.

• Unihall Residential College

• St Thomas More College

• Trinity College

• St Catherine’s College

• St George’s College

Curtin University has a few on-campus housing that you need to book half a year in advance, and the accommodation ranges from $160 to $400 per week.

• St Catherine’s College

• Erica Underwood House

• Guild House

• Kurrajong Village

• Vickery House

• Twin Dolphin Hall (fully booked for 2024)

Murdoch University has only 1 on-campus accommodation.

•  Murdoch Village

You can choose to open your bank account on Orientation Day or at the bank itself (find somewhere nearby!). After opening a bank account, apply a tax file number from Australian Taxation Office so you do not get charged for earning interest and you will use it if you work part-time.

There are a few banks to choose from:

• Commonwealth Bank

• ANZ bank

• Westpac 

• NAB

You will need to provide:

• Visa

• CoE

• Passport

• Student ID (they will not charge you for the account fee)

There are postpaid plans, prepaid plans, SIM-only plans, and mobile phone plans. Prepaid plan is more affordable compared to the postpaid plans.

There are a few telco companies to choose from:

• Telstra 

• Boost 

• Optus

• Dodo

• Amaysim

• Vodafone

• TPG

You can either take public transport or drive in Western Australia. Please abide by the law if you are to drive as you will need to have a full license in Malaysia and an international driver's license in order to drive in Australia. 

• Transperth is the main public transport that includes bus, train, and ferry

• Tickets and fares depend on the Zone Map

• Students will have a 50% discount on Transperth Card if you register as a full-time student in any universities