Lodge your visa application

You can lodge your application at the nearest Australian High Commission or Embassy. For help with your student visa application, contact the Australia Awards office in your home country.

You’ll need to declare all dependent family members in your visa application, even if they don’t plan to join you in Australia. If you do have dependents travelling to Australia and staying with you for the duration of your study, they will also need a student visa (subclass 500).

See sections 8.2.1 and 8.2.2 of the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook (pdf).

Check your overseas health cover (OSHC)

We’ll arrange single cover for you with Allianz Care for the length of your visa (you don’t need to do anything). Your Certificate of Insurance and policy number will be sent to the email address you provided in your AAS application.

If you plan to bring dependents to Australia, you’ll need to upgrade to family cover (we can’t cover the cost of the extra family cover, so it’ll be at your own expense). You can check Allianz Care’s OSHC page for more information, or email Monash’s OSHC team for advice: oshc@monash.edu.

Find somewhere to live

Before arriving in Australia, you’ll need to decide where you’ll stay for the duration of your scholarship. The sooner you organise your accommodation, the sooner you’ll be able to settle into life in Melbourne and begin enjoying your stay in Australia.

We encourage you to arrive 7 to 10 days before orientation week, and to organise short-term accommodation for that period. You can search for long-term property once you arrive, and Monash University Accommodation can help you with this.

Not sure where to begin? We’ve got you covered.

Learn more about life as a resident, the costs and how to apply on the Monash University Accommodation website. You can also check out our rent smart page for information about your rights and responsibilities in the rental market.

If you‘ve never rented before, you’ll need to include evidence in your application which shows you’ll be a reliable tenant – for example, an employment contract or character references.

Don’t book or pay for any long-term accommodation if you or someone you trust have not inspected it first – it may not be what you wanted, or it could be a scam.

Plan your arrival

Before you leave your home country, you’ll need to let your Monash Student Contact Officer (SCO) know when you’re arriving, and how you’re getting to your accommodation.

You should also organise accommodation for at least your first three nights in Australia, and a plan for how you’ll get from the airport to your accommodation.

The Introductory Academic Program (IAP) (compulsory for all students) is held at our city campus, so you may choose to stay near the city temporarily for the IAP, then move into accommodation closer to your campus later on.

See sections 10.9.1. and 10.9.2. of the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook (pdf).

Book an airport pick-up

As an Australia Awards scholar, you’re eligible for a free airport pick-up service to take you to your accommodation. To book a pick-up, complete the online form on our airport pick-up page at least four days before you arrive. Once you’ve booked it, we'll send you a confirmation email with all the details.

Set up your bank account

We’ll email your Monash account in December with information on how to set up an Australian bank account. You can do this online before you arrive – if you’re having trouble though, don’t worry, you can always visit a branch in person when you get to Australia.

Once your Australian bank account has been set up, you’ll need to email australia.awards@monash.edu with:

• your bank details (account name, BSB and account number)
• a bank document confirming these details.

You’ll start receiving your Establishment Allowance payment and stipend once this is all done.

What you need to bring

Need help?

If you need information about your application, offer, pre-departure briefing or travel arrangements, you can contact the Australia Awards office in your home country – they’ll be happy to help you get organised for your trip to Australia.