Updating your address is one of the easiest jobs to forget and one of the most frustrating to fix later. The smart approach is two steps: set up an Australia Post mail redirection a week or two before you move so anything you miss still finds you, then work through the list below by category. Start about two weeks out and you will avoid missed bills, unpaid fines, and parcels sent to your old door.
Start Here: Redirect Your Mail
Before you tell anyone your new address, set up a mail redirection with Australia Post for a chosen period, anywhere from a month to a year, for a fee. It acts as a safety net, catching anything from companies you forgot to update. Set the redirection to begin on or just before your moving day.
Redirect first, update second
A mail redirection buys you breathing room. Even if you miss an account on this list, the redirection forwards the letter so you can update the details before anything lapses.
Government and Official
- Australian Electoral Commission, to update your enrolment
- Medicare and your myGov account
- Australian Taxation Office
- Centrelink or Services Australia, if you receive any payments
- Driver licence and vehicle registration through your state road authority, which is Transport and Main Roads in Queensland
- Your private health fund
- Australian Passport Office, to keep your address on record current
Banks, Money, and Insurance
- Banks, credit unions, and credit card providers
- Your superannuation fund
- Home, contents, car, and life insurance
- Loan, mortgage, and any buy-now-pay-later accounts
- Share registries and investment platforms
- PayPal and any digital wallets
Utilities and Home Services
Most of these you will sort as part of connecting your new home. If you have not booked them yet, our guide to connecting gas and electricity when you move covers the timing and who to call.
- Electricity and gas retailer
- Water account, if it is in your name
- Internet and phone provider
- Bottled gas supplier and any solar feed-in arrangement
- Pay TV and streaming services billed to your address
Work, Health, and Education
- Your employer, for payroll, superannuation, and tax records
- GP, dentist, specialists, and your pharmacy for scripts
- Your children's school, kindergarten, or childcare centre
- Your vet, especially if your pet is microchipped to your address
- Any professional bodies or licences you hold
Subscriptions and Everyday Accounts
- Online shopping accounts such as Amazon and eBay
- Food, grocery, and meal-kit deliveries
- Gym or club memberships
- Magazine, newspaper, and other postal subscriptions
- Loyalty and rewards programs
- Regular charity donations
A Simple Two-Week Timeline
- Two weeks before: set up your mail redirection and update government and banking details
- One week before: update insurance, utilities, work, and health providers
- Moving week: update subscriptions, deliveries, and loyalty accounts
- After you move: check your redirected mail for anyone you missed and update them
Keep a running list
Every time a letter arrives addressed to the old occupant, or your redirection forwards something, add that sender to your list. It is the easiest way to catch the accounts you forgot.
“Nobody finishes a move having updated every account on the first pass. The mail redirection is what turns a forgotten bill into a minor errand instead of a missed payment.”
, R2G Moving Team
How Australia Post Mail Redirection Works
A mail redirection is the safety net that makes everything else on this list less stressful. For a fee, Australia Post forwards mail addressed to your old home to your new one for a period you choose, commonly one, three, six, or twelve months. You can redirect mail for an individual or an entire household, and you will usually need to prove your identity when you set it up. Start the redirection on or just before move day, and choose a period long enough to catch the occasional yearly letter, such as an insurance renewal or a rates notice. It does not replace updating your address, but it buys you time to do it properly.
Redirect for longer than you think
Some bills and statements only arrive once a year. A three to twelve month redirection catches the senders you forgot, long after the move is over.
Government and Official: Start With These
Government records are the ones with real consequences if they fall behind, from missed renewals to fines, so update them first. Your driver licence and vehicle registration, electoral enrolment, Medicare and myGov, the ATO, and Centrelink or Services Australia if you receive any payments should all be near the top of your list. Many of these can be updated in minutes online, and several are linked through myGov, so updating one can prompt the others.
Updating Your Driver Licence and Car Registration
This one has a legal deadline, so do not let it slide. In Queensland, you are required to update your address with Transport and Main Roads within 14 days of moving, and the same applies to your vehicle registration. Other states have similar rules through their own road authorities. If you are moving interstate, you generally have a set period to transfer your licence and re-register your vehicle in your new state, which can involve an inspection, so check the requirements for where you are going as early as you can.
Banks, Insurance and Money
Out-of-date financial records cause two problems: missed statements and, worse, declined transactions or fraud holds when your billing address does not match. Update your banks, credit cards, and any buy-now-pay-later accounts, then your superannuation fund, and your home, contents, car, and life insurance. Your contents and car insurance in particular are priced partly on your address, so updating them promptly keeps your cover valid.
Do Not Forget These Commonly Missed Ones
These are the accounts that slip through almost every move, then resurface at the worst time:
- Your toll road account, so invoices and trips stay linked to you
- Your pet's microchip registry, which is how you are reunited if they bolt during the move
- Parcel locker and delivery accounts, plus your default shipping address on shopping sites
- Warranty and product registrations for appliances and electronics
- Your will, power of attorney, and any documents held by your solicitor
- Memberships and clubs, your gym, and anything with a joining address on file
A Note on Privacy and Scams
Moving is a moment when your personal details are changing hands, which is exactly when scammers pay attention. Only update your address through official websites and apps, never through a link in an unexpected email or text claiming you need to confirm your new address. If a message asks you to verify details urgently, go to the organisation directly rather than clicking through. A mail redirection also helps here, by stopping sensitive documents from piling up at an address that is no longer yours.
Renters vs Owners: Who Updates What
Some address jobs depend on whether you own or rent. Owners have a few extras to handle, including council rates, building and landlord insurance if you are leaving an investment property, and any utilities held directly in their name. Renters should update their rental provider and bond details, redirect any mail tied to the old lease, and confirm the final water and electricity readings so they are not billed for the next tenant. Both should update their contents insurance, because the cover and the price depend on the new address. If you are moving out of a share house, make sure bills in your name are closed or transferred so you are not left liable for them.
Moving Interstate: Extra Address Changes
An interstate move adds a layer most local moves do not have, because some of your details are tied to a particular state. You will generally need to transfer your driver licence and re-register your vehicle in your new state within a set period, which can involve a vehicle inspection. Your private health, car, and contents insurance may be priced differently in the new state, so it is worth a quick review rather than a straight transfer. Update your address with the electoral roll so you are enrolled in the right division, and check whether any state-based memberships, toll accounts, or concessions need to be re-established.
Your Master Change of Address Checklist
If you want a single list to work through, here is the full set in one place. Tick them off as you go, and add anyone who appears on your redirected mail.
- Government: driver licence, vehicle registration, electoral roll, Medicare, myGov, ATO, Centrelink or Services Australia, passport record
- Money: banks, credit cards, buy-now-pay-later, superannuation, share registries, digital wallets
- Insurance: home, contents, car, life, health, and any landlord cover
- Home services: electricity, gas, water, internet and phone, pay TV and streaming, bottled gas, solar feed-in
- Work and health: employer and payroll, GP, dentist, specialists, pharmacy, your children's school or childcare, your vet
- Everyday: online shopping, food and grocery deliveries, gym and clubs, subscriptions, loyalty programs, toll account, parcel lockers, charities, warranty registrations
Set Aside an Hour and Knock It Out
The reason address changes drag on is that people do them one at a time as letters arrive, which can stretch over months. A better approach is to block out a single hour, sit down with this list and your laptop, and work straight through the online updates. Most government and banking changes take only a few minutes each through their websites or apps, and many are linked, so updating one can carry across to others. Knock out the whole government and banking section in one sitting, then handle utilities and subscriptions as you set them up. Anything that genuinely needs a phone call or a form, note on a short follow-up list so it does not get lost. An hour of focused effort up front saves weeks of chasing redirected mail later.
Keep Proof That You Updated Each One
When you change an important address, especially with government, banks, and insurers, keep a quick record that you did it: a confirmation email, a screenshot, or a note of the date. It sounds fussy, but if a renewal or a notice later goes missing, being able to show when you updated your details makes it far easier to sort out, and it protects you if a bill or fine was sent to the wrong address. A simple note in your phone, one line per organisation, is enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I redirect my mail when I move?
Set up a mail redirection with Australia Post, online or at a post office, for a period you choose. You select the start date, prove your identity, and pay a fee, and your mail is then forwarded from your old address to your new one. Arrange it to begin on or just before move day.
Who do I need to notify when I change my address in Australia?
Work through it by category: government (licence, rego, Medicare, ATO, electoral roll, Centrelink), banks and insurance, utilities and internet, work, health providers and your children's school, then subscriptions and deliveries. A mail redirection covers anyone you miss in the short term.
How long do I have to update my licence address in Queensland?
In Queensland you must update your address with Transport and Main Roads within 14 days of moving, for both your driver licence and your vehicle registration. Other states set their own time limits through their road authorities.
Is mail redirection worth it?
For most moves, yes. It is inexpensive relative to the cost of a missed bill, a lapsed renewal, or sensitive mail landing at your old address, and it gives you a buffer while you update everyone properly.
Do I need to update my address with the ATO?
Yes. Keeping your address current with the Australian Taxation Office ensures notices of assessment and other correspondence reach you. You can update it through myGov or your tax agent, and it is quick to do.
How early should I start changing my address?
Begin about two weeks before you move. Set up your redirection and update government and banking details first, then work through utilities, work and health, and finally subscriptions in moving week. Check your redirected mail afterwards for anyone you missed.
Moving Soon? Let Us Make It Simple
Sorting your address is the admin side of moving. The physical side is where R2G comes in. Whether you are comparing the best removalists in Brisbane, need removalists in Cairns, or are planning an interstate relocation, our team handles the heavy lifting so you can focus on settling in. Work through our ultimate moving day checklist alongside this one, then get a free quote.
