International students checklist
We are looking forward to welcome you to our ANU community! To help you prepare for your arrival, we have put together some information about arrival preparation, planning and what you can expect when you arrive in Canberra. We strongly encourage all commencing international students to review this information prior to coming to Australia.
Once you've accepted your offer
ORGANISE YOUR VISA AND TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Organise your student visa
When you have accepted your offer to study at ANU, you need to apply for your student visa. It is important to understand that ANU does NOT grant or cancel visas. The Department of Home Affairs have sole discretion over all visas. Visa applications can be madeonline or through an agent of your choosing. For more information:
Hold a valid OSHC
It is a condition of an Australian student visa that student holds valid overseas student health cover (OSHC) for the entire duration of their study in Australia. OSHC is a private health care arrangement which helps cover the costs of medical treatments should you get sick or have an accident. More Information.
Check that your passport is valid for at least six months prior to your arrival in Australia. There are embassies and consulates located in Canberra who may be able to assist you with passport renewal. However, bear in mind that processing time and services may vary. You will need to contact your embassies directly for further information on passport renewal.
Attending class on campus
From 1 July 2023, the temporary provision of fully online classes in response to COVID-19 will end. This means that from Semester 1 2024, students enrolled in any ANU on-campus programs must be present in Canberra and attend the Acton or Kioloa campuses for their studies.
>If you are an international student that is enrolling into on-campus courses for Semester 1 2024, you must make arrangements to travel back to campus.
ORGANISE YOUR ACCOMMODATION
It is important to allow enough time to organise your accommodation in Canberra. If you are applying for one of the 18 residences on campus, make sure to complete and submit your application before the deadline: study.anu.edu.au/accommodation
ANU guarantees an offer of accommodation for first-year, first-semester undergraduate and postgraduate international students (conditions apply).
If you are looking to live off-campus, there are several options you can consider. The rental market in Canberra can be very competitive, so make sure to give yourself plenty of time to secure an accommodation. For tips on finding off-campus accommodation, please refer to the ANUSA’s housing tips page.
PLAN YOUR TRAVELS
ANU offers a free Canberra airport welcome for commencing domestic and international students arriving in Canberra during select period. Registrations and further information on operational hours can be found on the Canberra welcome service page.
There are several options to get to Canberra, including domestic air travel, bus, train and private transport. Most students opt to travel to Canberra via domestic air travel or bus from Sydney or Melbourne.
BY AIR - DOMESTIC FLIGHT
Domestic flight Canberra is an hour away from Sydney and Melbourne by air. You will need to make your way from the international terminal to domestic terminal if you opt to take domestic flight to Canberra. International customs will need to be cleared at your port of arrival before you can take your domestic flight. This means that you will need to take your luggage with you when moving from international to domestic terminal. Sydney airport is one the biggest airports in Australia. It is not possible to walk between Sydney’s international and domestic terminals.
There are free shuttle buses operating between the two terminals that you can utilise to assist you with your transfer. Melbourne airport is smaller in comparison. The international terminal is a short walk from the domestic terminal.
BY BUS
Bus to Canberra Canberra is 3.5 hours bus trip away from Sydney and about 7.5 hours bus trip away from Melbourne. Many students opt to travel via bus from Sydney to Canberra. The bus terminal is located outside Sydney domestic airport terminal. For more information on Sydney-Canberra bus services:
Murrays bus:https://www.murrays.com.au/express-services/canberra-sydney-timetable/
Greyhound bus:https://www.greyhound.com.au/
Both services depart from Sydney airport and arrive in the Canberra Jolimont Bus Station, which is only 2 km away from ANU.
CREATE A PACKING LIST
Canberra has a range of affordable retail stores and multicultural grocery shops, offering a wide range of items you may need to make yourself at home. You can buy most items at a reasonable price in Canberra, so prioritise bringing the essentials like the below:
- scanned copy of your travel documents, including visa, passport and eCOE.
- Australian currency to get you started*
- Snacks or select food from home
- Toiletry products you may need
- Climate appropriate clothing - Universal travel adaptor
Most retail and supermarket chains in Australia do have online stores. It is a good idea to browse through their webpages to understand prices and items that are available in Australia.
*Australia has strict biosecurity control. Understand what you can and cannot bring to Australia. There are limits on certain items you can bring such as maximum amount of cash you can bring and the types of food products you can bring in. Check what you can bring to Australia here: https://www.awe.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/travelling/bringing-mailing-goods
EXPLORE YOUR COURSE OPTIONS
Prior to enrolment, it's important to learn all about your degree on the Programs and Courses website. This website will provide you with information on program requirements and learning outcomes, to the courses that you'll study and career options. To find your program page, type in and select the degree that you are studying into the search bar.
- ANU Express, Medical School, and Military Law students will be emailed alternative enrolment instructions.
- Graduate Studies Select students will follow the alternative enrolment instructions located on the GSS website.
- Crawford School students should attend the Crawford induction session to enrol.
REGISTER AND ATTEND OUR PRE-ARRIVAL SESSIONS
To help prepare you for ANU, we will be holding Pre-Arrival Sessions to cover administration, accommodation and international student requirements. Come along, find out what you need to know before arriving and ask any questions from our team of experts.
SAVE THE DATE FOR O-WEEK
O-Week occurs the week prior to Week 1 of classes. It's the perfect opportunity to connect with other students, meet your colleges and find out about the social and support services on offer at ANU.
O-Week is filled with a range of fun and informative events, so make sure you check the events page to find out what is happening and register for the events you are interested in.
Before O-Week
WHO TO CONTACT FOR HELP WITH ADMINISTRATION
COMPLETE THE ESSENTIAL MODULES
Before you begin your studies at ANU, you will need to complete these essential modules. They’ll help you settle in, understand academic integrity, respect others and feel safe on campus. There are various online modules designed to help you prepare for your time in the University.
ENROL IN YOUR COURSES
All new students must complete enrolment to be able to start studying your courses. Enrolment is done via the Interactive Student Information System (ISIS)isis.anu.edu.au. Once you have enrolled, you will then be able to access your course materials via WATTLE and obtain your ANU student ID card.
Before you enrol
Familiarise yourself with your degree requirements. It is a good idea to find out which courses you need to enrol in. Have a look at the Programs and Courses website for your program and course information.
If you need additional advice speak with college advisor from your academic college.Some colleges provide course advice information via emails to your ANU email accounts.Refer to the college pages below to view available study plans, program planning advice and contact information:
- ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
- ANU College of Business and Economics
- ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science
- ANU College of Law
- ANU College of Science
- ANU College of Health and Medicine
- ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
When you are ready to enrol
All new students must enrol in courses by the second teaching week in the semester. If you do not enrol in courses, you will not be able to attend and access your classes. For more information on how to enrol, please refer to Student Central's enrolment information.
After you enrol
Once you have completed your enrolment, you can access your course materials via Wattle (Web Access to Teaching & Learning Environment) and pick up your student ID. Wattle will host important information about course outline, course materials, assessments, lecture information and many more.
BUILD YOUR TIMETABLE AND SIGN UP FOR TUTORIALS
SIGN UP FOR A STUDENT MENTOR
JOIN ANU STUDENT FACEBOOK GROUPS TO CONNECT WITH OTHER STUDENTS
Before you arrive you might want to start connecting with fellow new students. There are three student Facebook groups:
- New@ANU is ANUSA’s student-run Facebook group designed to help new and commencing transition into university life.
- ANU International and remote students group is ANUSA's student-run Facebook groupdedicated for international students at ANU. The group is intended for information-sharing and opportunities specific for international and remote students.
During O-Week...and beyond
GET YOUR STUDENT CARD
SET UP AN AUSTRALIAN BANK ACCOUNT
To open a bank account, you will be required to provide a list of documentations, including passport, your confirmation of enrolment, proof of address or residence, and other documentations as requested. Please refer to your preferred bank's webpages for more information.
The Commonwealth Bank is located at Kambri, ANU. There are other banks located near the University, including:
SET UP YOUR MOBILE PHONE
If you are looking to purchase a sim card, a good place to start is Canberra Centre - a shopping mall located two kilometres away from ANU campus. You will need to take some ID with you to open a mobile phone account. Mobile phone providers available at Canberra Centre include:
GET YOUR OSHC CARD
When you first arrive, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with Australian health care system as it might be different to that of home. As an international student, you are required to hold an Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) during your time in Australia. Information on OSHC will covered at international pre-departure induction before orientation week.
If you require further assistance to understand your policy coverage and claim information, Allianz OSHC representative is available on campus at Di Riddell Student Centre.
ATTEND NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
This session will draw on expert advice and lived experiences to help you understand key processes, available support and tips to prepare for your journey at ANU. Refer to the orientation week events section for more information
ATTEND ORIENTATION WEEK EVENTS AND SIGN UP FOR SOCIAL PROGRAMS
An important part of settling into your new life is establishing connections and familiarising yourself with University environment. There are many ways to do this including:
Attend Orientation Week to get course advice from your academic college, assistance with timetabling, meet support services at ANU and for opportunity to meet fellow new students at various social events. You can find orientation week events on this webpage.
ORGANISE YOUR PARKING PERMIT
If you plan to drive your car to ANU, it is important to know the parking rules and regulations. The University offers various types of parking options to staff, students and campus visitors. Parking options include hourly parking, surface permit parking and parking station permits. Be sure to come in early as there are limited parking spaces on campus.
Students with a Government Disability Parking Permit can apply for ANU Disability Parking Permit in order to use accessible parking spaces on campus, free parking and extended parking times. For parking costs, eligibility, information on where to park and to purchase a permit click here.
Contact
- ANU Student Life