TFN and Medicare
 

I lived in Australia for a year (2007) and had medicare and a tax file number
I have now been granted a spouse visa and will be returning to Oz next week
My question is this.

Do i need to apply for a new Tax file number and Medicare card when i arrive.

Hope someone knows the answer

Thanks

Re: TFN and Medicare
 

Hiya,

You don't need another TFN, you will have this one for life. Not sure on the medicare sorry.

Donna.x

Re: TFN and Medicare
 

You apply for Medicare when you get here - take your passport into the local Medicare office, but leave it a week or so as sometimes their computers don't catch up with your details at once.

Re: TFN and Medicare
 

In very similar circumstances to yours I kept my old TFN and Medicare number. Both took approx 3 mins each to sort out (of which 2 mins 30 secs was queuing) in the respective offices.
The Medicare office gave me a little computer printout rather like an ATM receipt until the card itself came through about a week later.

Re: TFN and Medicare
 

Can anyone tell me if I had a TFN 20 years ago whilst over on a WHV, would they still have a record of that - I clearly don't!

Thanks

Re: TFN and Medicare
 

Possibly not. Hubby worked over here in 1984 and had a TFN. However they were still paper based. When they went over to computer, if yours wasn't in use, it probably wasn't 'moved' over and so no record of it. Hubby had to get a new one. Can't remember the exact date but think it was late 80s/early 90s.

Re: TFN and Medicare
 

Thanks for that. I was over in 1988 so sounds like that sort of time. When your husband applied for a TFN did he mention that he was over at that time or did he just apply for a new one?
Thanks

Re: TFN and Medicare
 

He told them and they searched for his old number for a while and then said it must have not been carried over and gave him a new one - no problem. Just took a little while longer than it took to get mine.