How Much Does It Cost to Move to Australia from Hong Kong?

No capital transfer restrictions

Hong Kong has no government-imposed limits on transferring money overseas. This is a major advantage over mainland China, where the SAFE quota caps personal transfers at USD 50,000 per year.

You can move your savings to an Australian bank account in a single transfer if you choose. Banks may flag large transactions under anti-money laundering reporting rules, but there is no cap. If you are selling Hong Kong property, you can send the full proceeds to Australia without staged transfers or family quota pooling.

Many Hong Kong migrants — especially finance and IT professionals — arrive with significant savings. Combined with the fact that Australian housing costs less than Hong Kong for equivalent space, the financial transition is often smoother than expected.

Visa application charges

The visa application charge is the largest upfront cost. Fees index annually on 1 July, so check the schedule before you lodge.

Australia introduced Hong Kong-specific streams within several visa subclasses in March 2022. These streams sit inside subclass 189, subclass 191, subclass 482, and subclass 485. The base application charges are the same as the standard subclass fees. For full details on these pathways, see Hong Kong to Australia visa options.

Adding family members increases the bill. On skilled visas, expect AUD 3,070 (HKD 16,271) per additional adult and AUD 1,535 to 1,540 (HKD 8,136 to 8,162) per child under 18. Figures are the charges in force from 1 July 2026 — check the Home Affairs fee schedule before you lodge. Use Migratio's visa cost calculator for a quick estimate.

Skills assessment fees

Skilled migration pathways require a positive skills assessment before you can lodge. Fees depend on your occupation and assessing body, and these bodies review their fees periodically, so treat the figures below as a September 2026 snapshot rather than a fixed price.

Engineers Australia charges less for applicants using the Washington/Sydney/Dublin Accord pathway or an Australian-accredited qualification (from AUD 346.50) and more for combined pathways with an employment or PhD assessment (up to AUD 1,815). VETASSESS charges AUD 1,260.60 (GST-inclusive) if you lodge from within Australia rather than offshore. Hong Kong's large finance sector means many applicants go through CPA Australia. IT professionals use ACS. Processing takes 6 to 16 weeks depending on the body. Confirm the current fee on the assessing body's own site before you pay. For a detailed explanation, read what is a skills assessment.

English testing costs

BN(O) passport holders do not receive the automatic English language exemption that applies to UK, US, Irish, Canadian, and New Zealand passport holders. Budget for an English test regardless of your fluency.

As published by the British Council in Hong Kong in September 2026, IELTS Academic and General Training both cost HK$2,900 (approximately AUD 547) in Hong Kong — a Hong Kong-specific price, not the Australian test-centre price. Pearson does not publish one fixed PTE Academic fee for Hong Kong; it is shown on Pearson's own booking site before you pay, and varies over time.

PTE Academic results generally arrive faster than IELTS, which is part of its appeal to applicants on tight timelines. Most skilled visas require Competent English (IELTS 6.0 per band). Higher scores add points on a skilled visa application — 7.0 per band adds 10 points and 8.0 adds 20. Budget for two attempts in case your first score falls short.

Health exams and police clearances

Health examination

All visa applicants must attend a panel-approved clinic. Hong Kong has Bupa Medical Visa Services panel clinics. The fee is set by the individual clinic, not by Home Affairs, so there is no single published figure — confirm the current price when you book. Results go directly to Home Affairs.

Hong Kong Police clearance (CNCC)

You need a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction (CNCC) from the Hong Kong Police Force. As published by the Hong Kong Police Force, the fee is HK$311 per person, rising to HK$340 from 12 October 2026 (roughly AUD 59, rising to AUD 64). Processing takes approximately 15 calendar days. Applications can now be submitted online, which saves a trip to Police Headquarters in Wan Chai. Keep in mind Home Affairs requires the clearance to be recent — apply within the timeframe your agent or the department advises.

Document costs

High Court apostille

Hong Kong documents for Australian visa applications need an apostille from the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. As published by the Hong Kong Judiciary, the fee is HK$125 (approximately AUD 24) per apostille application. Allow 2 working days. A typical application involves three to five apostilled documents. Total apostille costs run roughly HKD 375 to HKD 625 (AUD 71 to AUD 118) at that rate. For a full walkthrough, see our Hong Kong document authentication guide.

Certified translation

Documents in Chinese need NAATI-certified English translation for your visa application. Translators set their own fees and there is no published schedule, so get a quote for your specific documents rather than budgeting from a general figure. Many Hong Kong applicants have bilingual documents already, which can reduce translation costs.

Travel costs

Airfares are set by individual airlines and move constantly with season and booking timing, so any specific fare quoted here would be out of date quickly — check current fares directly with Cathay Pacific, Qantas, or Virgin Australia (the carriers operating direct Hong Kong–Sydney/Melbourne routes) or via a flight search site closer to your travel date. Budget flights via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur are generally cheaper than direct flights. Book three to six months ahead for the best fares, and get a current quote for one-way travel insurance from your insurer rather than assuming a fixed cost.

Shipping and freight

Most Hong Kong apartments are small, and many migrants sell furniture and ship only personal items rather than a full household. Freight quotes are set individually by the parcel, groupage, or container operator you use and vary by volume, so get quotes from a couple of providers rather than budgeting from a remembered figure — as a rule of thumb, sending a few boxes by parcel post costs much less than sharing a container, which in turn costs much less than a full 20-foot container, and a full container only makes sense if you are shipping a full household.

Personal effects owned and used for 12 or more months are generally exempt from Australian customs duty and GST. New items may attract duty.

Settlement costs — cheaper than Hong Kong

This is where Hong Kong migrants often get a pleasant surprise. Australian rent is significantly cheaper than Hong Kong for equivalent space. A two-bedroom apartment in Sydney's Chatswood generally costs a good deal less than a studio in Causeway Bay.

Rental bonds (typically four weeks' rent) and two weeks' rent in advance are the two upfront costs every tenancy involves; the actual dollar amount depends on the current median rent in the suburb you choose, which is worth checking on a rental listings site rather than assuming from a table, since rents move from quarter to quarter. Groceries, public transport, and a mobile plan are all priced by individual retailers, transport authorities, and carriers rather than by any single published schedule.

Chatswood, Box Hill, and Sunnybank have large Cantonese-speaking communities, Asian supermarkets, and familiar dining options, and Chatswood and Box Hill in particular have strong Hong Kong expat networks.

No Medicare reciprocal agreement. Hong Kong does not have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Until you hold a permanent visa, you need private health insurance — Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC) is priced by the individual insurer, so compare current quotes rather than a remembered monthly figure.

For a full guide to housing, banking, and everyday life, see our settling in Australia guide.

Migration agent fees

If you use a MARA-registered migration agent, fees vary widely by visa complexity — agents set their own fees and there is no regulated schedule, so always confirm in writing before engaging one. Some agents specialise in Hong Kong stream applications. Compare quotes through Migratio's agent directory (comparing is free; consults are typically $150–$300). Read our guide to choosing an agent before you commit.

Total budget summary

The one figure in a total that is fixed and dated is the visa application charge (see the table above). Everything else in this guide — skills assessment and English test fees aside, which are set by named bodies and change periodically — is priced by an individual airline, freight company, landlord, or insurer, so adding them into one headline total would create a precision the underlying numbers don't have. As a rough shape: a single applicant on a skilled visa with no agent will generally spend several tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars once the visa charge, assessment, tests, checks, one flight, and a first month's settlement are all added up; a couple, a partner visa, or the use of an agent adds meaningfully to that. Build your own total from current visa, assessment, and quoted figures rather than relying on a single published number.

Saving tips

• Use Migratio's points calculator before paying for a skills assessment — there is no refund if your occupation is not on the relevant list.
• Transfer your savings in one go. Unlike mainland Chinese applicants, you have no quota to manage.
• Book your English test early — a retake means paying the fee again.
• Book flights midweek and outside school holiday periods for the best fares.
• Ship light. Selling furniture in Hong Kong and buying secondhand in Australia is almost always cheaper than a container.
• If you are a finance professional, check whether your employer offers relocation support before you pay out of pocket.

Next steps

1. Review the visa options available to Hong Kong residents, including the Hong Kong streams.
2. Use Migratio's points calculator to estimate your skilled-migration score.
3. Get your Hong Kong documents ready — apostille, CNCC clearance, NAATI translations.
4. Book your IELTS or PTE test early — BN(O) holders are not exempt.
5. Read our guide to choosing a migration agent.
6. Browse MARA-registered agents on Migratio and compare consultation fees (comparing is free; consults are typically $150–$300).
7. Start settlement planning.

Related resources

• Hong Kong to Australia — 2026 Overview
• Visa Options for Hong Kong Residents
• Hong Kong Document Authentication
• Settling in Australia from Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Finance Professionals — Australia Pathway
• How to Choose a Migration Agent
• What Is a Skills Assessment?
• Find a Skilled Visa Agent

Is Australia cheaper than Hong Kong to live in?

Housing is generally cheaper in most Australian cities compared to Hong Kong, which has some of the world's highest property prices. However, other costs like food and transport may be comparable. Sydney is the most expensive Australian city but still typically cheaper than Hong Kong for equivalent housing.

Do I need to pay for an English test with a BN(O) passport?

Yes, in most cases. BN(O) passport holders do not receive the automatic English exemption that UK passport holders get. As published by the British Council in September 2026, IELTS in Hong Kong costs HK$2,900; PTE Academic's fee is shown on Pearson's own booking site and varies over time.

How much can I transfer from Hong Kong to Australia?

There is no government-imposed limit on transferring money out of Hong Kong. Banks may have their own reporting thresholds for large transactions under anti-money laundering rules, but there is no equivalent to mainland China's $50,000 USD annual SAFE limit.