How to Get Your TFN (Tax File Number) in Australia

What a TFN Is, and What It Isn't

A TFN is issued once, by the ATO, and stays with you for life — if you leave Australia and come back years later, you use the same number. It is not the same thing as a Medicare number or an ABN (Australian Business Number, which you only need if you're self-employed or running a business, not as an employee). Your employer, your bank and the ATO all use your TFN to make sure your income and tax add up correctly.

Who Can Apply Online

The ATO's online Individual Auto Registration (IAR) system is for foreign passport holders, permanent migrants and temporary visitors who currently hold a visa that lets them stay in Australia indefinitely or for a set period, including most skilled, employer-sponsored, partner, student and working holiday visas with work rights. The one condition that catches people out: you must already be physically in Australia to use this option — you cannot apply online from overseas before you arrive. If you are still offshore, a paper application through an Australian diplomatic mission is the alternative route.

What You'll Need

- Your passport
- Your current visa details (visa subclass, grant date)
- An Australian address, even a temporary one such as a friend's place or short-term accommodation
- About 20 minutes, according to the ATO's own estimate for the online form

How to Apply Online

Go to the ATO's online TFN application for foreign passport holders, permanent migrants and temporary visitors. The form asks for your personal details, passport number, visa information and Australian address. There is no fee at any point in this process — if a page, app or person asks you to pay before you can submit or receive a TFN, stop and treat it as a scam (more on this below).

Once submitted, you'll get a receipt number. Keep it — it's your proof that you've applied, and it's what you show an employer if they ask for your TFN before it has arrived.

How Long It Takes

The ATO's own guidance is that you should receive your TFN within 28 days of them receiving your completed application. Don't lodge a second application in that window hoping to speed things up — it doesn't, and it can create duplicate-record problems. If 28 days pass with nothing, contact the ATO and quote your application receipt ID.

Starting Work Before Your TFN Arrives — the 28-Day Withholding Rule

You are allowed to start work and be paid before your TFN arrives. What actually has a deadline is telling your employer, not starting the job. Under the ATO's tax file number and withholding rules, an employer withholds tax at standard PAYG rates for the first 28 days of your employment even without a TFN. If you still haven't provided one after those 28 days, the employer must then withhold at the top marginal rate on every future payment — 47% for an Australian resident for tax purposes, 45% for a foreign resident — until you do provide it.

In practice: apply for your TFN as close to arrival as possible, hand your employer the application receipt on day one so they know one is coming, and follow up with the actual number the moment it arrives so the higher withholding never kicks in. It is fully recoverable at tax time either way, but nobody wants nearly half their pay withheld for weeks over paperwork.

If You Can't Apply Online

If you're not yet in Australia, or the online system doesn't work for your situation, you can apply through an Australian embassy, high commission or consulate in your home country, or by paper form once you've arrived, at a participating Australia Post outlet if you can attend in person. Both routes take longer than the online IAR option and are worth using only if IAR genuinely isn't available to you.

The TFN Scam You Need to Know About

The ATO has repeatedly warned about fake websites and social media ads offering to obtain a TFN for a fee. These sites take your money and personal information and either deliver nothing or misuse your details. Applying for a TFN is always free, whether you do it yourself online, through Australia Post, or via an accountant helping with a broader tax matter — a TFN itself never has a price tag. The ATO also will never ask for your TFN, password or financial details by text or email; treat any message that does as fraudulent.

Common Problems

No response after 28 days. Check your email, including spam, for a request for more information — replying promptly avoids restarting the clock. If there's genuinely nothing, call the ATO with your receipt ID.

Your employer wants your TFN before it's arrived. Give them your application receipt instead. Most payroll systems can handle 'TFN applied for' as a temporary status for the first 28 days.

You don't have a fixed Australian address yet. Use whatever address you're currently reachable at — a share house, hotel or a friend's home is fine. You can update it later once you've settled somewhere.

TFN vs Medicare Number vs ABN

These are three separate numbers issued by three different processes, and new arrivals often conflate them. Your TFN is for tax and comes from the ATO. Your Medicare card number is for healthcare and comes from Services Australia, and only if your visa makes you eligible. An ABN is only relevant if you're running a business or working as a sole trader or contractor — most employees never need one. Applying for a TFN does not automatically get you a Medicare card, and vice versa.

After You Receive Your TFN

1. Give it to your employer's payroll straight away — don't wait for them to ask twice.
2. Link it to the ATO service inside your myGov account so you can lodge tax returns online later — see our myGov setup guide if you haven't done this yet.
3. Store it somewhere private, not in an easily-shared note or email thread — your TFN is a target for identity theft.
4. Check your first payslip shows it correctly.

Next Steps

1. Set up myGov and myID first if you haven't already — see our step-by-step guide.
2. Apply for your TFN online as soon as you're in Australia; it costs nothing and takes about 20 minutes.
3. Give your employer the application receipt on day one so the 28-day withholding clock is on your side.
4. Provide the actual TFN the moment it arrives.
5. If your visa's work rights or eligibility are unclear, that's a question for a MARA-registered migration agent, not a guess — Migratio can match you with one for free.

Is applying for a TFN really free?

Yes, always. The ATO has specifically warned about scam websites charging a fee to obtain a TFN. Whether you apply online, by post, or through Australia Post in person, there is no charge — treat any request for payment as a scam.

How long does it take to get a TFN?

The ATO's guidance is within 28 days of receiving a completed online application, and the form itself takes about 20 minutes to fill in. If nothing arrives after 28 days, contact the ATO with your application receipt ID.

Can I start work before my TFN arrives?

Yes. Give your employer your application receipt to show one is on the way. Your employer withholds tax at standard rates for the first 28 days of employment either way; providing the actual TFN before that window closes avoids the higher withholding rate that applies after it.

What happens if I don't give my employer a TFN within 28 days?

Your employer is required to withhold tax from your pay at the top marginal rate on future payments — 47% for an Australian resident for tax purposes, 45% for a foreign resident — until you provide one. It's recoverable at tax time, but avoidable by providing the number promptly.

Do I need to already be in Australia to apply for a TFN online?

Yes, for the standard online Individual Auto Registration route. If you're still overseas, the alternative is applying through an Australian embassy, high commission or consulate before you travel.

Is a TFN the same as an ABN or a Medicare number?

No. A TFN is for tax, issued by the ATO. A Medicare number is for healthcare, issued by Services Australia and only available if your visa makes you eligible. An ABN is only needed if you're self-employed or contracting, not for standard employment.