Opening an Australian Bank Account as a New Migrant (Big 4 Compared)
Not every Big 4 bank lets you open an account before you land in Australia. This compares CommBank, ANZ, Westpac and NAB on fees and pre-arrival opening, and walks through what happens after your account is open. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 Which banks let you open
- 0:14 CommBank: Everyday Smart Access account
- 0:27 ANZ Plus: no monthly fees,
- 0:39 Westpac Choice
- 0:51 NAB Classic Banking:
- 1:03 Only two of the four let you
- 1:17 After you open it
- 1:29 Every fee waiver ends eventually —
- 1:40 Where to read more
Transcript
Can you open an Australian bank account before you even land? For two of the Big 4 banks, yes. Here's what each one actually offers a new arrival.
CommBank's Everyday Smart Access account has no monthly fee if you're under 30, or your fee is waived for your first 12 months if you're 30 or over. You can apply online up to 14 days before you arrive.
ANZ's current everyday account, ANZ Plus, has no monthly account fees at all. But you can't open it before you arrive — you join through the app once you're already in Australia.
Westpac's Choice account normally charges a $5 monthly fee, which is waived for your first 12 months. You can open it online if you'll arrive within the next 14 days.
NAB's Classic Banking account has no monthly fee and no minimum deposit. You can start an application online, but NAB says the account only opens once you're in Australia and finish it in a branch.
So only CommBank and Westpac let you open the account itself before you land, both within a 14-day window. NAB lets you start the paperwork online but not finish it. ANZ needs you in the country first.
Once it's open: set up online banking, link a PayID for fast transfers, give your employer your account details, and check your balance within 24 hours to confirm the account is active.
The four accounts are priced differently, and every fee waiver ends eventually. Check what the fee becomes once the waiver period is over, before you pick one.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description.
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