Moving to Perth from the UK.
We did this move ourselves, with a family and a Bulldog. This is the honest version — what it actually costs, how long each stage really takes, and the parts that catch UK families out.
Moving to Perth from the UK — a family's guide
Realistic timeline from first serious conversation to keys in hand.
Typical all-in cost for a family of four, visa to settled.
Sea freight from the UK to Fremantle, door to door.
Your timeline, stage by stage
Most families underestimate the front half and overestimate the back half. The visa and skills assessment take months; the Perth end moves in days once you're here.
- 112+ months outDecide the visa route
Employer-sponsored, skilled independent, partner or working holiday — the route sets everything else, including whether you can rent, enrol children in public school at resident rates, or access Medicare. Get advice from a registered migration agent (MARA) before you commit to dates.
- 29-12 months outSkills assessment, English test, expression of interest
Skilled routes need a trade or professional body to assess your qualifications. This is usually the slowest part of the whole process, so start it before you start looking at houses.
- 36-9 months outPets, shipping quotes and school shortlist
Pets need roughly six months of lead time (rabies titre test, DAFF permit, Mickleham quarantine). Sea freight from the UK to Fremantle takes around 8-12 weeks door to door.
- 43-6 months outSuburb strategy and school catchments
In WA, public school enrolment follows the catchment of where you live. Choose the school first, then the suburb, then the rental — not the other way round.
- 56-12 weeks outRental resume and temporary accommodation
Book 4-6 weeks of temporary accommodation and build your rental application pack. Perth agents want ID, employment evidence, references and rental history — assembled before you land, not after.
- 6Arrival monthLand, then move fast
Tax file number, bank card activated, Australian SIM, Medicare if eligible, driving licence plan, and rental inspections booked from day two. Applications are decided in days, not weeks.
What a UK-to-Perth move costs
Ballpark ranges in AUD for a family of four. Yours will differ — run your own numbers in our calculator.
- Visa application (skilled, family of four)A$9,000 – A$14,000
- Skills assessment + English testA$800 – A$2,000
- One-way flights (family of four, UK → PER)A$4,000 – A$8,000
- Sea freight, 20ft containerA$9,000 – A$15,000
- Pet relocation (per animal)A$5,000 – A$10,000
- Temporary accommodation (4-6 weeks)A$4,000 – A$8,000
- Rental bond + 2 weeks rent up frontA$4,000 – A$7,000
- Car, whitegoods and setupA$15,000 – A$30,000
What surprises UK families
Perth vacancy rates have been extremely tight. Expect group viewings, multiple applicants and decisions inside 48 hours. Preparation beats luck.
Public school places are catchment-based. Private and Catholic schools have their own waitlists and often want an application well before you arrive.
The UK-Australia reciprocal agreement covers medically necessary care. Longer-term Medicare access depends on your visa, and most families also take private cover.
It's a five-hour flight to Sydney. That isolation is why the lifestyle works — and why getting the suburb right first time matters more than in a city where you can easily move across town.
Where UK families tend to land
Northern coastal corridor for space and beaches on a sensible budget; established northern suburbs for schools; Fremantle and the south for character and cafés.
Can someone help me rent in Perth from the UK?
Yes — this is the part most UK families ask about, because it's the one job you genuinely can't finish from your kitchen table in Manchester. Someone has to walk through the property, and in Perth that usually means being there on a Saturday morning with everyone else.
A relocation specialist isn't a real estate agent or a property manager. I don't own or lease the properties, and nobody can promise you'll be approved for a particular home. What I can do is get your application into the shape property managers here expect, shortlist suburbs and homes that actually suit how you live, attend viewings for you and film proper walkthroughs so you're not choosing from a listing photo.
Plenty of people do it themselves and that's completely fine — the free guides on this site are written for exactly that. It tends to be worth paying for help when you're arriving with children, pets or a start date you can't move, or when you're trying to have somewhere sorted before the plane lands.
Free tool
How rental-ready are you for WA?
Answer a few questions about your move and I'll write you back a proper, personalised rental-readiness report — what's already working in your favour, what I'd get sorted next, and the thing I'd keep in mind for your particular situation.
Free · about 2 minutes · no obligation to buy anything.
Written by someone who did this move herself — not a scoring robot.
You can't inspect a Perth rental from Manchester. We can.
We view properties in person, send you video walkthroughs, prepare your rental resume and deal with the agents — so you land into a home instead of a hotel and a scramble.