Arriving

Before you leave your home country:

• Make plans for someone to meet you in Australia at the airport
  • If family or friends are meeting you, give them your flight details, including arrival date and time
  • If family or friends are not meeting you, TAFE NSW staff can arrange airport pickup and accommodation
• Arrange accommodation in Australia

Customs and Quarantine

When your flight arrives at the airport in Australia, you have immigration, customs and quarantine checks.
Australia has strict quarantine rules. When your plane lands, you must:

• Complete an Incoming Passenger Card with details of your name and passport
• Declare all food, plant and animal products you are bringing into Australia
  • Do not have any food, wooden or organic items in your bags. If you have food with you, place it in the bins provided
  • In Australia, a number of other items are banned and must be declared and inspected. There are heavy fines for false declarations
• If you are taking prescribed medicine:
  • Check before you leave your home country whether you are allowed to bring this medicine into Australia
  • Ask your doctor to write a letter (translated into English) stating why you need the medicine
  • Be ready to show this letter to the customs officers as you go through customs

For more information, go to the Australian Quarantine website, or contact the Australian Embassy in your home country.

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Airport Transport

From the airport to Sydney and suburbs

Sydney airport is 8 km from central Sydney.

Airport Reception Service

TAFE NSW can arrange to meet you at the airport and take you to your accommodation.

If you wish to book this service, tick the 'Airport Reception' box on the TAFE NSW application form. We then send you a Service Request

Form so that you can provide your arrival date, time, airline and flight number.

A fee of A$140 for airport reception service is charged with your tuition fees.

Taxi or Train

• Taxis to the city centre cost approximately A$25 to A$40
• AirportLink rail service runs from Sydney Airport to the city centre every 10 minutes. The fare from the Airport to Central Station is approximately A$15.40

If you get lost, telephone DEC International Students Centre on 131 601 during office hours: Mondays to Fridays, from 8:30am to 6:00pm. You could also take a taxi from the airport to DEC International Students Centre office (weekdays only).

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From the airport to other NSW cities

If your TAFE NSW campus is outside Sydney, you may need to travel from Sydney on another flight, or by train or bus.

• You can arrange a connecting flight
• OR
• Your International Student Coordinator at your TAFE NSW college can tell you about train or bus services to your college

If you need to stay overnight in Sydney, your International Student Coordinator at your TAFE NSW college can help you book temporary accommodation.

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