Healthcare

Moving interstate means finding a new GP, dentist and pharmacy, and possibly specialists. In Tasmania, as in other regional parts of Australia, it can take time to find a GP accepting new patients, so it helps to start before you arrive.

This is general information to help you research a move. It isn't legal, financial or migration advice, and we don't recommend particular suburbs, agents or businesses.

Before you move

• Ask your current GP for a health summary and copies of important results.
• Make sure you have enough of any regular medication to cover the move and settling in.
• Ask specialists whether they can refer you to someone in Tasmania.
• Check that your My Health Record, if you use one, is up to date.

Finding a GP

Healthdirect's online service finder lists GPs, pharmacies, dentists and other services by location. Call practices to ask whether they're taking new patients, whether they bulk bill, and how far ahead appointments are booked. In smaller towns, the local practice may be the only option, so register early.

Public hospitals

Tasmania's main public hospitals are the Royal Hobart Hospital in the south, Launceston General Hospital in the north, and the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie and Mersey Community Hospital at Latrobe in the north-west. There are also district hospitals and community health centres in regional towns. Services change, so check current details with the Tasmanian Health Service.

Medicare and your address

Services Australia explains how to update your contact details for Medicare, including through your online account. Update your address soon after you move so that letters and cards reach you.

Distance and planning

If you live in a regional or remote area, you may need to travel for specialist care. Think about how you'd manage regular appointments and emergencies when choosing where to live. Our region guides cover the main centres.

After hours and emergencies

In an emergency, call triple zero (000). For non-urgent advice, Healthdirect runs a free health advice line. Ask your GP practice about its after-hours arrangements.

Mental health and support

Moving can be stressful, even when it's a positive change. Leaving friends and family, starting a new job and adjusting to a new place all take time. Your GP can help you find local support, and national services such as Healthdirect can point you to options.

Dentists and other services

Search for dentists, physiotherapists and other services in the same way, and transfer records where needed.

Moving later in life

Many people move to Tasmania in retirement. If that's your plan, think carefully about access to health care, especially specialists and hospitals; whether your home will suit you as your needs change; how you'll get around if you stop driving; and how far you'll be from family. Smaller towns can be welcoming and affordable, but services may be limited. Visiting in winter and talking to local GPs and community groups can help you choose wisely.

Update your details

Moving interstate means updating your address in many places. Common ones include Medicare and Centrelink through Services Australia, the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Electoral Commission, your bank, super fund, insurers, employer, phone and internet providers, and any subscriptions. The Australian Electoral Commission lets you update your enrolment online. Redirect your mail for a few months to catch anything you miss. Keeping a simple checklist and ticking items off as you go makes this much easier.

Choosing a region

Tasmania is small on the map, but its regions feel different. The south centres on Hobart and its valleys and peninsulas; the north on Launceston, the Tamar Valley and farming country; the north-west on coastal towns from Devonport to Smithton; the West Coast on remote harbour and mining towns; and the east coast on beaches and holiday towns. Think about what matters most to you, such as work, schools, health care, climate, community or landscape, and rank the regions against those needs. Our region guides describe each area in more detail.

Visit before you commit

If you can, spend time in Tasmania before you sign a lease or buy. A week in winter will tell you more about everyday life than a summer holiday: how cold the mornings are, how early it gets dark, how quiet the towns become, and what the roads are like in rain and frost. Use the trip to inspect homes, drive the commutes you'd make, visit schools, and talk to locals at the shops, the library or a sports club. Keep notes and photos so you can compare places once you're home. If a visit isn't possible, ask someone you trust to look on your behalf, and use video calls to inspect homes.

Moving with children

Moving with children adds steps but can also be a great adventure. Involve them in researching the new area, contact schools early, and keep routines as steady as possible around moving day. Ask schools how they support students who change states, and look for local sport, music or scouting groups so children can make friends quickly. Teenagers in particular may find leaving friends hard; staying connected online and planning visits can help.

Finding your community

Settling in is about people as much as places. Many newcomers find friends through work, schools, sporting clubs, volunteer groups, community gardens, churches, Men's Sheds, choirs, bushwalking clubs and local markets. Neighbourhood houses run activities and are a good place to ask about what's on. In small towns, turning up regularly and joining in tends to matter more than anything else. Give yourself time: it's normal for a move to feel lonely before it feels like home, and staying in touch with friends and family back home helps during the first year.

Use the move planner

Our free move planner turns your arrival date into a dated checklist. It includes the key deadlines for registering an interstate vehicle (within three months of arrival) and converting your licence (within six months), plus biosecurity steps such as treating your dog within 14 days before entry. It runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. Always confirm dates with the relevant agency.

A quick checklist

Before you commit to a move:

• visit in winter if you can;
• compare regions against your work, school, health and lifestyle needs;
• budget for shipping, bonds, inspections and heating;
• check internet at the exact address;
• plan biosecurity steps for food, plants, gear and pets;
• diarise the three-month registration and six-month licence deadlines;
• update your address with key agencies.

Where our information comes from

We base the rules and deadlines in this guide on official sources, including Service Tasmania, Transport Services Tasmania, Biosecurity Tasmania, Consumer, Building and Occupational Services, the Department for Education, Children and Young People, the Bureau of Meteorology, Healthdirect and Services Australia, listed at the end of the page. Descriptions of places are general and written in our own words. Rules change, so we show the date we last checked the page; follow the source links before relying on any detail.

Taking it one step at a time

A move across Bass Strait involves many decisions, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Breaking the move into stages helps: first research and visit, then choose a region and housing, then book transport and removalists, then handle biosecurity and packing, and finally the paperwork after you arrive. Tackling one stage at a time, with a written list for each, keeps things manageable and makes it less likely that an important deadline slips through the cracks.

Key points

• Start looking for a GP before you arrive.
• Healthdirect’s service finder lists GPs and other services.
• Update your Medicare address with Services Australia.
• Main public hospitals are in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Latrobe.
• In an emergency, call 000.