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Getting a tax file number (TFN) in Australia

What a tax file number is, why you need one before you start work, how visa holders apply online for free, how long it takes to arrive, and how to keep it safe.

Checked 8 Oct 2026
Applies to
Everyone who will work, earn interest or claim payments in Australia. Visa holders with work rights who are in Australia apply online; Australian citizens and permanent residents use the residents' application. People who already have a TFN keep it for life.
Effort
Low effort
Time needed
About 15 minutes online; the TFN usually arrives by post within 28 days
Cost
Free of charge
When
As soon as you are in Australia with a visa that allows you to work
On this page
  1. Overview
  2. Before you start
  3. Documents you need
  4. Step by step
  5. Where to find your TFN later
  6. Keeping your TFN safe
  7. Watch out
  8. Common mistakes
  9. Tips
  10. Frequently asked questions
  11. Official links
  12. In your plan
  13. Sources
  14. Related guides

A tax file number (TFN) is your personal reference number in Australia's tax and superannuation systems. It is issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), is usually 9 digits, and is yours for life: you keep it if you change jobs, move interstate, change your name or go overseas.

You do not have to have a TFN, but without one your employer or bank must withhold more tax from what they pay you. Without a TFN you also cannot lodge your tax return online, apply for government payments or get an Australian business number (ABN). Applying is free.

Before you start

  • A visa with work rights, linked to your passport
  • An Australian postal address where the ATO can send your TFN

Documents you need

  • Current passport linked to your visa

    required

  • Visa grant details (to check your work rights in VEVO)

    optional

  • An Australian postal address

    required

Step by step

  1. Step 1: Check that your visa gives you work rights

    To apply online as a newcomer you need a valid visa with work rights, linked to your passport. You can check your visa and its conditions in VEVO.

    • New Zealand citizens are automatically granted a visa with work rights when they arrive.
    • Working holiday makers (subclasses 417 and 462) and other working visa holders can apply online.
    • If your visa has a no-work condition (8101, 8103 or 8116), you cannot use the online system. Permanent migrants then use the Australian residents' application; temporary visitors use the paper form for people living outside Australia, even if they are in Australia.

  2. Step 2: Apply online with Individual Auto-Registration

    If you are in Australia and have work rights, apply through the ATO's Individual Auto-Registration (IAR) system, linked from the ATO page Permanent migrants and temporary visitors – TFN application. You do not need to send any documents. Enter your passport details exactly as they appear in your passport, and an Australian postal address.

    Australian citizens returning from overseas who do not yet have a TFN apply through the residents' application instead; with a Strong Digital ID (myID) the process can be faster.

  3. Step 3: Wait for your TFN by post

    The ATO says you should receive your TFN within 28 days of it receiving your completed application, posted to the Australian address you gave. Do not lodge a second application during those 28 days, as that slows processing. If nothing has arrived after 28 days, contact the ATO (individuals line 13 28 61, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday) and quote the receipt ID from your application.

  4. Step 4: Give your TFN to your employer and super fund

    When you start work your employer asks you for your TFN. If you have applied but your number has not arrived yet, tell your employer and give it to them as soon as it does, because without it they must withhold more tax. If you quote your TFN to your employer for super purposes, the ATO says your employer must pass it on to your super fund. See Superannuation in Australia.

  5. Step 5: Link the ATO to myGov

    Create a myGov account and link it to the ATO. You can then find your TFN in ATO online services or the ATO app, see your income statements and lodge your tax return online with myTax. See Taxes in Australia.

Where to find your TFN later

If you lose the letter, your TFN also appears in ATO online services and the ATO app (once myGov is linked), on your notice of assessment, on some ATO letters, on income statements from your employer and on your super account statements.

Keeping your TFN safe

Someone only needs a few basic details, such as your name, date of birth, address and TFN, to commit identity fraud. Only give your TFN to organisations that need it for a legitimate reason: the ATO, your employer when you start work, your bank, other government agencies when you claim a payment, your super fund and your university. Tell the ATO straight away if you think your TFN has been lost, stolen or misused.

Watch out

Never pay a third party to "get" a TFN for you; applying with the ATO is free.

Scamwatch warns that scammers pretend to be trusted organisations, threaten arrest or deportation, and demand immediate payment, sometimes by gift card or cryptocurrency. Hang up and contact the agency yourself using the number on its official website.

Common mistakes

  • Starting work without giving your employer a TFN, so tax is withheld at a higher rate.
  • Lodging a second application before the 28 days have passed.
  • Using an address where you will not receive post.

Tips

  • If you already have a TFN from an earlier stay in Australia, do not apply again; it is yours for life. You can use the same online system to find it or get a copy of your TFN notice.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Can I apply for a TFN before I arrive?

The online system for visa holders is for people located in Australia with a valid work rights visa. Plan to apply in your first days after arrival.

Do I need a TFN to open a bank account?

No, but if your bank does not have your TFN it must withhold tax from the interest it pays you. Add your TFN to your account once you have it.

In your plan

  • Apply for your tax file number
  • Give your employer your TFN and super details
  • Create a myGov account and link the ATO

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 6 Apr 2027.

  1. Australian Taxation OfficeOfficial source
    Permanent migrants and temporary visitors – TFN application (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Last updated 22 June 2026. Read via the Internet Archive snapshot of 4 October 2026 because the live site blocks automated access.

  2. Australian Taxation OfficeOfficial source
    What is a tax file number? (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Last updated 22 June 2026. Read via the Internet Archive snapshot of 18 September 2026.

  3. Australian Taxation OfficeOfficial source
    Contact us (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Individual enquiries 13 28 61, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Read via the Internet Archive snapshot of 30 September 2026.

  4. Australian Taxation OfficeOfficial source
    Superannuation standard choice form (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Read via the Internet Archive snapshot of 1 June 2026.

  5. Department of Home AffairsOfficial source
    Check visa conditions online (VEVO) (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  6. Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre, ACCC)Official source
    Threat scams (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

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