Locum in Australia
So, you're looking for a long hot summer or escape from the New Zealand winter! Maybe you are wanting more of a challenge or to gain more experiences to further your career. It may be that you are just wanting to pay off those student loans, mortgages or have a 6-12 month OE.
Australia has a great range of locuming options and the locum pay rate is better than NZ - even more so with the exchange rate! Antipodean Medical Recruitment can help you locate locum work in Australia which is available in the major centres and regional locations. Most locum positions are located in regional hospitals where you can gain fantastic hands on experience however, we do receive requests from tertiary hospitals and main centres as well.
It’s easy to get long and short term locum placements. You may need to be a bit flexible especially when it comes to locations but we will try to match your requirements with that of the hospitals as best we can.
So if you’re after a beach holiday, or you want to experience outback Australia or some of Australia’s vibrant cities, contact Antipodean Medical Recruitment.
To locum in Australia there is a bit to know:
Medical registration in Australia for locums – New Zealand and Australian graduates
In Australia, you need general medical registration in the State or Territory that you are working in.
As a New Zealand or Australian graduate you are eligible for this after your first year practicing as a doctor.
If you’re a New Zealand graduate, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will try and give you all the necessary paperwork for the State / Territory you’re going to work and we will make it as easy as possible. However, you may need to complete some forms at the relevant State / Territory medical board office and have an interview with them.
Tax Information in Australia for locums
The Australian tax year finishes on June 30.
To work in Australia you need a TFN (similar to an IRD number in NZ). It is easy to apply for and it is highly recommended you do so before leaving for Australia to enable payroll to pay you without the delay of waiting for this number. If you don't have time to do this before you leave, make sure you do it on your first day in Australia so you are paid correctly by the hospital.
You can apply for a TFN online by visiting
Income Tax
In New South Wales hospitals and in most other Australian hospitals, locum doctors are paid through the hospital payroll and this means that the tax is automatically deducted - PAYG (Pay As You Go). If you are not working a full year in Australia, you should be able to claim a lot of this back at the end of the tax year (June 30). It is recommended that you find and talk to an Australian accountant who can process your tax return.
Payment for locum work in Australia
As advised above, most doctors will be paid through the hospital payroll. If you are contracting Antipodean Medical Recruitment will pay you on the next pay period (done fortnightly on a Friday) after receiving your signed timesheet. Therefore, as soon as you have finished each assignment (or each fortnight if the job is longer than two weeks), fax or email your timesheet to our office plus receipts of other agreed expenses e.g. taxis. Download a Locum Timesheet.
Remember to let us know if you are GST registered.
GST in Australia
If you are not going onto the payroll you must be GST registered if your annual turnover for this month and the last eleven months has exceeded $50,000 and your turnover for this month and the next eleven months is expected to exceed $50,000.
Salary Packaging
Salary packaging is offered at many of the Australian hospitals, even if you are a locum. It allows staff to claim up to $9000 of income to be tax free if you can account for it with relevant receipts. If you are there for less than a year you can apply the full amount into the time you are there, reducing your tax bill. Definitely speak to the HR / Payroll Department at the hospital you are working at for more information.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this document is provided in good faith and is believed to be accurate at the time of publication. While all care is taken in the preparation of this document Antipodean Medical Recruitment cannot be responsible for unintentional errors, omissions or changes in circumstances subsequent to publication. We recommend you consult your personal accountant when it comes to tax matters.
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Specialist recruiters of doctors for Australia and New Zealand
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Telephone: +61 2 4381 1449
Australian Mobile: 0438 267 888
NZ Mobile: 0210 263 1013
