GET SETTLED / COMPARE YOUR OPTIONS

Get your tax file number (TFN)

Your TFN is your personal reference for Australian tax. Applying directly through the ATO is free. For working holiday makers, the usual route is the foreign-passport application after you arrive in Australia.

I’ve sorted this

Where should I start?

Already had a TFN? Keep using it, even after changing jobs or leaving and returning to Australia. Find your existing number through linked ATO online services in myGov, old tax documents or the ATO. Only apply if you have never been issued one.

Apply for your TFN, step by step

For foreign-passport holders arriving on a working holiday. Official guidance checked 17 October 2026. The ATO application checks your eligibility; other circumstances may need a different route.

01 / AFTER YOU LAND

Check you can use this route

Use the ATO’s foreign-passport route once you’re in Australia with a valid passport and an eligible visa, such as a visa allowing you to work. Read the eligibility section before starting.

Before you choose

If you are still overseas or cannot use this route, follow the ATO’s alternative application instructions.

Check Check you can use this route

02 / FIVE MINUTES OF PREP

Get your details ready

Have your passport, visa information, contact details and Australian postal address ready. Use your legal name and date of birth exactly as recorded on your travel documents.

Before you choose

If using a hostel for post, ask reception first and arrange how you’ll collect mail if you move on.

Check Get your details ready

03 / FREE THROUGH THE ATO

Complete the official application

Open the ATO guidance below and follow its online application link. Answer the identity, arrival and contact questions, review your details carefully, then submit.

Before you choose

Keep the confirmation and reference number securely. The reference is for following up; it is not your TFN.

Check Complete the official application

04 / ALLOW UP TO 28 DAYS

Wait for your number

For this foreign-passport route, your TFN is normally sent to the postal address you supplied. Allow up to 28 days for processing; don’t submit duplicate applications while waiting.

Before you choose

If it hasn’t arrived after 28 days, contact the ATO with your reference number. If you made a mistake or need to change the delivery address, ask the ATO for help.

Check Wait for your number

05 / STARTING A JOB

Give it to payroll

Complete your employer’s TFN declaration. If you have applied and are waiting, indicate that on the declaration and tell payroll. You generally have 28 days to provide it before higher withholding applies.

Before you choose

Give payroll the number promptly when it arrives. Follow the working-holiday-maker instructions on the declaration for your visa and circumstances.

Check Give it to payroll

Your questions, answered

Can I start work while I’m waiting?

Yes, if your visa permits the work. Tell payroll you have applied and complete the TFN declaration accordingly. Waiting for a TFN does not mean working without pay. Supply it as soon as it arrives.

Official guidance

The application says I’m not in Australia. What now?

Check the passport and arrival details you entered. Recent arrivals can face a delay while systems update. If you have only just landed, try again after a few days; if the problem continues, contact the ATO with your passport and visa details ready.

Official guidance

Can I track the application online?

The ATO says there is no live application tracker. Save your reference number so the ATO can identify your application if you need to follow up after 28 days.

Official guidance

Do I need to pay someone or get an ABN?

You can apply for a TFN yourself for free. An ABN is a different identifier for business activity; it does not replace your personal TFN. For an employee job, follow the employer’s payroll process rather than applying for an ABN just to receive wages.

Official guidance

Where should I keep my TFN?

Keep it private. Provide it through legitimate tax, banking, super or payroll processes when required. Don’t put it on a public CV or in your Backpacker planner notes. This site records only whether you ticked the task; it does not need your TFN.

Official guidance

Tick this off when you have applied

Check the application submitted successfully and save its reference securely.
Make a reminder to follow up after 28 days if the number hasn’t arrived.
When the number arrives, give it to payroll through their onboarding process.

The checklist tick means your application is submitted, or you have found your existing TFN. Keep a separate reminder for supplying it to payroll.

Applications happen on the official ATO website. We don’t collect your passport details, TFN or application reference.

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