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Moving from Sydney to Brisbane: your checklist
What to sort for a move to Queensland, in the order you'll need it. The two deadlines people miss come after you arrive: registering your car and switching your licence.
6 to 8 weeks before
Book the move
- Get removalist quotes. Interstate trucks book out around the end of the month and school holidays. Compare up to 3 quotes.
- Work out your volume. Go room by room, then the garage, shed and garden. Volume sets the price; the cost guide shows typical volumes by home size.
- Choose a dedicated truck or backloading. Backloading is usually cheaper if your dates can move a few days. Compare the two.
- Give notice on your lease if you rent. In NSW that's generally at least 21 days' written notice on a periodic lease, or 14 days at the end of a fixed term. Check the NSW notice periods for your situation.
- Contact schools if you have school-age children. Many Queensland state schools have catchment areas, so have your new address ready.
- Book car transport if you're not driving up. It's usually arranged separately from the furniture.
2 to 4 weeks before
Leases, bond and connections
- Book the end-of-lease clean. In NSW your bond is held by NSW Fair Trading and refunded through Rental Bonds Online. Leaving the place in the condition shown on your ingoing report is the surest way to get it back in full.
- Arrange electricity at the new place. Brisbane is in South East Queensland, where you choose your own retailer. Compare plans on the government's Energy Made Easy site, then book the connection for the day you arrive.
- Check the gas. Not every Brisbane home has mains gas; some use bottled LPG. Ask the agent or seller which one the property has.
- Order internet early. Check your new address on the nbn website to see what connection it has, then order a plan. If a technician has to visit, it can take a while.
- Stop the Sydney accounts for electricity, gas and internet from the day after you leave.
- Redirect your mail with Australia Post.
- Use up or give away what the truck won't carry. Removalists generally won't take gas bottles, petrol, paint or other flammables.
Moving week
Pack, confirm, hand over
- Pack an essentials box that travels with you: documents, chargers, medicines, bedding, kettle and toiletries. The truck may arrive days after you do.
- Confirm pickup and delivery windows with the removalist. Queensland doesn't use daylight saving, so from October to April Brisbane is an hour behind Sydney.
- Defrost the fridge and dry it out at least a day before it's loaded.
- Photograph meter readings and the empty rooms before you hand back the keys.
After you arrive
Make it official in Queensland
- Register your car in Queensland within 14 days. You can be fined if you don't. Registration is done in person at a transport and motoring customer service centre. Queensland Government: moving a vehicle to Queensland.
- Switch to a Queensland driver licence once you've lived in Queensland for 3 months. You hand in your NSW licence when you get the new one.
- Claim your NSW bond through Rental Bonds Online once the final inspection is done.
- Update your address with Medicare and the ATO (both through myGov), your bank, and the AEC for your electoral enrolment.
- Register your dog with your new council. In Queensland, councils require dogs to be registered.
Ready to book the truck?
Tell us about your move once and up to 3 removalists that run Sydney to Brisbane contact you with a quote. Free, no obligation.
Get up to 3 quotesMoving the other way? See Brisbane to Sydney, including the fire ant rules for plants and soil.
Sources. Vehicle registration and driver licences: Queensland Government (qld.gov.au). Lease notice periods: NSW Government. Energy plans: Energy Made Easy (Australian Energy Regulator). Checked October 2026. Rules change, so check the official pages before you act. This is general information, not legal advice.