Essential Certificates to Work in Australia on Working Holiday Visa

Moving to Australia on a working holiday visa and looking to actually work? You should check if the industry you’re interested in has special requirements! Australia requires special certifications for jobs you might be able to get with no experience back home. This is especially true if you’re looking to work in hospitality!

Luckily, some of these you can start before you even land! Others can be completed upon arrival and most take at longest a day if you opt for an in-person class.

As a note, you might see things about Cert III classes online, I get they’re tempting! However, on a working holiday visa we cannot do these as they take up to 12 months to complete. We’re only allowed to study for up to four months.

Bartending is a very popular working holiday job! Sadly, you can’t just be hired, learn the taps, and call it a day. In order to work anywhere that serves alcohol such as bars, restaurants, the bottle-o (liquor shops), clubs, etc., you need a Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate.

Unfortuantely, Australia doesn’t have a nationally accredited certificate. You need to get one for the state in which you’re planning to work. Some may cover multiple states, but if you move, you might have to take a bridging RSA course in order to work. As an example, I took my first RSA course for the state of Victoria because I knew I wanted to get down to Melbourne at some point. The RSA for Victoria is recognized in every state, including the Australia Capital Territory (ACT), except New South Wales (NSW). When I moved to NSW, I had to take the NSW RSA Bridging Course online in order to legally work in a pub.

Each state has different laws! It’s important you understand the ones for your state because there are huge fines for breaking them. Follow the laws and you’ll be ok!

I took my original RSA class online, but you can also take them in-person. You can start your RSA online course before you land in Australia. However, you won’t be able to finalize it until after you get through customs as you’ll need a USI. If you’re landing in Sydney, CBD college is great for in-person nationally accredited courses. You can save 10% off your course with my link.

Cost: $39-$199 AUD

Gambling is extremely popular in Australia and the ability to gamble is practically everywhere. From pokies (slots), to TAB, Keno, and racing, Aussies love to try their odds. If you want to work in the gambling industry or anywhere that has gambling, which can include pubs, you’ll need to get a Responsible Service of Gambling certificate.

This is available online for some states, but depending on where you’re working, might have to take an in-person class. My RCG class was six hours at CBD College and was an overall good experience! You do get a 30-minute lunch break as well as another 15-minute break. So you’re not just stuck the whole time! I can’t speak for other states, but after passing the course, you do have a 25-question online exam after the class. As long as you paid attention throughout the day, it’s super easy. This gets you your interim certificate so you can start working while you wait for your competency card. Your trainer will explain all of this to you if you need to take the NSW class! It’s a few steps but easy!

Cost: $30-$150 AUD

Not technically a mandatory certificate, but Australia LOVES their coffee. If you have no barista experience, espresso machines NOT drip coffee, this class is great to get you started! Many shops won’t hire you without any experience, so knowing the basics gets you ahead of someone who doesn’t!

This is a five-hour course! Three hours of learning the machines, how to press and extract espresso, make different kinds of drinks, how to clean the machine, etc. After, you have a two-hour coffee art class. This is mostly learning how to foam milk properly while also learning some designs with chocolate and free pouring. There is a practical at the end with “taking someone’s order” and making suggestions, then making the drinks. Don’t worry there’s a lunch break between sessions. You don’t have to do both the same day, but I highly recommend it.

This course get you two certificates:
SITXFSA005 Use hygienic practices for food safety
SITHFAB025 Prepare and serve espresso coffee

I took my course at CBD College in Sydney and very much enjoyed it!

Cost: $199 AUD

Any job working with children such as babysitting, tutoring, sport coaching, etc. requires a Working with Children Check (WWCC). The name of this certificate can change based on where you are. For example, in Queensland (QLD) it’s called a Blue Card.

This isn’t really a certificate, but more of a background check or a National Police Check. If this is something you want to pursue, you should apply as soon as you can! The results can take about four weeks to process.

If you want to work in NSW, it’s actually free for volunteers! There is a cost if you’re trying to do paid work. You can apply online but will need to go to a Service NSW to have your IDs verified. If cleared, it will be valid for five years, if declined, you’ll be barred from working with children.

Each state has different requirements, so make sure to thoroughly check them before applying!

Cost: Varies by State

Honestly a great certification to have in general! It can be used across multiple industries including hospitality, working with children, or wellness jobs. You can take a class with Australian Red Cross or with other nationally recognized providers such as CBD College.

This is an in-person class, but some places may have online theory and then an in-person practical. Renewal is typically required every year for CPR and every three years for First Aid.

Cost: $100-$150 AUD

If you’re interested in construction or labour work, you won’t even be able to step foot on site without a White Card! Construction is often a higher paying job and also quite popular among working holiday visa holders.

This certification is available online through providers such as Urban e-Learning and ALERTforce. If you’d prefer to take an in-person class, that is also an option. Thankfully, it is a nationally recognized certificate. Some states may require you to already be in Australia to take the class. Make sure to check based on where you’re trying to work.

Cost: $50-$100 AUD

Traffic controlling is not a difficult job and also pays quite well! There is the option for a basic Traffic Controller Course, which gives you the knowledge on how to guide traffic on the roads.

If you’d like to work longer hours on a contruction site you’ll need to take a Traffic Controller and Traffic Management Implementation Course. This course takes about three days to complete. You will want to find a registered training organization (RTO) to complete the training. Make sure to check the options for your specific state!

Cost: $500+

This is a helpful certificate if you want to operate a forklift on a construction site.

There are two types of forklift licenses:
LO: only allows you to operate an order picker/stock picker forklift
LF: allows you to operate any forklift, except for an order picker/stock picker forklift

You can find a registered training organization (RTO) to take the class. This license needs to be renewed every five years.

Cost: $450+

Another great certification if you want to work in construction! This is also good for factories, transport, postal services, warehousing, and agriculture. Ladders, incomplete scaffolding, falling from the edge of a roof are many causes of injury at this type of work. It’s important to understand the safety and how to prevent accidents!

You can find course options in your state and they only take a day!

Cost: $150+

Pilates has become very popular across Australia and many gyms are looking to hire instructors! You can take online courses through companies such as Breathe Education and then complete in-person practicals to get your certification.

This course takes many months to complete, so definitely get started right away before you leave! This is a general certification and not specific to Australia.

Cost: Varies by program

Yoga is another popular exercise in which you could find work at a studio! Training is available through Sukha Mukha or Jivamukti Yoga. You can also find something local before you leave your home country. This is a general certification and not specific to Australia.

Cost: Varies by program

You can’t apply for any of these until you’ve landed in Australia and are through customs with an active visa!

This is a number unique to you that lets the government know what you’ve accomplished. It’s required for training completed in Australia or online through an Australian provider. You can apply to get your USI online and it’s completely free.

This is similar to having a social security number (if you’re from the United States)! It’s so you can pay taxes to the government and sign up for other government programs. Make sure you do this day one as it can take up to 28 days to receive. You’ll want to provide a mailing address where you can receive mail in Australia. A lot of people use their hostel! I got mine pretty quickly though, just a few days after I applied. You’ll want to apply for this with the Australian Taxation Office.

If you are sending it to a hostel, just give them a courtesy heads up you’re expecting a letter. You can start a job without one, but they’ll have to withhold a lot more taxes from your pay.

If you’re planning on providing any services or freelancing, you’re going to need to get an ABN. This number is totally free to register for! It’s important you have one so you’re operating legally while in Australia. This number identifies your business to the public, Australian Taxation Office (ATO), and other government agencies. You’ll also need it for filing taxes!

Shortened to Super, this is basically Australia’s version of a retirement account, except it’s not specific to your employer! Which is honestly super (pun intended) nice!

Once you have your TFN and an address (a hostel, employer accommodation, etc) you can get an account. Your employer has to contribute to this! Even though you’re not a citizen they must make contributions to you. Once you leave Australia for good you can request a distribution. There’s a hefty tax on it, but at least you’ll get about 40% of whatever was contributed during your time.

There are a ton of different Super companies, but honestly don’t overthink it. I went with AustralianSuper.