Arriving in Melbourne

Arrival guide for international students

Welcome to Melbourne! We hope your first day here is the beginning of a wonderful journey living and studying with Swinburne in this great city. To make sure you settle into your new home safely, we've put together a guide, so you know what to do the moment you get off the plane at the airport. 

Where your plane will land

Melbourne has two major airports:

• Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport is the main airport. It's a 25-minute drive from the city centre. Most international and domestic flights to Melbourne arrive here, so you most likely will too!
• Avalon Airport is a 45-minute drive from the city centre. Some domestic and international flights to Melbourne arrive here. We do not currently offer an airport pick-up service from Avalon Airport, but transport options are available.
  

What to expect at the airport

• You will be given an incoming passenger card on the plane, which you will need to fill in. Flight attendants can assist you if you are unsure which sections apply to you. 
• Once you land at the airport, you will go through passport control, where you’ll need your incoming passenger card, passport, student visa and other important documentation.  
• Once you’ve passed through passport control, you will collect your luggage from baggage reclaim and head to customs and biosecurity (quarantine), where you will need to declare any necessary items, like animal or plant goods, to Australian Border Force officers. Officers have legislative powers to inspect baggage and to question travellers if they suspect them of breaching certain customs, quarantine and other Commonwealth legislation. 
• If you have booked our free airport transfer service (Melbourne Airport only), head to the meeting point to meet your driver from Hughes (our service provider) once you have passed through customs and biosecurity.