Bringing Your Parents to Australia — A Family Guide
Aamaa and buwaa are finally coming to visit! Here’s the practical, loving checklist every Nepali family needs — preparing for the flight, what they can bring through customs, what to teach them about life in Australia, and how to keep them safe. 🇳🇵🇦🇺
There are few moments more joyful than welcoming your parents to your new home abroad — showing aamaa your kitchen, taking buwaa to the local park, watching them meet the grandchildren who’ve only ever waved on video calls. 💛
But a visit to Australia takes a little preparation. The country has strict customs and biosecurity rules, the weather and daily routines are different, and our parents — who may not speak much English or know the local systems — will lean on us for everything. This guide walks through what matters most: getting them on the plane, what they can bring, what to teach them, and how to keep them safe.
Getting them ready to travel
A little preparation back in Nepal saves a lot of stress on the day. In the weeks before the flight, help your parents get these sorted —
- Check the passport is valid for at least 6 months, and print the visa grant letter — keep a copy on the phone too
- Request wheelchair / airport assistance when booking if long walks are hard, and ask for an aisle seat
- Most Nepal→Australia flights connect through a hub — write the connection details in large, simple text they can show airline staff
- A quick doctor’s check-up in Nepal to confirm they’re fit to fly and to refill medicines
What they can pack and bring
Australia protects its farms and environment with some of the toughest biosecurity rules in the world. The golden rule at the airport is simple: if in doubt, declare it. Declaring something is always free and safe — failing to declare can mean a large fine, even for an honest mistake.
- Commercially packaged & sealed snacks, biscuits and sweets (mithai, churpi, dalmoth)
- Dried spices, lentils and packaged noodles — clean and factory-sealed
- Black tea and packaged coffee
- New clothes, dhaka topi, saris and gifts (declare any wooden or handmade items)
- Prescription medicines in original packaging (see the medicines card below)
- Fresh fruit & vegetables, and any meat — cooked, dried or sukuti
- Eggs, dairy and homemade food in unlabelled containers
- Seeds, raw grains, plants, flowers and soil on shoes
- Animal products — bone, feather, leather offcuts, untreated wood
- Anything home-packed that you “aren’t sure about”
When parents fill in their Incoming Passenger Card on the plane, help arrange it so they tick “Yes” for food and goods of animal/plant origin. An officer will simply check the bag — no penalty for declaring. Tucking a forbidden packet away to “save it” is the only thing that gets people into trouble. (And don’t worry — Melbourne has plenty of Nepali grocery stores!)
- Bring enough regular medicine for the whole trip (generally up to 3 months’ personal supply) in the original labelled boxes
- Carry a doctor’s letter or prescription listing each medicine and the condition — and a copy of recent health records
- Pack medicines in hand luggage, never only in the checked bag
- Note that some medicines common in Nepal are restricted here — declare all of them
- Bring spare glasses, hearing-aid batteries, and a small first-aid kit
- Australian power plugs are Type I (different from Nepal) — pack a couple of adaptors
- Install Google Translate with Nepali downloaded for offline use, plus its camera mode for reading signs & labels
- Bring a little Australian cash for the first day, before cards are set up
What to teach them about life here
Everyday Australia works differently from Nepal. A gentle “tour” of these basics in the first few days helps parents feel confident and independent instead of stuck waiting for us. Walk through them together, slowly. 🙏
- Get them a Myki card (and a Seniors Myki if eligible) — tap on and tap off every tram, train and bus
- Show them how to wait for the green walking man and press the button at crossings — cars stop for red lights here
- Cars drive on the left, like Nepal — but traffic is fast and orderly; cross only at marked crossings
- Save your home address on a card in their pocket and in their phone
- Buy a cheap Australian prepaid SIM so they can call you locally without huge roaming bills
- Set up WhatsApp / Viber / Messenger on home wifi to call Nepal for free
- Save key numbers as favourites: you, a second family member, and 000
- Teach them to share live location with you when they go out
- Seasons are flipped — our winter is June–August. Melbourne can be “four seasons in one day,” so dress in warm layers
- Sun is strong in summer — hat, sunscreen and water on hot days
- Most payments are tap card or phone — prices are fixed, there is no bargaining in shops
- Tap water is safe to drink straight from the kitchen
- Show them the heater/cooler, hot & cold taps, and that the smoke alarm beeps if cooking gets smoky — don’t remove it
Emergencies & peace of mind
Most visits are perfectly smooth — but a few minutes spent preparing for the worst gives everyone calm. Make sure your parents know the one number that matters most.
- If they get lost, go into any shop and ask staff to call you — or wait at a safe, busy spot
- Don’t open the door to strangers; you don’t have to let anyone in
- Keep a written copy of your address and phone number in their wallet
- Note where the nearest pharmacy (chemist) and GP clinic are
- Keep their passport, visa and insurance details photographed in the phone and on paper
Help them feel at home 💛
Beyond the paperwork and the checklists, a long stay far from their own friends and routines can feel lonely for parents. A little planning keeps their days warm and full —
- Take them to the local Nepali temple, mandir or puja gatherings — familiar faces and prayers mean the world
- Connect them with Nepali senior & community groups and morning walking circles (see our Melbourne community guide)
- Find the nearest park, library and Nepali grocery so daily walks have a purpose
- Give them a role — school pick-ups, cooking a favourite dish, tending the garden — so they feel needed, not idle
- Plan a festival together — Dashain, Tihar or a satsang — so they share something joyful here
- Most of all: slow down, sit for tea, and let the grandchildren soak up their stories. That’s the whole point. ✨
Made with माया (love) for our elders 💛
Save this guide and share it with a family who’s bringing their aamaa and buwaa over soon. For more stories about Nepali life in Melbourne, come along on our channel.