Perth is a great place for families with plenty of family-friendly activities, venues and facilities. Read about what you need to consider if you are thinking about moving to Australia as a family.

Enjoy a great family lifestyle

Perth is known as a very family-friendly city. With beaches, parks, playgrounds, Perth Zoo, world-class aquarium AQWA, nature reserves, play centres and more, there’s always plenty to do.

Find things to do in and around Perth

Sending your children to school

You can enrol your school-aged children in public or private schools, provided the school has the capacity to accept them. Placements for Murdoch University students are done in partnership with TAFE International.

Please note that Kindergarten is not compulsory in Western Australia, and therefore these placements are extremely limited.

If you are enrolled in a Master's or PhD course

If you are studying in a Master's degree or PHD, and you and your child are on a subclass 500 visa, you may be eligible to enrol your child/children into a public primary or secondary school, at the same fees as local students.

To apply for a fee waiver school placement for your child/children, you must submit a request to our International Operations team by email to sch.for.dependants@murdoch.edu.au and provide the following documents:

  • Current visa grant notification for you and each child.

If you are deemed eligible for the Fee Waiver, the University will send you the application form and the TAFE International (TIWA) online application link. Parents must approach schools with their completed form to request a school placement, before lodging their application form and documents online with TIWA.

More information on the dependant schooling process is available at: Schooling for dependants of International students at Murdoch

If you are enrolled in an undergraduate course

If you are studying an undergraduate course, honours or a graduate certificate or diploma and have school-aged children, you’ll need a Confirmation of Placement from TAFE International to secure your child’s dependent visa before you arrive. Please note that the Confirmation of Placement does not guarantee the enrolment of your children in a WA school.

Once you arrive in Western Australia, you can apply for a placement for your child in a primary or secondary school by completing the Overseas Fee Paying application form and providing the following documents:

  • Completed Confirmation of Placement Request
  • Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) letter for you as the primary visa holder
  • Copy of your passport details page
  • Copy of each child’s passport details page

Once you have completed all of the required documents, please email your application to admissions.tiwa@dtwd.wa.gov.au.

If you are studying at one of our pathway institutions

If you are studying at one of our pathway institutions, email international.admissions@murdoch.edu.au to discuss your options.