Christmas Day in shorts, a few weeks at a practice outside Brisbane, then a drive down the coast to your next placement.
That’s what a summer of locum work in Australia can look like. Making it work comes down to three things a day rate won’t tell you: how you’re registered, what your visa allows, and how you’re paid.
Summer runs through December, January and February, roughly 13 weeks, and the work that fills it is mostly short placements. GVC’s current listing for a Samford Valley, Queensland hospital wants locums between 21 December and 3 January, for single dates or the whole fortnight. Practices need the help: the AVA’s 2023/24 workforce survey found that 36.8% of vet vacancies took 12 months or longer to fill, rising to 44% in regional areas.
Questions to ask before you compare day rates
Two offers at the same day rate can add up to very different summers. Ask each practice:
- How long is the assignment, and could it extend?
- Is accommodation, travel or a vehicle included?
- Will I be an employee or a contractor?
- What’s the caseload, and the on-call commitment?
- Is there another placement nearby when this one ends?
Regional roles sometimes come with travel or accommodation support, which can make a lower day rate worth more than a higher one in the city.
One registration, several states
You don’t need a new registration every time you cross a state line.
Under National Recognition of Veterinary Registration (NRVR), a vet registered in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, the ACT or WA counts as registered in all of them, and the Northern Territory follows through automatic mutual recognition. You pay fees in one jurisdiction only.
State laws still vary, and the AVBC puts the onus on you to know the rules where you’re working. If you’re still working through exams or conditions on your registration, check your board’s terms before you take cover work. Our AVBC guide covers the order to do it in.
What your visa allows
On a Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462) visa, condition 8547 usually limits you to 6 months with one employer.
There’s some flexibility. Home Affairs says a labour supplier can refer you to one business for 6 months and to another for a further 6, and you can work at different locations for one employer as long as no single location goes over 6 months. These exemptions have applied since 1 January 2024 and stay in place until the Government decides otherwise.
A full summer is about 13 weeks, so a whole season at one practice uses roughly half your allowance. Just remember the 6 months starts on your first day with that employer and counts calendar time, not days worked. If you’re on a different visa, check your own conditions before you accept anything.
Visa details correct as of November 2026.
How you’re paid
A practice can take you on as an employee or as a contractor, and it changes your tax, super and leave. The Fair Work Ombudsman notes that contractors don’t get minimum pay rates or paid leave and pay their own income tax, and the ATO is clear that having an ABN doesn’t make you a contractor.
If you’re employed on a Working Holiday visa by a registered employer, tax is withheld at the 2026-27 working holiday maker rates: 15% on your first AUD 45,000 (AUD 6,750), then 30% up to AUD 135,000. An employer who isn’t registered has to withhold at foreign resident rates from the first dollar.
So before you say yes, ask two things:
- Am I an employee or a contractor?
- Are you registered to employ Working Holiday makers?
A season, or a first step
Some vets use a summer to try Australian practice before they commit to a move. Others take a few months away from a role they’ll go back to. Either way, sort things in this order: registration, visa, then dates and day rate.
How GVC helps
Our Australia team lives and works where the placements are, so we’ll check your registration, your visa conditions and how each practice would take you on before you commit.
Then we’ll line up placements that fit your dates, and tell you straight what each one pays and what’s included.
Whether it’s a few weeks over Christmas or a season that turns into something longer, we’ll help you plan a summer that works.
