Guide 09

Is the Sunshine Coast regional?

Yes, for most official purposes. The Sunshine Coast is classed as a regional area for Australian skilled migration, and it sits outside the Brisbane metropolitan area. Day to day, though, it is a large, growing urban region of around 370,000 people with a university, a tertiary hospital and an airport.

Is the Sunshine Coast regional for visa purposes?

Under the Department of Home Affairs designated regional areas, all of Queensland outside Brisbane is regional, which includes the Sunshine Coast and Noosa. That status can matter for regional skilled visas such as the 491 and 494.

Visa rules and the postcode lists change, so confirm the current definition on the Home Affairs website or with a registered migration agent before relying on it.

Is it regional for grants and work programs?

Different programs use different definitions. Some government and employer incentives treat the Sunshine Coast as regional; others treat it as part of South East Queensland. Always check the specific program's eligibility rules rather than assuming.

Does it feel regional to live in?

Not in the remote sense. Maroochydore has a new city centre, Birtinya has the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, and there is a university, an airport with interstate flights and a full range of schools. Brisbane is roughly 1 to 2 hours away depending on where you live.

What does feel regional: a smaller corporate job market, a reliance on cars, and some specialist services that still mean a Brisbane trip.

Common questions

Is the Sunshine Coast considered regional?

Yes for most official purposes. The Sunshine Coast is outside the Brisbane metropolitan area and is a designated regional area for Australian skilled migration, although individual grants and programs set their own definitions.

Is the Sunshine Coast regional for a 491 visa?

Under current Home Affairs designated regional areas, Queensland outside Brisbane, including the Sunshine Coast and Noosa, is regional. Confirm the current list on the Home Affairs website or with a registered migration agent.

Is Noosa regional?

Yes. Noosa Shire sits outside Brisbane and is treated as regional for migration purposes, with its own council separate from Sunshine Coast Council.

Plan the next part of your move

Compare the best Sunshine Coast suburbs, then read the guides to getting around and weather and climate.

Keep going

Found your area? Let's find the property.

Home Scouts provides independent buyer representation across the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Brisbane - assessing value and risk, and negotiating on your behalf.

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Renting a home

Moving here for a new role?

Executive Relocations provides personal, on-the-ground support - including rental search and inspections - for executives, professionals and families relocating to the Sunshine Coast or Brisbane.

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Keep reading

01Moving to the Sunshine Coast - the full guideEverything in one place: areas, lifestyle, housing, commuting and schools.Read →02Rent first, or buy?The questions worth working through before your first move.Read →03Schools & family considerationsCatchments, enrolment timing and what actually matters.Read →04Interstate & overseas buyer's guideWhat's different when you can't inspect in person.Read →05Cost of living on the Sunshine CoastHousing, bills, transport, childcare and what a household actually needs.Read →06Why people move here - and the honest downsidesJobs, healthcare, weather, transport, and the reasons people move back.Read →07Getting around the Sunshine CoastCars, buses, trains, airport access and realistic Brisbane commute times.Read →08Sunshine Coast weather and climate guideWhat every season feels like, including humidity, rainfall, storms and winter.Read →10Sunshine Coast Hospitals and Healthcare: A Newcomer's GuideEvery public and private hospital on the Coast, how to find a GP, and the situations where you would still need Brisbane - explained before you move.Read →