How much does an Australian visa cost in 2026?

Visa fees are the one part of moving to Australia that nobody can negotiate. They are set by the Department of Home Affairs, they change every 1 July, and in 2026 most of them went up by roughly a quarter. This guide gives you the current numbers, what they do and do not include, and the extra costs that catch most applicants out.

All prices are in Australian dollars and apply to applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026. Home Affairs publishes the official pricing table and a visa pricing estimator; use those for your final figure, especially if you have dependants or a Pacific-regional passport, which attracts lower charges on several subclasses.

Visa fees at a glance

Fees for additional applicants (a partner or children on the same application) are charged on top and vary by subclass. For a partner visa, for example, each additional adult is $5,860 and each child under 18 is $2,935.

Want the total for your situation, including dependants? Use our visa fee calculator.

Tourist and short-stay visas

Most European passport holders pay nothing: the eVisitor (651) is free and issued online. Passport holders from the US, Canada, Japan, Korea and a few others use the ETA (601) for a $20 service fee. Everyone else applies for the Visitor visa (600), which is $250 if you apply from outside Australia and $630 if you are already here and applying to stay longer. If you are on a 600 and thinking of extending, that onshore price is the reason to decide early.

Working Holiday visas

The 417 and 462 both cost $840 for a first visa and $1,000 for a second or third. That is the fee that changed most sharply for young travellers this year, up from $670. Second and third visas depend on completing specified regional work, which is where a lot of our readers cross paths with Bushworker.

Student visas

The Student visa (500) is $2,500 for higher education, vocational and postgraduate research courses, and $2,050 for standalone English language (ELICOS) or non-award study. This is now the most expensive student visa among the major English-speaking study destinations. On top of the visa itself, budget for Overseas Student Health Cover for the length of your course. If you are preparing your application, our guide to documents required for the subclass 500 covers what needs translating.

Partner visas

The partner visa is the largest single fee most people ever pay to Home Affairs: $11,710 for the primary applicant, whether you apply onshore (820/801) or offshore (309/100). The good news is that one payment covers both the temporary and permanent stages; there is no second charge when the permanent visa is assessed. Add $5,860 for each dependant over 18 and $2,935 for each child. Because partner applications rely heavily on documentary evidence, this is also the visa where translation costs add up fastest: birth certificates, marriage certificates, police checks and evidence of the relationship all need NAATI certified translations if they are not in English.

Skilled and employer-sponsored visas

The points-tested skilled visas (189, 190, 491) and the employer nomination visa (186) all sit at $6,135 to $6,140 for the primary applicant, so for budgeting purposes treat them as the same price. The temporary Skills in Demand visa (482) is $4,015. Note the second instalment on skilled visas: if an applicant cannot demonstrate functional English at grant, an additional charge of around $5,090 per adult applies. Skills assessments, which are required before you can even be invited, are a separate cost paid to the assessing authority, typically $500 to $1,500 depending on the occupation.

The costs the visa fee does not include

The application charge is the headline number, but rarely the total. Depending on the visa, plan for:

• Health examinations through a Home Affairs approved panel physician, roughly $300 to $500 per adult
• Police certificates from every country you have lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years, plus an Australian police check for onshore applicants
• English language test (IELTS, PTE and similar), $400 to $450
• Skills assessment for skilled visas, paid to the assessing body
• Certified translations of every non-English document. Birth and marriage certificates, police checks, driver's licences and academic records must be translated by a NAATI certified translator; expect $69 for a single-page document and $49 per additional page
• Overseas Student Health Cover for student visas, or private health cover conditions on some temporary visas
• Migration agent or lawyer fees if you use one, typically $2,000 to $6,000 for a partner or skilled application
• Biometrics collection where required, around $100

For a partner visa, once you add health, police checks and translations, most couples spend $13,000 to $15,000 before any professional fees.

When the fee is locked in

Your fee is determined by the date Home Affairs receives your application, not when you start it. If a fee change is coming and you have a complete application ready, lodging before 1 July secures the old rate. Lodging an incomplete application to beat a deadline is a bad trade: it can be refused, and the fee is not refunded.

Can visa fees be refunded or waived?

In almost all cases, no. Visa application charges are non-refundable if your application is refused or withdrawn. Fee waivers and nil-charge categories exist for a narrow set of circumstances (some Pacific-regional and Timor-Leste passport holders, some subsequent applications after certain COVID-era visas, some humanitarian categories), but you should assume the fee is final when you pay it.

FAQ

How much is a tourist visa for Australia?

The Visitor visa (600) is $250 if you apply from outside Australia and $630 if you apply from within Australia. Many European passports qualify for the free eVisitor (651), and US, Canadian, Japanese and some other passports use the ETA (601) for a $20 service fee.

How much is a Working Holiday visa?

$840 for a first 417 or 462 visa, $1,000 for a second or third.

How much is a student visa for Australia?

$2,500 for most courses from 1 July 2026, or $2,050 for ELICOS and non-award study. Overseas Student Health Cover is charged separately.

How much is a partner visa in Australia?

$11,710 for the primary applicant, covering both the temporary and permanent stages. Additional adults are $5,860 and children $2,935.

How much are the skilled visas (189, 190, 491)?

$6,135 for the 189 and $6,140 for the 190, 491 and 186. A second instalment of about $5,090 applies to any adult applicant without functional English.

Did Australian visa fees go up in 2026?

Yes. Most application charges rose by about 25% on 1 July 2026. The Temporary Graduate visa (485) rose most sharply, from $1,895 to $5,750 across two increases in the same year.

Are visa fees refundable if I'm refused?

No. The application charge is non-refundable on refusal or withdrawal except in very limited circumstances.

Do I have to pay for translations on top of the visa fee?

Yes, if any of your supporting documents are not in English. Home Affairs requires NAATI certified translations, priced per page and paid to the translation service, not to Home Affairs.