The Australian partner visa costs $11,710 in government fees for the primary applicant. That single charge covers both stages of the process, the temporary visa and the permanent visa that follows it, so you don’t pay the government twice. On top of that base figure, most applicants end up spending a few hundred to a few thousand dollars more once health checks, police certificates, translations and other requirements are factored in.
If you’re trying to work out your total budget for a partner visa application, this guide walks through every part of the cost, what it buys you, and where the extra expenses tend to show up.
How Much Does an Australian Partner Visa Cost?
The $11,710 figure is what the Department of Home Affairs calls the base application charge. It applies whether you’re applying onshore (subclass 820, moving later to subclass 801) or offshore (subclass 309, moving later to subclass 100). Both pathways work the same way financially: you pay once when you lodge, and that payment carries you through the temporary stage and into the permanent stage without a second full charge.
This fee jumped from $9,365 to $11,710 on 1 July 2026, an increase of roughly 25 percent. The Department reviews and adjusts most visa charges every financial year, usually in line with the cost of living, but the 2026 increase was larger than the typical annual bump. It’s worth checking the government’s current fee estimator before you lodge, since the charge locks in at whatever rate applies on the day you submit your application, not the day you started preparing it.
A couple of things about this fee are easy to miss:
- It’s non-refundable. If your application is refused, you don’t get any of it back.
- A small card payment surcharge applies if you pay by credit card, generally in the range of 1 to 1.5 percent depending on the card type.
- The amount above is for a standard applicant. If you previously held a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) and are now applying for the partner visa with the same sponsor, you’re usually charged a much lower amount, since a large portion of the fee was already paid at the earlier stage.
What the Partner Visa Application Fee Actually Covers
It helps to know what you’re paying for, because the fee isn’t just an administrative charge. It covers the Department’s assessment of your relationship evidence, health and character checks coordination, and the eventual decision on both the temporary and permanent stages of your visa.
What it doesn’t cover is everything else involved in putting together a strong application. That’s where most of the confusion around “partner visa cost” comes from. People search for the visa fee expecting one number, then discover a second layer of costs that aren’t optional.
Partner Visa Costs by Family Member
If you’re including family members in your application, the cost structure looks like this:
| Applicant | Charge (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Primary applicant | $11,710 |
| Additional applicant aged 18 or over | $5,860 |
| Additional applicant under 18 | $2,935 |
These additional charges apply per person, so a family of four including two adult dependants would be looking at a considerably larger total than the base figure alone suggests. If a dependant already holds a Dependent Child visa, they may not need to pay a separate charge for the partner visa application, which is worth checking before you calculate your total.
Additional Costs Beyond the Government Fee
The application charge is the headline number, but it’s rarely the final number. Here’s what else typically gets added to an Australian partner visa cost:
Health examinations. Most applicants need a medical exam through an approved panel physician. This usually costs somewhere between $300 and $700 per adult, depending on the clinic and what additional tests are required.
Police certificates. You’ll generally need a police clearance from Australia and from any country you’ve lived in for a meaningful period as an adult. Costs vary a lot by country, from around $50 for an Australian Federal Police check to considerably more for some overseas certificates, and processing times for these can also add weeks to your preparation.
Document translation. If any of your supporting documents aren’t in English, they need to be translated by a NAATI-certified translator. This is usually charged per page and adds up quickly if you have a lot of foreign-language paperwork, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates or financial records.
Bridging visa costs. If you’re applying onshore and need to travel overseas while your application is being processed, you may need a Bridging Visa B, which carries its own separate charge. This fee has increased significantly in recent years, so it’s not a cost to overlook if international travel is likely during your wait.
Migration agent fees (optional). You don’t have to use a registered migration agent, but many people do, particularly for more complex cases. Agent fees vary enormously depending on experience and the amount of work involved, and can range from under a thousand dollars for limited advice to several thousand for full application preparation and lodgement.
When you add these up, a realistic all-in budget for a single applicant with a straightforward case often sits somewhere between $12,000 and $14,000, before any optional professional fees.
How Long Does the Partner Visa Process Take?
Cost and timing are closely linked for partner visa applicants, because a longer wait usually means a longer stretch of managing bridging visa conditions, potential additional certificates if documents expire, and in some cases, additional Bridging Visa B applications if travel comes up more than once.
Recent government-published processing figures have shown the temporary stage (820 or 309) taking well over a year for half of all applicants, with a meaningful share stretching past two years. The permanent stage is usually assessed around two years after you first applied, and tends to move faster once your eligibility date arrives, provided your circumstances haven’t changed and your evidence is in order.
These timeframes shift regularly based on application volumes and government processing priorities, so it’s worth checking the Department’s current processing time tool close to when you plan to lodge, rather than relying on figures from a year or more ago.
Partner Visa Eligibility: A Quick Overview
Before cost becomes relevant, you need to actually qualify. In broad terms, you’re eligible for an Australian partner visa if:
- You’re married to, or in a genuine de facto relationship with, an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
- You can demonstrate the relationship is genuine and ongoing, not just a legal formality.
- You meet standard health and character requirements.
- Your sponsor is eligible to sponsor you, which involves their own separate application and obligations.
The bulk of a partner visa application is relationship evidence: financial ties, shared living arrangements, how your social circles recognise the relationship, and your commitment to a shared future. This evidence is assessed across the whole relationship, not just at the exact moment you apply, which is why couples are generally encouraged to keep records (joint bills, photos, correspondence) well before they’re ready to lodge.
The Partner Visa Application Process, Step by Step
- Confirm eligibility for both the applicant and the sponsor before you start gathering documents.
- Gather relationship evidence across the key categories: financial, household, social and commitment.
- Arrange health checks and police certificates early, since these can take time and sometimes need to be repeated if your application is delayed significantly.
- Complete the sponsor application, which the sponsoring partner lodges alongside or shortly before the visa application.
- Lodge the combined application through ImmiAccount, along with your application fee.
- Receive a bridging visa (if applying onshore) that generally allows you to stay in Australia while your temporary visa is assessed.
- Wait for the temporary visa decision, responding to any requests for further information from the Department.
- Reach your eligibility date for the permanent stage, usually around two years after your original application, and go through a final assessment before the permanent visa is granted.
Each of these steps can be where an application slows down, particularly incomplete evidence at lodgement or missing certificates that need to be chased up later. A well-prepared application at the start tends to move more smoothly through the rest of the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an Australian partner visa cost in total?
The government application charge is $11,710 for the primary applicant. Once you add health checks, police certificates, translations and any other requirements specific to your situation, most single applicants end up spending somewhere between $12,000 and $14,000 overall, before optional agent fees.
Do I pay the partner visa fee twice, once for each stage?
No. The $11,710 charge covers both the temporary and permanent stages of the combined application. You don’t pay the full application charge again when you move from the temporary to the permanent visa.
Is the partner visa application fee refundable if I’m refused?
No. The fee is non-refundable regardless of the outcome, which is one reason a well-prepared application matters so much before you lodge.
Are there extra costs for children or other family members?
Yes. Additional applicants aged 18 or over are charged $5,860 each, and those under 18 are charged $2,935 each, on top of the primary applicant’s fee.
Does the partner visa fee change every year?
It can. The Department typically reviews visa charges each financial year on 1 July, and the increase that took effect in July 2026 was larger than usual. Always check the current fee before lodging, since the rate that applies is the one in effect on your lodgement date.
Can I reduce my partner visa costs?
There’s limited room to reduce the government application charge itself, aside from the concession available to former Prospective Marriage visa holders. Where you can save money is in preparation: gathering strong evidence yourself, arranging health checks and police certificates promptly, and deciding early whether you need professional help or can manage the process without an agent.
