The fee for an Australian tourist visa is currently AUD $250 when you apply from outside Australia, or AUD $630 if you apply while already in the country. Both charges rose from $200 and $500 respectively on 1 July 2026, under the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 — so if you’ve seen an older figure quoted online, it’s already out of date.
If you’re trying to work out the real cost for a tourist visa to Australia before you book flights, this guide covers the current government charge for every visitor visa stream, what changed in the July 2026 fee increase, the extra costs people forget to budget for, and how to avoid paying twice.
What Is the Australian Tourist Visa?
The Australian tourist visa most people mean is the Visitor Visa (Subclass 600), Tourist stream — the standard visa for travelling to Australia for a holiday, sightseeing, or visiting family and friends. It’s issued for a stay of 3, 6 or 12 months, depending on your circumstances and what the case officer grants.
Tourist Visa vs ETA vs eVisitor — Which One Do You Actually Need?
Not every visitor needs the Subclass 600. If you hold an eligible passport, you may qualify for a cheaper option instead:
- Electronic Travel Authority (ETA, Subclass 601) — for eligible passport holders, currently a flat AUD $20 service charge, approved almost instantly through the app.
- eVisitor (Subclass 651) — free, for eligible European and a small number of other passport holders.
- Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) — the fallback for everyone else, including the largest source countries for Australian tourism such as India, and for anyone wanting a longer stay than the ETA or eVisitor allows.
If you’re not sure which category applies to your passport, checking this first can save you the higher Subclass 600 fee entirely.
Cost for Tourist Visa to Australia: 2026 Fee Breakdown
Here’s exactly what the Department of Home Affairs charges for each visitor visa stream as of the current 2026 pricing.
Offshore Application Fee (Most Common)
If you’re applying from outside Australia — the normal situation for anyone planning a holiday — the Tourist stream base charge is AUD $250 per applicant.
Onshore Application Fee
If you’re already in Australia and applying for a new Visitor visa from within the country, the base charge jumps to AUD $630 per applicant. The Department applies a higher charge to onshore applications partly because they require more scrutiny of your current visa status and stay history.
Other Visitor Visa Streams and Their Fees
The Subclass 600 isn’t just one visa — it covers several streams, and the fee for an Australian tourist visa can differ depending on which one applies to you.
Business Visitor Stream
For attending conferences, meetings or business negotiations without doing paid work in Australia. This stream generally carries the same base charge as the Tourist stream.
Sponsored Family Stream
For visitors sponsored by an Australian relative. The base government charge is broadly aligned with the Tourist stream, though a sponsor may also need to arrange a security bond in some cases, which sits separately from the visa application charge itself.
Frequent Traveller Stream
Available to eligible passport holders (including some Southeast Asian and Chinese nationals) for a multiple-entry visa valid for up to 10 years. This stream carries a much higher charge — currently around AUD $1,845 — reflecting the extended validity period.
Approved Destination Status Stream
For Chinese citizens travelling with an approved tour group. This stream’s base charge generally tracks the standard Tourist stream fee.
Latest Fee Increase: What Changed on 1 July 2026
Why the Government Increased Visa Fees
The July 2026 increase wasn’t limited to visitor visas — it touched almost every visa category as part of measures set out in the 2026–27 Federal Budget, framed by the government as supporting the ongoing sustainability of Australia’s migration and citizenship programs. Skilled and employer-sponsored visas saw far larger jumps (the Subclass 189 visa, for example, rose from $4,910 to $6,135), while the tourist visa increase was comparatively modest in dollar terms but still a meaningful 25% rise on the offshore fee.
Which Date Determines Your Fee
The charge you pay is set by the date the Department receives your application, not the date you started filling it in. An application that was ready to go before 1 July 2026 but wasn’t actually submitted until after that date was charged at the new, higher rate.
Additional Costs Beyond the Tourist Visa Fee
The government application charge is only part of the true cost for a tourist visa to Australia. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for:
Health Examinations
Applicants from higher-risk countries, or those planning to stay six months or more, may be asked for a medical examination and chest X-ray. This cost is paid separately to an approved panel physician, not to the Department.
Biometrics
Many applicants need to provide fingerprints and a photo at a visa application centre, which usually carries its own service fee on top of the government charge.
Health Insurance (OVHC)
Some Visitor visa grants carry Condition 8501, requiring the holder to maintain adequate health insurance for the length of their stay. Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) is purchased separately from providers such as Allianz Care or Bupa, and isn’t included in the visa application charge.
Additional Applicants (Family Members)
Every person included on the application — including children — pays their own share of the visa application charge. There’s no discounted “family rate” built into the base fee.
How to Pay the Australian Tourist Visa Fee
Accepted Payment Methods
Payment is made online through ImmiAccount at the time of lodgement, typically by credit or debit card. Card payments usually attract a small surcharge on top of the visa fee itself, generally in the range of 1–1.5%.
Is the Fee Refundable If My Visa Is Refused?
No. The visa application charge is non-refundable even if your application is refused, which is exactly why getting the application right the first time matters more now than it did before the July 2026 increase.
Common Mistakes That Cost Applicants Extra Money
- Quoting an outdated fee from an old blog post or forum thread instead of checking the current charge before paying.
- Applying onshore without realising the fee is more than double the offshore charge for the same stream.
- Choosing the Subclass 600 when a free eVisitor or a $20 ETA would have covered the trip.
- Forgetting to budget for OVHC or biometrics, then being caught short close to travel dates.
- Submitting an incomplete application, risking a refusal and having to pay the non-refundable charge a second time.
FAQs About the Fee for an Australian Tourist Visa
How much is the Australian tourist visa fee in 2026?
The Subclass 600 Tourist stream costs AUD $250 per applicant when applying from outside Australia, and AUD $630 when applying from within Australia, following the fee increase on 1 July 2026.
Why did the Australian tourist visa fee increase?
The increase came into effect under the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026, as part of broader visa fee changes set out in the 2026–27 Federal Budget.
Is the Australian tourist visa fee refundable if my visa is refused?
No. The visa application charge is non-refundable, regardless of whether the outcome is a grant or a refusal.
Do children pay the full tourist visa fee?
Yes, in most cases every applicant included on the application, including children, pays their own share of the visa application charge — there’s no automatic family discount.
Is there a cheaper alternative to the Subclass 600 visa?
Yes, if your passport is eligible. The Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601) costs around AUD $20, and the eVisitor (Subclass 651) is free — both are only available to specific passport holders.
Get It Right the First Time With an Australian Migration Agent
The fee for an Australian tourist visa is straightforward enough on its own, but the wider cost picture — the right stream, the right supporting evidence, health cover conditions, and avoiding a non-refundable refusal — is where people genuinely lose money. This is exactly the kind of detail a registered Australian migration agent checks before you pay, not after.
A MARA-registered migration agent can confirm which visitor visa stream actually fits your trip, make sure your application is decision-ready before you submit it, and help you avoid paying the application charge twice over an avoidable mistake.
If you’re planning a trip to Australia and want it done right the first time, speaking with a registered Australian migration agent before you lodge is the simplest way to protect the money you’ve already budgeted for your visa.
