The partner visa cost in Australia in 2026 is AUD $11,710 for the main applicant. That is the Department of Home Affairs base application charge for the onshore 820/801 and offshore 309/100 partner visas from 1 July 2026, up from $9,365 the year before. Each additional applicant aged 18 or over adds $5,860, and each child under 18 adds $2,935. Below we break down every government charge, the costs most couples forget to budget for, current processing times, and what applicants from India and Malaysia should plan for.

Information current as at 8 October 2026.

Key facts: partner visa fees at a glance

• Main applicant (820/801 or 309/100): AUD $11,710 from 1 July 2026.
• Additional applicant 18 or over: $5,860 each.
• Additional applicant under 18: $2,935 each.
• One charge covers both stages: you pay when you lodge the temporary and permanent applications together. There is no separate government charge at the permanent (801 or 100) stage.
• Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300): also $11,710 for the main applicant.
• Pacific-regional passport holders pay a lower tier: $9,600 for the main applicant.
• Increase: $2,345 more than the 2025–26 charge of $9,365, an increase of about 25%.
• Not included: health exams, police certificates, translations, payment surcharges and professional fees.

Partner visa cost Australia 2026: the government charges

The figures below come from the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026, which amended Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations 1994 and commenced on 1 July 2026. The Department's fees and charges page and Visa Pricing Estimator should match these amounts.

Visa	Main applicant	Additional applicant 18+	Additional applicant under 18
Partner visa, apply in Australia (820 and 801)	$11,710	$5,860	$2,935
Partner visa, apply outside Australia (309 and 100)	$11,710	$5,860	$2,935
Prospective Marriage visa (300)	$11,710	$5,860	$2,935
Pacific-regional passport holders (partner and 300)	$9,600	$4,805	$2,405

All amounts are in Australian dollars and are the first instalment of the visa application charge, payable when you lodge.

One fee, two visas

Partner visas are a two-stage process. Onshore, you apply for the temporary 820 and the permanent 801 at the same time. Offshore, you apply for the provisional 309 and the permanent 100 together. The $11,710 charge covers the combined application. About two years after you lodge, you become eligible for the permanent assessment and submit updated documents through ImmiAccount. You do not pay the base charge again at that point.

The Pacific-regional passport tier

The 2026 regulations created a lower charge for applicants holding a passport from a Pacific-regional country: the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Indian and Malaysian passport holders pay the standard $11,710.

If you already hold a Prospective Marriage visa

If you entered Australia on a subclass 300 visa and married your intended spouse, your later onshore partner application carries a much smaller charge. Under the 2026 schedule, a 300 visa holder who has married the specified intended spouse pays $1,955 as the main applicant ($980 for each additional applicant 18 or over and $485 for each child under 18). Lodge before your 300 visa expires. If it has already ceased, a different and higher concessional tier can apply, so get advice first.

What a partner visa costs your family in government charges

The base charge is only the start. If you are including children or an adult dependant, the total charge climbs quickly. These examples use the standard (non-Pacific) rates.

Who is applying	Total visa application charge
Partner only	$11,710
Partner plus one child under 18	$14,645
Partner plus two children under 18	$17,580
Partner plus one dependent child aged 18 or over	$17,570

Why the partner visa fee jumped in 2026

Visa application charges are normally indexed each 1 July, which usually means a small rise. In 2026 the partner charge rose from $9,365 to $11,710, roughly 25%. The same regulations lifted Student and Temporary Graduate charges sharply too. We covered the wider set of changes in our guide to Australian visa changes from 1 July 2026.

The charge is set by the date you lodge a valid application, not the date you started preparing it. Anyone who lodged before 1 July 2026 paid the old rate. The next adjustment is expected on 1 July 2027, so if you are close to ready, lodging earlier avoids any further increase.

The other partner visa costs most couples miss

The government charge is the largest single cost, but it is not the full partner visa cost. Budget for these as well:

• Health examinations. Every applicant must meet the health requirement, usually through an exam with a Bupa Medical Visa Services clinic in Australia or a panel physician overseas. Clinics set their own prices, so get a quote. Results are valid for 12 months, and you may have to redo them if your application is still undecided when they expire.
• Police certificates. The applicant needs certificates from each country where they lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years since turning 16. Sponsors also provide police certificates, particularly where children under 18 are included.
• Translations. Documents not in English must be translated. For applications lodged in Australia, use a NAATI-certified translator.
• Payment surcharge. Paying by card attracts a surcharge on top of the charge. The rate depends on the card type and is shown at checkout.
• Biometrics. Offshore applicants may be asked to give fingerprints and a photo at an Australian Visa Application Centre, which can involve a service fee and travel.
• Professional fees. A registered migration agent or lawyer charges separately. This is optional, but a refused application costs you the full $11,710.
• Bridging visa travel. If you are onshore on a Bridging visa A and need to travel, you will need a Bridging visa B, which has its own charge.

Our free visa cost calculator gives you a quick estimate of the total before you commit.

Partner visa processing times in 2026

The figures below are from the Department of Home Affairs global processing times published on 29 September 2026, covering applications finalised up to 31 August 2026. They show how long recent applications took, not a promise for yours. Check the official processing times tool before you plan around a date.

Visa	50% of applications decided within	90% decided within
820 (temporary, onshore)	22 months	30 months
309 (provisional, offshore)	21 months	32 months
801 (permanent, onshore)	8 months	19 months
100 (permanent, offshore)	9 months	21 months
300 (Prospective Marriage)	14 months	26 months

Permanent-stage times are counted from the point you become eligible for that assessment, which is two years after lodging. Under Ministerial Direction 117, onshore 820/801 applications receive the highest processing priority. Offshore 309/100 and 300 applications receive lower priority and may wait longer, according to the Department's partner visa FAQs.

How to apply and pay: step by step

1. Confirm you are eligible. You must be married to, or in a de facto relationship with, an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. De facto couples generally need to show 12 months of living together before applying, unless the relationship is registered in an Australian state or territory. Use our eligibility checker if you are unsure.
2. Choose onshore or offshore. You must be in Australia to apply for the 820/801 and outside Australia to apply for the 309/100. The charge is the same, but your location at lodgement decides which subclass you apply for.
3. Collect evidence across all four areas. Home Affairs looks at the financial aspects of the relationship, the nature of the household, social aspects, and your commitment to each other. Cover all four.
4. Prepare identity and character documents. Passports, birth certificates, marriage or relationship registration certificates, police certificates and any change-of-name documents for both of you.
5. Lodge online in ImmiAccount and pay. The application is not valid until the charge is paid. Unsolicited paper applications are invalid.
6. Your sponsor submits their sponsorship. The sponsor completes their part through ImmiAccount using the details from your application, including any police certificates required.
7. Book health exams and biometrics when asked. You can do health exams after lodging. Respond to every request for further information by the deadline, or ask for an extension before it expires.
8. Submit the permanent-stage assessment. Two years after you lodged, submit updated evidence through ImmiAccount using "Stage 2 - Permanent Partner Visa Assessment (100, 801)".

Onshore 820 or offshore 309: is one cheaper?

No. Both cost $11,710 for the main applicant. The differences are practical:

• Priority: onshore 820/801 applications are processed with higher priority than offshore 309/100 applications.
• Staying in Australia: onshore applicants who hold a substantive visa usually receive a Bridging visa A, letting them stay while the application is processed.
• Restrictions: some visas carry a "no further stay" condition, such as 8503, or other limits that stop you applying onshore. Check your current visa conditions in VEVO before deciding.
• Waiting overseas: 309 applicants usually wait outside Australia until the 309 is granted, which can mean months of separation or visitor-visa travel.

See our service pages for the onshore 820/801 partner visa and the offshore 309/100 partner visa.

Is the partner visa fee refundable?

Generally no. If your application is refused or you withdraw it, the charge is usually not refunded. Home Affairs only refunds the visa application charge in limited circumstances set out in the regulations, and there is no standard timeframe for those refunds. That is why the cost of a weak application is so high: a refusal means losing $11,710 and then paying the charge again, at whatever the rate is then, if you reapply.

If the relationship ends, the application cannot usually continue. Exceptions exist where the sponsor has died, where the applicant or a family member has experienced family violence committed by the sponsor, or where the couple has a child together and shares parental responsibility.

Common mistakes that waste the partner visa fee

• Applying before the de facto relationship reaches 12 months without a registered relationship or another recognised exception.
• Thin evidence in one of the four areas. Couples often show strong finances but little social evidence, or the reverse.
• Inconsistent statements. Dates of meeting, moving in, or marrying that differ between the applicant's and sponsor's statements raise doubts.
• Lodging onshore while a "no further stay" condition applies, or while holding a visa that bars an onshore application.
• Missing information request deadlines. The Department increasingly expects applications to be complete at lodgement.
• Forgetting the sponsor's obligations. If your sponsor has sponsored a partner before, or was granted their own permanent residence through a partner visa, extra limitations can apply. Check before you pay.
• Underbudgeting for children. Each child under 18 adds $2,935, and every child needs their own health exam.

Applying from India or Malaysia

For Indian and Malaysian applicants, the charge is the standard $11,710. A few practical points matter for these countries:

• Police certificates. Indian applicants usually obtain a Police Clearance Certificate through Passport Seva while in India, or through the Indian mission in Australia if already here. Malaysian applicants need a certificate from the Royal Malaysia Police. Allow plenty of time. Indian consular services in Australia have faced disruption this year, and our guide to the VFS Global suspension and its visa impact explains the workarounds.
• Marriage evidence. Arranged marriages are recognised. Home Affairs looks at the genuine and continuing nature of the relationship, not how you met. Include your marriage registration certificate as well as wedding evidence, and explain any period spent living apart, such as one partner studying or working in Australia.
• Translations. Documents in Hindi, Tamil, Malay or other languages need certified English translations.
• Health exams. Offshore applicants must use a panel physician approved by Home Affairs in their country. Book only after you receive your HAP ID.
• Paying from overseas. Card payments in Australian dollars may also attract foreign transaction charges from your bank, on top of the Home Affairs surcharge.

If you are in India, our page on the Australian partner visa from India covers the offshore pathway in more detail.

How EazyViza can help

EazyViza is backed by Collins Quarters, a migration and commercial law firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Chennai and Kuala Lumpur. With $11,710 at stake and no refund on a refusal, the strongest saving is getting the application right the first time. Our team can:

• Confirm whether onshore or offshore lodgement suits your situation and visa conditions.
• Check your sponsor's eligibility and any limitations before you pay.
• Review your relationship evidence across all four areas and flag gaps.
• Prepare statements, the document index and the permanent-stage submission.
• Respond to requests for further information and handle refusals or appeals.

Already prepared your own application? Our DIY application review checks it before you lodge. To talk through your situation, send us an enquiry.

Disclaimer

This article is general information only and is not legal or migration advice. Visa charges, processing times and requirements change, often on 1 July each year. The figures above were current as at 8 October 2026. Always confirm the current charge with the Department of Home Affairs before you lodge, and get advice about your own circumstances.