Australia PR cost from India in 2026 comes to about A$8,500 to A$8,700 (roughly ₹5.64 lakh to ₹5.78 lakh) for one skilled applicant lodging without an agent. A couple should plan for about A$12,000 to A$12,400, and a family of four on a state-nominated visa for about A$15,700 to A$16,500. The visa charge alone jumped by about 25% on 1 July 2026, and many older guides still use the old fee and a lower exchange rate, which understates the real cost by more than a lakh.

This guide breaks down every payment, shows when each one falls due, and flags the costs that catch Indian applicants out. Information is current to 3 November 2026. Rupee figures use 1 AUD = ₹66.4, the OFX mid-market rate on 2 November 2026; your bank's rate will be less favourable.

Australia PR cost from India: key facts

• Subclass 189 main applicant charge: A$6,135 (about ₹4.07 lakh), up from A$4,910.
• Subclass 190 and 491 main applicant charge: A$6,140 each.
• Partner or other adult: A$3,070. Child under 18: A$1,540 on the 189, A$1,535 on the 190 and 491.
• Expression of Interest (EOI): free.
• Skills assessment: about A$595 to A$1,498 for most common routes. Trades can cost far more.
• Biggest avoidable cost: the A$4,885 second instalment if an adult family member cannot show functional English.
• Timing: the visa charge is paid at lodgement, after you are invited, not when you submit your EOI.

The government visa charges in 2026-27

These charges apply to payments made from 1 July 2026. Confirm your exact family combination in the Visa Pricing Estimator before you pay, and see the Home Affairs visa pricing page for the current table. The estimator does not include the second instalment.

Applicant	Subclass 189	Subclass 190	Subclass 491
Main applicant	A$6,135	A$6,140	A$6,140
Each additional applicant 18 or over	A$3,070	A$3,070	A$3,070
Each additional applicant under 18	A$1,540	A$1,535	A$1,535
Second instalment (adult without functional English)	A$4,885	A$4,885	A$4,890

For 189 applicants in India, the base charge works out to about ₹4.07 lakh before any card surcharge or bank forex margin. The other two subclasses differ by only A$5, so choose your pathway on occupation demand and residence obligations, not the visa charge.

Skills assessment fees by assessing authority

Your assessing authority depends on your nominated occupation on the skilled occupation list. Applicants assessed from India usually pay the GST-free price where a body offers one. Check the checkout screen, because not every fee page states this clearly.

Authority	Common Indian applicant route	Fee (AUD)
ACS	General Skills assessment (ICT)	$1,498
Engineers Australia	CDR with relevant skilled employment	$1,375 excl. GST ($1,512.50 incl.)
Engineers Australia	Standard CDR	$940 excl. GST ($1,034 incl.)
Engineers Australia	Accord qualification with relevant skilled employment	$940 excl. GST ($1,034 incl.)
VETASSESS	Full professional assessment (from 9 September 2026)	$1,146 excl. GST
ANMAC	Full skills assessment (nurses and midwives)	$595

Optional speed costs extra. The Engineers Australia fast-track is A$360 excluding GST and only guarantees that an assessor is assigned within 20 business days, not an outcome. VETASSESS priority processing is A$863 excluding GST, per the VETASSESS fee schedule. Tradespeople should check the current Trades Recognition Australia program guidelines before budgeting, because offshore pathways with technical interviews and practical assessments cost several times more than a paper-based assessment.

If you are in ICT, read our ACS skills assessment guide before you pay, since a deduction of work experience can change your points and therefore your whole budget.

English test, medical and police check costs in India

English test

Indian test-prep sources report PTE Academic at ₹18,900 and IELTS at ₹19,000 per attempt in 2026. Pearson does not publish a citable India price page, so treat the booking checkout as final. Budget for two attempts. Most applicants need more than the Competent minimum, because Proficient English earns 10 points and Superior earns 20. Our Australia PR points test guide explains how each band moves your score.

Medical examination

Medicals are done by a panel physician after you receive a HAP ID, as set out in the Home Affairs health requirements. Clinics set their own fees and Home Affairs does not publish them. Migration firms quote roughly A$300 to A$500 per person, which is what we use below. Ask the clinic for a quote per family member, because tests vary by age and visa type.

Police clearance certificate

An Indian PCC issued through Passport Seva costs ₹500. Under Home Affairs' police certificate rules, you also need certificates from other countries where you have lived for the required period. Do not apply too early: the certificate is generally treated as valid for 12 months from issue.

Translations and documents

English documents need no translation. Regional-language records, such as a marriage certificate or a state board document, must be translated. Costs vary by document, so get a quote once your list is settled.

When each Australia PR cost falls due

You do not need the whole amount on day one. The money moves in stages, and that shapes how you should save.

1. Occupation check (free). Confirm your occupation is on the relevant list and that the 189, 190 or 491 is actually open to it.
2. English test and skills assessment (first spend). Roughly A$1,200 to A$2,100, depending on your assessing body and test attempts.
3. EOI in SkillSelect (free). You pay nothing to wait in the pool.
4. State registration and nomination (190 and 491 only). Fees vary by state. Victoria charges A$60 for a Registration of Interest and A$180 for a nomination application, excluding GST. Queensland lists A$573 for offshore 190 and 491 nomination applications. Confirm the live figure before applying, since states can change these without much notice.
5. Visa application (largest spend). You must lodge within 60 days of your invitation, so the full charge has to be accessible at short notice. Recent invitees from the 15 October 2026 round have until 14 December 2026.
6. Medicals and police checks. Usually arranged around lodgement.
7. Relocation. Flights, rental bond and living costs after grant.

Three worked budgets

These examples assume applicants lodging from India without an agent, ₹18,900 English test attempts, and A$300 to A$500 per person for medicals. They exclude translations, card surcharges, relocation and professional fees.

Scenario	Main items	Approx. total (AUD)	Approx. total (INR)
Single software engineer, 189	ACS $1,498; 2 PTE attempts; visa $6,135; 1 medical; 1 PCC	A$8,500 to A$8,700	₹5.65 lakh to ₹5.78 lakh
Couple, engineer on 189	EA CDR with employment $1,375; 3 PTE attempts; visa $9,205; 2 medicals; 2 PCCs	A$12,000 to A$12,400	₹8.00 lakh to ₹8.27 lakh
Family of four, 190 via Victoria	VETASSESS $1,146; state fees $240; 3 PTE attempts; visa $12,280; 4 medicals; 2 PCCs	A$15,700 to A$16,500	₹10.45 lakh to ₹10.98 lakh

Add A$4,885 (about ₹3.24 lakh) to any of these if an adult family member cannot show functional English. Add A$814 if you sit the NAATI CCL test for the 5 community language points. If your spouse needs a skills assessment to claim partner points, add that body's fee as well.

These figures do not include fees for a migration agent or lawyer. Those vary with complexity and scope, so ask for a written estimate covering each stage.

Costs Indian applicants most often miss

The second instalment for your spouse

This is the expensive one. The A$4,885 charge applies when an applicant aged 18 or over cannot show functional English. Many Indian spouses can avoid it without a test: a degree, diploma or trade certificate requiring at least two years of full-time study with instruction in English can qualify. Otherwise, a qualifying test score works, such as IELTS 4.5 average or PTE Academic 24 overall, sat at a test centre rather than at home. Get written proof of English-medium instruction from the university before you lodge.

Skills assessment expiry

A slow invitation can outlast your documents. VETASSESS charges A$495 excluding GST to renew within three years, so check the validity date on your outcome letter against realistic invitation timing.

Paying before your occupation is moving

This is the risk nobody budgets for. The 15 October 2026 round was reported at about 20,000 subclass 189 invitations, double June's 10,000, yet agencies tracking the results reported few or no invitations for software engineers, developer programmers, accountants and civil engineers. Verify current results on the official SkillSelect invitation rounds page. An EOI is free, but a skills assessment, English test and months of waiting are not. Before spending, compare your realistic score with recent cut-offs for your exact occupation, and read our 189 visa requirements guide.

Forex margin and TCS

Home Affairs charges in AUD, so your rupee cost moves with the exchange rate and your bank's margin. A card surcharge can also apply. Separately, Indian banks may collect Tax Collected at Source once your Liberalised Remittance Scheme spending in a financial year passes ₹10 lakh, and the rate depends on purpose. A family paying fees and relocation costs in one year could reach that line, so speak to your bank or chartered accountant.

Refusal costs

Visa charges are generally not refunded after a refusal. A claimed point that you cannot prove, or an undisclosed issue, can lose you the entire charge. This is why checking documents before lodgement usually costs far less than fixing a refusal.

Common mistakes that increase the cost

• Using a budget from before 1 July 2026, which understates the main charge by A$1,225.
• Converting at the rate used in an older guide. At ₹55 per dollar the 189 charge looks like ₹3.37 lakh; at today's rate it is about ₹4.07 lakh.
• Lodging an EOI with points you cannot document at the invitation date.
• Assuming the spouse's English will sort itself out later.
• Ignoring state fees and state-specific conditions when comparing the 190 and 491.
• Paying a fast-track fee when your occupation is not currently receiving invitations.

How long will you wait?

Allow for three separate waits: assessment, invitation and visa processing. Home Affairs' global processing times, published in August and September 2026, showed 90% of 189 points-tested applications decided within about 8 to 9 months, 190 applications within about 17 months, and 491 state-nominated applications within about 18 months. Invitation timing is the true unknown, and it varies widely by occupation and score. Rounds are irregular: no 189 round was reported in the 2026-27 program year before 15 October.

The points test is also under review. The Minister announced a redesign on 17 September 2026, but no new table or start date had been published at the time of writing, so the current table still applies.

A note for Malaysian applicants

The Australian government charges, skills assessment fees and rules above apply equally to Malaysian applicants. What changes is your local cost for English tests, medicals and police checks, plus the ringgit exchange rate, so price those locally before setting your budget.

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. Our team can check whether your occupation is realistic before you spend on assessments, review your points evidence, confirm how your spouse can meet the English requirement, and map your staged budget. Our PR pathway plan sets out which visa fits your profile and what it will cost, so you commit money only when the numbers stack up.

Disclaimer

This article is general information only and is not legal or migration advice. Visa charges, exchange rates and third-party fees change, and the English test and medical figures above are estimates reported by third parties. Check official sources or get advice on your circumstances before paying. Information current to 3 November 2026.