How Much Does A Partner Visa Cost In Australia?

Partner visa costs $11,710 from 1 July 2026. See the full 820/801, 309/100 fee breakdown, hidden costs, and how to budget for your application.

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Applying for a Partner visa is one of the biggest financial commitments in Australia's migration system — and the number keeps growing. If you're budgeting for a spouse or de facto partner application in 2026, here's exactly what you'll pay, why it jumped this year, and what most guides leave out.

The Current Government Fee: $11,710

From 1 July 2026, the Department of Home Affairs base application charge for a Partner visa jumped from $9,365 to $11,710 for the primary applicant. This single charge covers both stages of the pathway — you don't pay a second Department fee when the permanent visa (801 or 100) is later granted. It applies equally across:

Subclass 820/801 — the onshore pathway (apply from within Australia)
Subclass 309/100 — the offshore pathway (apply from outside Australia)
Subclass 300 — the Prospective Marriage visa, if you plan to marry in Australia first

The fee is locked in based on the date Home Affairs receives your application — not when you started preparing it. If you lodge on or after 1 July 2026, the new fee applies regardless of your circumstances.

What the $11,710 Doesn't Cover

The headline figure is only your starting point. Most applicants underestimate the true total cost because several mandatory expenses sit outside the government charge entirely:

Cost item	Approximate amount	Paid to
Base application charge (primary applicant)	$11,710	Department of Home Affairs
Additional applicant, 18 and over	~$5,860	Department of Home Affairs
Additional applicant, under 18	~$2,935	Department of Home Affairs
Online credit/debit card surcharge	1.4% (~$164 on base fee)	Payment processor
Health examination	Varies by clinic and family size	Approved panel physician
Police certificate (per country)	Varies by country	Issuing police authority
Document translation	Varies by document volume	Certified translator (NAATI)
Biometrics collection	Varies by nationality	Visa Application Centre

Figures for additional applicants and the card surcharge are set amounts; health, police, translation, and biometrics costs vary by provider, country, and family size, so treat the table as a planning guide rather than a final quote.

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Why the Fee Increased So Sharply This Year

The jump from $9,365 to $11,710 — a rise of over 25% — reflects the Department's broader 1 July 2026 visa pricing reset, which also lifted charges across skilled and student visa categories. Partner visas remain one of the few family categories where fee increases consistently outpace inflation, partly because demand for the pathway has stayed high even as processing capacity has struggled to keep up. If you're close to being lodgement-ready before a financial year rolls over, timing your application before 1 July can occasionally save you thousands — though this only works if your evidence package is genuinely complete.

Is the Onshore or Offshore Pathway Cheaper?

Not really — this is one of the most common misconceptions applicants search for. The government charge is currently identical across the 820/801 (onshore) and 309/100 (offshore) pathways. Your choice between them should come down to where you're located when you apply and your visa status at the time, not which one looks cheaper on paper. Applying in the wrong pathway, or from the wrong location, is a common and costly mistake that can delay your entire application by months.

What Happens If Your Visa Is Refused?

This is the detail that catches people out financially: the $11,710 government charge is non-refundable in almost all circumstances, even if your application is refused or you later withdraw it. There's no partial refund for a rejected application, and you'll pay the full fee again if you reapply. This is exactly why relationship evidence quality — financial, household, social, and commitment evidence — matters as much as the fee itself; a weak application doesn't just risk delay, it risks losing over $11,000 outright.

Smart Ways To Budget For A Partner Visa

Get your total cost estimate upfront, not just the headline government fee, by factoring in medical checks, police certificates, and translations before you commit to a lodgement date
Use the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator to confirm the exact current charge for your specific circumstances before paying
Avoid card surcharges where possible by checking whether ImmiAccount offers a lower-fee payment method for your situation
Don't rush a weak application to save time — a refusal costs far more than a short delay to strengthen your evidence file
Factor in professional fees separately if you engage a migration agent, since these are billed independently of the government charge

How Australian Immigration Consultants Can Help

Because the government charge is non-refundable and now exceeds $11,000, getting your Partner visa application right the first time isn't optional — it's the single biggest cost-saving decision you can make. At Australian Immigration Consultants, our MARA-registered agents assess your eligibility for the correct pathway, help you build a genuine relationship evidence file across all four assessment pillars, and make sure your application is lodgement-ready before you pay a cent to the Department. We also help you time your lodgement around fee changes where it genuinely benefits your case, rather than rushing an incomplete file to beat a deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a partner visa cost in Australia in 2026? The base government application charge is $11,710 for the primary applicant, covering both the temporary and permanent stages of the pathway.

Do I pay the fee again for the permanent stage (801/100)? No — the $11,710 charge covers both the temporary and permanent applications, since they're lodged together as one combined application.

Is the partner visa fee refundable if I'm refused? No, the government application charge is non-refundable in almost all circumstances, even if the visa is refused or withdrawn.

Does the 820/801 pathway cost less than the 309/100 pathway? No — the government charge is currently the same for both; your pathway depends on your location and status when you apply, not cost.

What extra costs should I budget for beyond the government fee? Health examinations, police certificates, translations, biometrics, and a 1.4% surcharge for online card payments are all separate from the base charge.