Written by Immigrad · Registered Migration Agent · MARN 1805710 · Last updated September 2026
The partner visa Australia cost is now one of the largest single government charges in the migration programme. As at September 2026, the Department of Home Affairs base application charge is AUD 11,710 for the main applicant — and that is before health checks, police certificates, translations or professional fees. The timelines surprise couples just as much: half of onshore subclass 820 applications lodged now are being decided in about 18 months.
This guide sets out what you actually pay, what that payment covers, where the genuine discounts sit, and what the Department is currently publishing for processing times. All figures are current as at September 2026 and are drawn from the Department’s own pricing table and processing time guide. Migration charges usually change on 1 July each year, so check before you lodge.
How much does a partner visa cost in Australia in 2026?
There is no single “partner visa”. There are three application pathways, and the charge depends on which one you use and whether you already hold a related visa.
| Application | Base charge | Additional applicant 18 and over | Additional applicant under 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner visa (subclass 820/801) — applying in Australia | AUD 11,710 | AUD 5,860 | AUD 2,935 |
| Partner visa (subclass 309/100) — applying outside Australia | AUD 11,710 | AUD 5,860 | AUD 2,935 |
| Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) | AUD 11,710 | Not available | Not available |
| 820/801 lodged by a current subclass 300 holder | AUD 1,955 | AUD 980 | AUD 485 |
| 820/801 after a ceased subclass 300 visa | AUD 2,475 | AUD 1,235 | AUD 625 |
| 820/801 by a transitional (EETV) holder | AUD 700 | AUD 350 | AUD 180 |
You pay the charge once, not twice
This is the single most misunderstood point about partner visa pricing. The onshore pathway is a combined application: you lodge for the subclass 820 (temporary) and the subclass 801 (permanent) at the same time, and you pay one charge. The same applies offshore — the subclass 309 and the subclass 100 are lodged together. When the Department assesses you for the permanent stage roughly two years later, there is no second visa application charge to pay.
That structure is why the headline number looks so large compared with, say, a Temporary Graduate visa. You are buying two visas, one of which is permanent residence.
The partner visa discounts most couples do not know about
Two significant concessions exist, and both are easy to miss.
Prospective Marriage visa holders. If you hold a subclass 300 Prospective Marriage visa, marry your sponsor, and lodge the subclass 820/801 application before your subclass 300 visa ends, the charge drops from AUD 11,710 to AUD 1,955. The timing matters — lodge after the visa has ceased and the concessional charge rises to AUD 2,475. A subclass 300 visa allows a stay of nine to fifteen months from grant, so the window is real but not generous.
Dependent Child visa holders. A person who holds a subclass 445 Dependent Child visa and then applies for a partner visa pays a nil visa application charge.
Note that the subclass 300 pathway costs more overall if you use it as a stepping stone — AUD 11,710 for the fiancé(e) visa, then AUD 1,955 for the partner visa. It is the right choice when you cannot yet demonstrate a de facto relationship or a completed marriage, not when you are optimising for cost.
What else you pay beyond the application charge
The Department’s charge is the largest line item, but it is not the only one. Budget for the following:
- Payment surcharge. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB attract a 1.40% surcharge; PayPal 1.01%; UnionPay 1.90%. On AUD 11,710 that is roughly AUD 164 on a Visa or Mastercard.
- Health examinations. Payable per person to a Department-approved panel physician, with costs varying by country and by whether chest X-rays or specialist referrals are required.
- Police certificates. One from every country you have lived in for twelve months or more in the last ten years, since turning sixteen.
- Certified translations. Any document not in English must be translated by an appropriately accredited translator.
- Statutory declarations and supporting statements. Free to prepare, but they take real time.
- Professional fees. If you engage a registered migration agent, this is separate from the Department’s charge and should be quoted to you in writing before you commit.
How long does a partner visa take in 2026?
The Department publishes a processing time guide based on applications recently decided. For an application lodged in September 2026, the current guide shows:
| Visa | 50% decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 820 (onshore temporary) | 18 months | 32 months |
| Subclass 801 (onshore permanent) | 14 months | 29 months |
| Subclass 309 (offshore provisional) | 17 months | 30 months |
| Subclass 100 (offshore permanent) | 10 months | 19 months |
| Subclass 300 (Prospective Marriage) | 14 months | 29 months |
These are historical indicators, not commitments. No agent and no applicant can accelerate a decision, and nobody can tell you what your own application will take.
What actually drives your timeline
Family visa applications are processed in accordance with Ministerial Direction 117, which sets processing priorities within the family stream. The Department has said it continues to prioritise aged applications and those with compassionate and compelling circumstances, and this is reflected in the published times.
Beyond priority order, the biggest controllable factor is completeness. An application lodged decision-ready — identity documents, relationship evidence across all four statutory categories, health and character material, and Form 888 statements all present at lodgement — avoids the request-for-information cycles that add months. An incomplete application does not sit still; it gets picked up, queried, and returned to the queue.
A worked budget: couple with one child
Take an onshore couple where the applicant has a twelve-year-old child included in the application. The Department’s charge is AUD 11,710 for the applicant plus AUD 2,935 for the child, so AUD 14,645. Paying by Visa adds about AUD 205 in surcharge. Health examinations for two people, police certificates from two countries, and a small number of translations will typically add several hundred dollars more. Professional fees, if engaged, sit on top.
The practical takeaway is that the government charge is close to ninety per cent of the total outlay for most couples, and that including children is materially cheaper than lodging separately.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the partner visa Australia cost in 2026?
AUD 11,710 for the main applicant on the subclass 820/801, 309/100 or 300 pathway, current as at September 2026. Additional applicants aged 18 and over pay AUD 5,860, and those under 18 pay AUD 2,935. Concessional charges apply to Prospective Marriage visa holders and holders of a subclass 445 Dependent Child visa.
Do I pay again for the permanent stage?
No. The temporary and permanent stages are lodged as one application and attract one visa application charge. There is no further Department charge when your subclass 801 or subclass 100 is assessed.
Is a partner visa cheaper if I already hold a Prospective Marriage visa?
Substantially. A current subclass 300 holder who marries their sponsor and lodges the 820/801 before the subclass 300 visa ends pays AUD 1,955 rather than AUD 11,710. If the subclass 300 visa has already ceased, the charge is AUD 2,475.
Can I get a refund if my partner visa is refused?
Visa application charges are generally not refunded because the application was refused — you are paying for the assessment, not the outcome. The Department publishes limited circumstances in which a refund may be available. This is one of the reasons a properly prepared application matters.
Should I apply onshore or offshore?
It depends on your current visa, any condition 8503 on it, whether you need to travel, and where you and your partner are living. Onshore applicants generally receive a bridging visa with work rights; offshore applicants must remain outside Australia at decision for the subclass 309. The onshore 820/801 page and the offshore 309/100 page set out the differences.
Are these figures going to change?
Visa application charges are typically indexed on 1 July each year, and processing time guides are updated regularly. Everything above is current as at September 2026. Always confirm against the Department of Home Affairs pricing table on the day you lodge.
Where to go from here
This article is general information and does not take account of your circumstances. Partner visa applications turn on evidence, timing and your existing visa conditions, and complex cases need personal advice from a registered migration agent. If you are weighing up the onshore and offshore pathways, or working out whether your relationship evidence is where it needs to be before you commit AUD 11,710, book a consultation with Immigrad and we will map it out with you.
Related reading: Immigrad’s partner visa services.