Australia Student Visa Cost in 2026

Ask most students what an Australian student visa costs and they will quote the application fee. That number went up to AUD 2,500 in July 2026, but it is the smallest part of the picture. The real cost is the money you must prove you have, the insurance you must buy and the extras nobody mentions until the week before lodgement.

The visa application charge

For applications lodged from 1 July 2026, the base charge for a primary Student visa applicant is AUD 2,500. It was AUD 2,000 before that date and AUD 710 as recently as mid-2024, so the cost of a refusal has more than tripled in two years.

Some applicants stayed on the previous charge with an annual inflation adjustment. According to Study Australia, these include primary applicants with passports from listed ASEAN countries, Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, and students applying for independent ELICOS or non-award courses. Check the Home Affairs visa pricing estimator for your exact figure, including any family members, because these charges are indexed and can change on 1 July each year.

The money you must be able to show

Home Affairs needs to be satisfied that you can pay for your course, living costs, travel and, where relevant, your family's costs and school fees. These are the figures that have applied since 10 May 2024:

Remember that since 2 October 2026 most new applicants cannot include a partner or children at all, so the family lines only apply to exempt groups such as doctoral students. See our guide to bringing family in 2026.

The annual income alternative

Instead of showing a lump sum, you can show that a parent or partner earns at least AUD 87,856 a year, or AUD 102,500 if family members are coming with you. The income has to be the sponsor's own, and it must be evidenced with official documents such as tax assessments, not just a letter from an employer.

For many families in Bangladesh and South Asia, the lump-sum route is more practical because declared incomes rarely reach that threshold. That is fine. What matters is that the money is genuinely available and its history makes sense.

What officers check about the money

We see more refusals over financial credibility than over the amount itself. Officers look at where the money came from, how long it has been there and whether the sponsor can afford it without strain. Typical problems include:

• A large deposit shortly before lodgement with no explanation of its source.
• A sponsor whose declared income could not plausibly have built the balance shown.
• Fixed deposits or savings certificates opened in the last few weeks.
• Different figures in the GS answers, the provider's financial form and the bank letters.
• Loans with no sanction letter or no clear plan to repay.

Our article on finances and sponsorship in your SOP explains how to present the source of funds in plain language.

The costs people forget

• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). Compulsory for the whole visa period. Prices vary by insurer and by single or family cover, so get a quote for your exact dates.
• Health examinations. Depending on your country and course, a medical and chest X-ray from a panel clinic.
• Biometrics. Required in some countries, with a separate service fee.
• English test. IELTS, PTE or another approved test, and possibly a retake.
• Document costs. Translations, notarised copies and bank solvency certificates.
• A refusal. Another AUD 2,500, plus months of delay. This is the cost a well-prepared application avoids.

After you graduate

If you plan to work in Australia after study, the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa charge rose from AUD 4,600 to AUD 5,750 on 1 July 2026. Remember also that 485 holders cannot apply for a Student visa from inside Australia, so a plan to return to study later needs to start offshore.

Writing about money in your GS answers

The GS questions do not have a dedicated finance question, but money comes up in your current circumstances and in the cost and benefit of the course. Keep it short, specific and consistent with the documents.

• Name the sponsor and their occupation, and how long they have worked or run the business.
• Give the source of the savings in one line: salary, business income, rent, a property or land sale.
• Say how long the money has been held, and point to the statements and tax records that show it.
• State what is already paid, such as the first-semester tuition.
• Show that the household still manages without the money, for example through another earner.

Those five points answer the question every officer has about money: is it real, and can this family afford it without strain? Every one of them should be something a document can confirm.

SOP Writer Editorial Team

Specialist SOP & visa writers since 2017 · Sydney and Dhaka