Australia Student Visa Cost: The AUD 2,500 Charge and What Else You Pay

TL;DR: The main Australia student visa cost is the visa application charge: AUD 2,500 for most applicants since 1 July, up from AUD 2,000. A lower charge still applies to some ASEAN and Pacific applicants and to independent English language and non-award students. On top of that you pay for Overseas Student Health Cover, and a further AUD 700 charge can apply if you make another visa application from inside Australia. The funds you show are separate money that you keep.

Most students budget for tuition and living costs, then get caught by the smaller charges around the visa. None of them is large on its own. Together they are worth planning for, especially after the Student visa charge rose by a quarter this year.

This guide sets out what you pay, who pays the lower rate and which costs depend on your later plans.

Planning your budget for an Australian degree and unsure what the visa adds? Check your eligibility with Prosper.

The Student visa application charge

Study Australia, the Australian Government's official study site, confirmed that from 1 July the Student visa charge increased from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500. Its Student visa page states that "from 1 July 2026, student visa fees are from AUD$2,500 per visa application" unless you are exempt.

Some applicants were kept on the previous charge, plus an annual inflation adjustment:

• Primary applicants from ASEAN countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam
• Primary applicants from Pacific countries and Timor-Leste, including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu
• Independent students in English language (ELICOS) and non-award courses

Everyone else applying for a degree should budget AUD 2,500.

The full cost picture

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Costs not paid to the government

One of these is not paid to the government at all. OSHC is paid to an approved health insurer, and the price depends on the provider and how long your visa runs. Ask your university which insurer it works with and get a quote for your full course length.

What you pay versus what you show

The visa charge, OSHC and tuition are money you spend. The funds you show for the genuine access to funds requirement are money you keep in your account as evidence. Mixing the two up is a common budgeting mistake. Our guide to Australia student visa genuine access to funds explains what you must show and how.

The AUD 700 charge, and why your plan affects it

Home Affairs charges a subsequent temporary application charge of AUD 700 in some cases when you apply for another visa, including a Student visa, while you are in Australia. It does not apply when you make the application from outside Australia, or when it is your first substantive temporary visa application in Australia.

Since 2 October, most Student visa holders who need a new Student visa must apply from outside Australia anyway, unless an exemption applies, such as moving up to a higher qualification level. Either way, a second visa application costs money, time or both. Choosing a course plan that does not need one is the cheapest option of all. Our guide to Australia student visa course progression explains how to plan it.

Family members and cost

From 2 October, most Student visa applicants can no longer include a partner or children. Home Affairs now allows family members only for doctoral students, students sponsored by DFAT or Defence, foreign government scholarship holders and eligible Pacific and ASEAN students. If you are in one of those groups, each family member adds to the visa cost, so include them in your budget from the start. Our guide to Australia student visa dependants covers the family rules.

After you graduate

If you plan to stay and work after your degree, the Temporary Graduate visa charge rose from AUD 4,600 to AUD 5,750 on 1 July, according to Study Australia. It is worth knowing now, because it falls at the moment your student income usually ends.

Applying from Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is not an ASEAN or Pacific country, so applicants applying from Sri Lanka for a degree pay the standard AUD 2,500 Student visa charge. Budget the charge in Australian dollars and allow for the exchange rate on the day you pay.

FAQ

How much is the Australia student visa cost now? For most degree applicants the visa application charge is AUD 2,500, since 1 July.

Who still pays the lower Student visa charge? Primary applicants from ASEAN countries, Pacific countries and Timor-Leste, and independent ELICOS and non-award students pay the previous charge plus an inflation adjustment.

Is OSHC included in the visa charge? No. OSHC is paid separately to an approved health insurer.

What is the AUD 700 charge? It is the subsequent temporary application charge, which can apply when you make another visa application from inside Australia.

Do I lose the money I show as funds? No. Funds evidence is money you hold, not a fee you pay.

What does the Temporary Graduate visa cost? AUD 5,750 since 1 July.

PS: The visa charge is the easy part of an Australian budget to plan, once you know it. If you want help building a full cost plan for your course, from visa to graduation, check your eligibility with Prosper.

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