What a Student Visa Really Costs in 2026 - Every Figure, Itemised

The number nobody quotes upfront

The application charge is only the start. A student visa budget in 2026 has four layers — the visa charge, the financial capacity you must evidence, health insurance for the whole stay, and the English test — and the second layer is far larger than the first. Here is every figure, from the Department's own pricing table and the legislative instrument that sets the money requirements.

At a glance (updated 22 August 2026)

Confirm current figures on the Department of Home Affairs website before lodgement.

Layer 1 — the visa application charge

On the Department's current pricing table (as at 1 July 2026) the Student visa (subclass 500) costs:

Three concession rows exist in the Department's own pricing table: ELICOS-only and Non-Award sector applications are $2,050 (with $1,255 / $410 additional-applicant charges), postgraduate research is $2,500 with no additional-applicant charge, and Foreign Affairs/Defence and secondary-exchange students pay nil. Lower charges also apply to eligible Pacific Island, Timor-Leste and ASEAN passport holders — the exact concession amounts are only surfaced in the Department's pricing estimator, so run your own passport through it rather than trusting a table on any agent's website, including ours.

The Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) is also $2,500, with $500 per under-18 additional applicant and the same $700 onshore charge.

The $700 subsequent temporary application charge catches people: it applies when you lodge a further application in Australia — a new student visa to extend your studies, for instance — on top of the base charge.

Layer 2 — the money you must show

The financial capacity figures come from a legislative instrument (LIN 19/198, as amended), in force since 10 May 2024 and still current:

Plus 12 months of course fees (pro rata for shorter courses), minus anything already paid.

The alternative to showing savings: evidence that your parents or partner earned at least $87,856 in the year before you apply — or $102,500 where family members accompany you.

A single student on a three-year degree is therefore evidencing roughly $29,710 plus a year's tuition — before the flight. This is the layer that decides most refusals on financial grounds, not the $2,500.

Layer 3 — OSHC, for the whole stay

Overseas Student Health Cover is mandatory from an approved provider, continuous, starting from your arrival date, and covering the whole of your stay — not just the first year. Norwegian, Swedish and Belgian students have specific exceptions under their national schemes.

The Department publishes no OSHC premium figures, and neither will we — prices vary by provider, cover type and duration. Get quotes from approved providers directly and budget it as a real line item across every year of the course.

Layer 4 — the English test

For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the standard minimum is IELTS 6.0 (Academic or General Training) — or 5.5 packaged with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or 5.0 with at least 20 weeks. Equivalents: PTE Academic 47, TOEFL iBT 67, C1 Advanced 161, CELPIP 7, LANGUAGECERT Academic 61, MET 53, OET 1210.

Three traps: at-home online tests are not accepted; the test must be within two years; and from 21 January 2026 a TOEFL must be registered as "Taking TOEFL for Australia" to count.

How long it takes

From the Department's processing times tool, queried 22 August 2026:

The VET row is the one to plan around — half of VET applications are taking as long as the slowest higher-education ones. Offshore processing priorities are governed by Ministerial Direction 115 for applications lodged on or after 14 November 2025.

Working while you study

48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, unlimited during scheduled breaks, and no work before the course starts. Masters by research and doctoral students have no cap. Work income can support you once you are here — but it cannot form part of the financial capacity evidence at application.

Where student visa budgets go wrong

1. Budgeting the $2,500 and discovering the $29,710. The evidence layer dwarfs the charge
2. Money that appears overnight. Funds must be genuinely available; unexplained recent deposits invite Genuine Student scrutiny
3. OSHC bought for one year of a three-year course
4. An at-home English test, or one older than two years
5. The $700 onshore charge missed when extending studies
6. Family maths. A partner and one school-age child add $10,394 + $4,449 + $13,502 to the evidence requirement — before their share of the visa charges

Student visa advice — Australia-wide and offshore

Migration Vision advises student applicants across Australia and overseas — financial capacity strategy, the Genuine Student requirement, packaging English results, and what an onshore extension actually costs. Online consultations in English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi. See the full Student visa guide and the Temporary Graduate 485 that usually follows it.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the student visa fee in 2026?

$2,500 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026, plus $1,530 per additional applicant 18 or over and $500 per child. Lodging a further application in Australia adds a $700 subsequent temporary application charge. ELICOS-only and Non-Award applications are $2,050.

How much money do I need to show for a student visa?

$29,710 in living costs for 12 months, plus 12 months of course fees, plus travel. Add $10,394 for a partner, $4,449 per child and at least $13,502 a year in schooling per school-age child. Alternatively, evidence that your parents or partner earned $87,856 or more in the previous year — $102,500 if family accompany you.

Does the student visa include health insurance?

No. OSHC is a separate mandatory cost, from an approved provider, covering the whole of your stay. The Department publishes no premium figures — get quotes directly from providers.

What IELTS score do I need for a student visa?

6.0 overall for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025 — or 5.5 with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or 5.0 with at least 20 weeks. At-home online tests are not accepted, and results must be within two years.

How long does a student visa take in 2026?

On the Department's tool, queried 22 August 2026: higher education 50% in 15 days and 90% in 7 months; schools 22 days / 7 months; postgraduate research 27 days / 3 months; VET 7 months at both marks.

Can I count my future work income as financial evidence?

No. The capacity evidence is assessed at application. The 48-hour fortnightly work right supports you after arrival — it does not reduce the funds you must show.

Reviewed by Dr Asad Muhammad Khan, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2619525. Updated 22 August 2026 — charges verified against the Department of Home Affairs current visa pricing table (increase effective 1 July 2026), financial capacity against LIN 19/198 as amended (in force 10 May 2024) on legislation.gov.au, English and OSHC rules against the subclass 500 pages, and processing times against the Home Affairs global visa processing times tool queried on that date (the tool publishes no data-currency date). This page is general information, not migration advice for your circumstances.