Provide accurate information. See what happens if you can't prove your identity or don't provide true information.

Identity documents

We need proof of your identity. If you cannot prove your identity:

• we will refuse your visa application
• we might not grant you another visa for 10 years
• we might not grant any family members you listed on your application a visa for 10 years

Provide the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.

Also provide:

• a national identity card, if you have one
• proof of change of name

Documents that prove a change of name include:

• a marriage or divorce certificate
• change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
• documents that show other names you have been known by

Confirmation of enrolment, letters of support and acceptance forms

Attach the required documents according to your situation.

Applying outside Australia

Provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for all intended courses.

Applying inside Australia

Provide a CoE or letter of offer for all intended courses. You must provide the CoEs before the visa can be granted.

Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or Australian Department of Defence sponsored

Provide a letter of support

If your letter of support does not say it will meet the living costs and expenses of each secondary applicant, then evidence of sufficient funds is also required.

Secondary exchange student

Provide an Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Student form

Postgraduate research student required to remain in Australia for marking of your thesis

Provide a letter from your education provider.

Evidence you have enough money for your stay

If the document checklist indicates you must provide evidence of your financial capacity, you must attach evidence to your visa application. We may refuse your visa without asking you for more information if you don't.

If we don't ask you to provide evidence you have enough money for your stay when you apply, we may ask you to provide this evidence while we are processing your application.

The living costs we ask you to declare and provide with your visa application is the minimum amount of money you need for the purpose of the visa. Actual living costs vary throughout Australia and may be much higher than what you need for the visa. We recommend you research the area you intend to live including the cost of living in that area

There are options to prove you have enough money for your stay.

You could give us evidence of:

• deposits of money from a financial institution
• government loans or loans from a financial institution
• scholarships or similar financial support.

Annual income

Alternatively, you can provide evidence your parents or your partner had a personal annual income of at least AUD62,222 in the 12 months immediately before you apply. If you bring family members, you must show your parents’ or partner’s income is at least AUD72,592.

From 1 October 2023, you can provide evidence your parents or your partner had a personal income of at least AUD72,465 in the 12 months immediately before you apply. If you bring family members, you must show your parents’ or partner’s income is at least AUD84,543.

If both your parents are working we can consider their combined income. Provide evidence of your parents’ or partner’s income in the form of official government documents such as tax assessments less than 12 months old. We won’t accept bank statements or direct evidence from an employer.

Work out how much money you need for the visa

At a minimum, you must have enough money to pay for:

• your travel
• 12 months of your course fees (or pro rata fees, if your course is less than 12 months)
• 12 months of living costs for you and any family members who come with you to Australia (or pro rata fees, if you are staying less than 12 months)
• school fees for any school-age children who accompany you (or pro rata fees, if the child will be at school for less than 12 months).

Use the following information to work out how much money you need for the visa. To calculate pro rata costs, divide the annual cost by 365 and multiply the result by the number of days you intend to stay in Australia.

Living costs

12-month living costs are for:

• students or guardians - AUD21,041
• partners coming with you - AUD7,362
• a child coming with you - AUD3,152.

From 1 October 2023, the 12-month living costs will increase to:

• students or guardians - AUD24,505
• partners coming with you - AUD8,574
• a child coming with you - AUD3,670.

Course fees

Use the first 12 months of your course fees. If your course is 12 months or less, use the total cost. Deduct any costs you have already paid – you must provide evidence you have paid them, such as a receipt or Confirmation of Enrolment.

If you are in Australia and your course has already started, calculate the course fee for 12 months starting on the date you lodge your application.

• Example 1: your course fee is AUD50,000 for 3 years. The fee for 12 months is the total course cost divided by the number of years you will be studying. AUD50,000 divided by 3 years = AUD16,666, less any amount you have already paid if relevant.
• Example 2: your course fee is AUD15,000 for 10 months and you have already paid AUD5,000. Deduct the amount you have already paid from the total amount. AUD15,000 - AUD5,000 = AUD10,000.
• Example 3: your course fee is AUD20,000 for 18 months. The fee for 12 months is the total divided by the total number of months, then multiplied by 12. (AUD20,000/18) x 12 = AUD13,333. Deduct any costs you have already paid.

Schooling costs

If you are including any school-age children in your application, add schooling costs of at least AUD8,296 per year for each child. Costs vary between states, territories and schools in Australia. You are responsible for finding out how much the child’s schooling will cost.

From 1 October 2023, if you are including any school-age children in your application, add schooling costs of at least AUD9,661 per year for each child.

You don’t have to provide evidence of schooling costs if you:

• are a PhD student and have enrolled your child in an Australian government school where the fees have been waived, or
• have received an Australian Commonwealth Government scholarship, including Foreign Affairs and Defence sponsored students, and have enrolled your child in an Australian government school where the fees have been waived.

You must provide evidence the child is enrolled.

Travel costs

As a guide, when you calculate how much money you need, include:

• AUD2,500 for travel costs if you are applying from East or Southern Africa
• AUD3,000 for travel costs if you are applying from West Africa
• AUD2,000 for travel costs if you are applying from anywhere else outside Australia
• AUD1,000 for travel costs if you are applying in Australia. If you will be returning to Africa include AUD1,500.

For combined applications

Include the costs and expenses of the primary applicant. For family members also applying for the visa, include:

• 12 months living costs (or pro rata)
• any school fees
• travel expenses.

Other options

Secondary exchange students can prove they have enough money for their stay by providing a completed Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Students (AASES) form.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) students can prove they have enough money for their stay by providing a letter of support from DFAT. They must also provide proof of the financial capacity of any family members travelling with them.

Department of Defence students can prove they have enough money for their stay by providing a letter of support from the Department of Defence. They must also provide proof of the financial capacity of any family members travelling with them.

Family members who apply after we have granted you a visa (subsequent entrants)

Family members who apply to join you later must also, at a minimum, show us they have enough money to cover:

• the costs and expenses of the student visa holder, including any remaining portion of the 12 months school fees minus any amount already paid
• 12 months living costs of all secondary applicants, including school fees
• travel costs for all secondary applicants.

Evidence you have genuine access to the money

If we ask you to provide evidence of financial capacity you must also prove you have access to it.

If someone else is providing you funds, give us:

• evidence of your relationship with them
• their identity documents
• evidence of any financial support they have given you or another student visa holder in the past.

If the financial support provided involves a business, show us proof the business is operating.

If you are providing evidence of deposits of money, explain their source.

Any education loan to cover your tuition or living costs should be paid out according to the agreement between you, the bank and the education provider. If you receive any payments before we make a decision on your application, give us evidence including the terms of the loan and the full amount you will be paid.

If you are relying on another kind of loan, provide:

• evidence of the security you used
• the terms of the loan
• evidence you can cover ongoing costs.

The best evidence you can provide of genuine access to funds if you are relying on a loan is evidence of disbursement.

Let your provider know any conditions on your education loan. Some loans offer deferred repayment against your future earnings. These loans can be conditional on you studying only a specified course with a certain provider.

Evidence you are exempt from paying a visa application charge (VAC):

The following student visa applicants are not required to pay a visa application charge (VAC):

• Students awarded a scholarship funded by the Commonwealth Government of Australia
• Students and family members supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Student and family members supported by the Department of Defence
• Secondary exchange students
• Students affected by education provider default and lodge a new student visa application within 12 months of the provider default day
• Family members of students enrolled in a postgraduate research course
• Students affected by COVID-19.

If you are not sure, you should not claim exemption. We will not accept your application if you are not eligible and this may have consequences if you are in Australia. An invalid application outcome could affect your visa status and you may not be eligible if your visa has already expired to apply for a further visa.

Note:

• You are not Commonwealth sponsored if you are sponsored by the government in your home country or your government has provided you with a loan. Most Commonwealth sponsored students are enrolled in post graduate research courses.
• If your education provider is still operating but was unable to deliver the course you were enrolled in, then you are not affected by education provider default.

Overseas Student Health Cover

You must include proof of paid adequate health insurance for the proposed duration of your visa see student visa grant periods.

Health insurance must be Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) covering everyone included in your application.

If you don’t provide your OSHC in your application form, we will refuse your visa application.

If you or your agent have organised OSHC, and included this information on your CoE, you will need to include the name of your health insurance provider, the dates your policy starts and finishes and the policy number in your application form.

If your education provider arranged your OSHC, you will need to include the name of your health insurance provider and the dates your policy starts and finishes in your application.You do not need to include the policy number in your application.

Make sure there is no gap in your coverage if you are studying with more than one education provider and both providers arrange OSHC for you. The second policy must begin as soon as the first expires.

Note: If you are from Norway, Sweden or Belgium, you might not have to obtain OSHC. See information on exceptions in the 'Have adequate health insurance' section on the Eligibility page.

Genuine temporary entrant documents

Every Student visa applicant must provide evidence they are a genuine temporary entrant (GTE). In the online student visa application form, you will need to provide a statement of purpose in English addressing the GTE requirement.  This statement is to be 300 words in total (a 2000 character limit applies).

In addition to the written statement in the application form, you will also need to attach supporting documents to ImmiAccount.

See how to provide evidence you are a genuine temporary entrant.

Student visa English language requirements

If you must provide evidence you meet the Student visa English language requirement, show us you achieved a certain score on an approved English language test. The English language test must have been taken in the 2 years before you apply for a student visa.

The table refers to the English language test providers and the minimum scores you must achieve to meet the Student visa English language requirement.

English language test providers	Minimum score	Minimum score and at least 10 weeks English Language Intensive Courses (ELICOS)	Minimum score and at least 20 weeks ELICOS
International English Language Testing System	5.5	5	4.5
TOEFL internet-based test (only accepted if test is taken on or before 25 July 2023)*	46	35	32
Cambridge English: Advanced (Certificate in Advanced English)	162	154	147
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)	42	36	30
Occupational English Test	B for each test component	N/A	N/A

_{*On 26 July 2023 the TOEFL internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) stopped offering English language tests for Australian visa purposes. A score for a TOEFL iBT test taken on or after 26 July 2023 will no longer satisfy the English language requirement for Student visa purposes. Only TOEFL iBT scores from a test taken on or before 25 July 2023 are accepted for Student visa purposes.}

Welfare arrangements and consent to grant a visa for students under 18

If you are applying for a student visa and you are under 18 years old, you must have appropriate welfare arrangements in place. This must cover your period of stay or until you turn 18 years, whichever is first. You must also have consent from your parent(s) or guardian(s) to travel to and reside in Australia as an under 18 student.

If your nominated guardian is applying for a Subclass 590 Student Guardian visa, both applications should be made at the same time.

Consent to grant a visa for a student under the age of 18 years

Every applicant under the age of 18 must provide a completed and signed consent Form 1229 (276KB PDF) or a statutory declaration from each parent or legal guardian with their consent. If you cannot provide consent form both parents or guardians, you will need to provide evidence that one party has sole custody.

You also need to provide:

• birth certificate of the under 18 student. The birth certificate must include the names of the parents. A ceremonial or notarial certificate is not sufficient for this purpose.
• identity document(s) that show the signature and photo of the person(s) who completed the form or declaration, such as a passport or driver's licence
• if applicable, evidence of sole custody such as a valid court order, death certificate or a divorce certificate/legal separation agreement.

Welfare arrangements

To show your welfare arrangements you must either:

• arrange a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW)
• provide your Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Student (AASES) form if you are a secondary exchange student
• organise approval of your welfare arrangements from the relevant Minister, if you are a Foreign Affairs or Defence student or
• nominate a guardian

To nominate a guardian and for your student visa to be valid, you must attach a completed Form 157N Student Guardianship Arrangements to your applications. If your nominated guardian is applying for a student guardian (subclass TU-590) visa, both applications should be made at the same time.

A nominated guardian must be:

• the parent of the student visa holder or
• a person who has custody of the student or
• a relative of the student, aged 21 years or older, nominated in writing by a parent or person who has custody of the student.

A nominated guardian can have:

• Australian citizenship
• a permanent visa
• s substantive temporary visa for duration of the students stay or until they turn 18 or
• applied for or hold a subclass 590 visa.

For this visa, a relative is a:

• parent or step-parent
• grandparent or step-grandparent
• sibling or step-sibling or
• aunt, uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle.

You must include in your application:

• proof of relationship to the student, for example the birth certificate of the student, parent(s) and nominated guardian
• a police certificate for every country the guardian has lived in for more than 12 months in the last 10 years since turning 16 years, if not a parent/legal custodian
• a copy of the guardian's passport including biodata and signature page and
• evidence of residency in Australia if already a holder of a substantive visa
• a Form 157N Student Guardianship Arrangements (291KB PDF).

For more information see Welfare arrangements for students under 18.

Partner documents