Australia visitor visa: cost and processing time explained

The cost of an Australian visitor visa depends on the subclass, where you apply, and your visa history. The base application charge for a Visitor (subclass 600) visa is AUD150 if you apply outside Australia and AUD380 if you apply in Australia, and a subsequent temporary application charge of AUD700 may apply if you have already applied for certain temporary visas while in Australia. Processing times for visitor visas are published as a median of less than one day for subclasses 600, 601 and 651 combined, but individual applications can take longer, particularly if further information is requested. The figures below are drawn from the Department of Home Affairs pages on visa application charges and processing times, and you should verify the current amounts and times on those pages before lodging an application.

What the base application charge covers

The base application charge is the standard fee for a visa application and is payable by each person included in the application. For a Visitor (subclass 600) visa, the Department’s example shows a base application charge of AUD150 for an application lodged outside Australia and AUD380 for an application lodged in Australia. These amounts are given in the Department’s worked example of the subsequent temporary application charge and are not a complete pricing table. The full list of charges for each visa subclass is set out in the Visa Pricing Table, which you should check before you apply, because the charge that applies to you depends on the stream, the number of applicants, and where you lodge.

When the subsequent temporary application charge applies

The subsequent temporary application charge is an additional charge that applies to certain temporary visas, including the Visitor (subclass 600) visa. It is payable by each person in the application and is based on their individual visa history. The charge is not paid for bridging, criminal justice or enforcement visas, or for permanent visas.

The charge applies only if all of the following conditions are met:

• You are in Australia when you apply for a visa of a kind listed in Table 1, which includes the Visitor (subclass 600) visa.
• The last substantive visa you held, or the visa you currently hold, is of a kind listed in Table 2, which includes the Visitor (subclass 600) visa.
• You applied for that Table 2 visa while you were in Australia.
• None of the exemptions in step 4 apply.

If any one of these conditions is not met, the charge is $0. The Department’s example illustrates this: Fritz applies for a Visitor visa in his home country and pays only the base charge. He then applies for a further Visitor visa while in Australia and still pays only the base charge, because the visa he holds was applied for outside Australia. On his third application, made in Australia while holding a Visitor visa that was itself applied for in Australia, he pays the base charge of AUD380 plus a subsequent temporary application charge of AUD700, for a total of AUD1080.

Exemptions from the subsequent temporary application charge

The charge is not applied where at least one of the following applies:

• The base application charge for the application is nil.
• The visa pricing table does not show a subsequent temporary application charge.
• The visa pricing table shows the charge as nil or as N/A.
• The applicant is outside Australia when making the substantive temporary visa application.
• The applicant is making their first substantive temporary visa application in Australia.
• The formula evaluates the charge to nil.

There are also specific exemptions for certain circumstances, including where the Table 2 visa was granted to a new-born child born after the primary applicant applied, where it was granted by operation of law, where it resulted from ministerial intervention, where it was granted without an application, or where it was a student visa required because an education provider defaulted. If any of these apply, the charge for that applicant is $0.

What counts as a substantive visa

A substantive visa is any visa other than a bridging visa, a criminal justice visa, or an enforcement visa. This definition matters because the subsequent temporary application charge looks at your substantive visa history. Visas granted by operation of law can include some Special Persons visas, Enforcement visas, Absorbed Persons visas, Ex-citizen visas, and visas granted to newborn babies.

How long a visitor visa takes to process

The Department publishes median processing times for key visa categories. For the Visitor category, which combines subclasses 600, 601 and 651, the median processing time for July 2026 was less than one day. This is the most accurate way to show how long it takes most applications to be finalised, but it is not a guarantee for your application.

Processing times vary for many reasons, including whether all necessary supporting documents were submitted, whether the application was lodged online or on paper, how quickly you respond to requests for further information, how long it takes to receive information from external agencies on health, character and national security requirements, and the complexity of the application. The Department notes that some processing locations are currently experiencing delays, so your application may take longer than the published times.

Why the median is not a promise

The median processing time is a guide based on recently decided applications. It does not tell you how long your specific application will take. The Department strongly encourages applicants to review the processing times guide for the specific visa subclass they applied for and to apply well in advance of travel. If additional information is requested for any visa subclass, the final decision may take longer while that information is assessed.

What to check before you apply

Before lodging a Visitor visa application, verify the current base application charge and whether a subsequent temporary application charge applies to you by checking the Visa Pricing Table on the Department of Home Affairs website. The amounts given in the Department’s example are illustrative and may not reflect the current charges. You should also check the processing times guide for the specific subclass and stream you are applying for, because processing times vary significantly between the subclass 600 visa and the subclass 601 and 651 visas, which generally have shorter processing times. Lodging a complete application with all supporting documents at the time of applying is the most effective way to avoid delays.