Student visa
subclass 500
A temporary visa to study full time in a CRICOS-registered course in Australia. You must hold a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), Overseas Student Health Cover and enough money for your stay, and meet the Genuine Student requirement. From 2 October 2026 most applicants must apply from outside Australia, and most applicants can no longer include partners or children.
1 entry rule for Australia based on recent travel
These apply to people who were recently in certain countries. Sign in and add your trips to see whether any apply to you.
Health screening after a stay in countries with risk of yellow fever transmission (WHO list) in the last 6 days
Travellers over 1 year entering Australia within 6 days of staying overnight or longer in a yellow fever risk country are asked for a valid yellow fever certificate; entry is not refused without one. Without one: not refused entry: may be referred to a biosecurity officer and given information/an action card; must promptly seek medical assessment if symptoms develop within 6 days of leaving the risk place.
Australian Government Department of Health: Yellow fever Australian Government: Yellow fever fact sheet (holds Australia's list of risk countries and areas) Australian Immunisation Handbook: Yellow fever WHO International Travel and Health, Annex 1: Countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and countries requiring proof of vaccination against yellow fever (18 Nov 2022, revised 3 Jan 2023) WHO ITH Country List: Vaccination requirements and WHO recommendations for international travellers, 2022 edition (18 Nov 2022, revised 3 Jan 2023) Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Australia): Human health – advice to travellers Checked October 19, 2026
Life in Australia
Money
3
Currency
Australian Dollar
AUD
Australian Dollar
Cost of living
94
Price level · US = 100
World Bank price levels, 2025
Tax
15–45%
Income tax (national)
GST 10%
2026-27: first AUD 18,200 tax-free; 45% above AUD 190,000. Plus 2% Medicare levy.
Living
1
Happiness
#15 of 145 countries
World Happiness Report 2025
Your edge here Members
What gives you an edge here: passports, visas and permits you hold, work, study, language and family ties
Who it’s for
International students aged 6 or older enrolled in an eligible full-time course in Australia.
Eligibility
Enrolment
You must be enrolled in a full-time CRICOS-registered course and give a CoE for every intended course when you apply, or the application is invalid. Some groups (DFAT/Defence sponsored, secondary exchange, postgraduate research thesis marking) use other evidence.
Where you apply
From 2 October 2026 most applicants must apply from outside Australia, with limited exemptions for some eligible visa holders.
From 2 October 2026- You can apply in Australia only if you hold an eligible visa and meet an exemption.
- Holders of many temporary visas cannot apply in Australia at all.
- Examples of those visas: subclass 400, 417, 462, 482, 485, 600, 601, 651.
Official wording
From 2 October 2026 most applicants must apply from outside Australia. You can only apply in Australia if you hold an eligible visa and meet an exemption. Holders of many temporary visas (for example subclass 400, 417, 462, 482, 485, 600, 601, 651) cannot apply in Australia at all.
Further Student visa in Australia
Primary Student visa holders can apply again in Australia only under one of six exemptions.
- Up to 12 extra months to finish the main course.
- DFAT/Defence sponsorship, PhD study, or school study.
- Progressing to a higher AQF level after completing the main course.
- Provider default.
Official wording
Primary Student visa holders can apply again in Australia only under one of six exemptions: up to 12 extra months to finish the main course, DFAT/Defence sponsorship, PhD study, school study, progressing to a higher AQF level after completing the main course, or provider default.
A sneak peek at what's inside
- Next requirementGenuine Student requirement
- Document checklistPassport (photo and details pages) and national identity card if you have one
- FeesBase application charge (main applicant)
The full requirements are for members
Create an account and subscribe to see every requirement, the full document checklist, fees, steps, processing times and conditions, and how your profile compares.
- 7 more requirements
- 10 documents
- 6 fees
- 7 steps
- Processing times and conditions
Programs and scholarships Members
Study programs here that can lead to work and settlement, grouped by route and ranked for your background, with scholarships matched to your profile.
Places to visit in Australia
Attractions picked for you, based on your profile and interests.
Finding places for you…
Official sources
Other routes to Australia
- Visit & tourismVisitor visa (subclass 600) – Tourist stream (apply outside Australia), with ETA (subclass 601) and eVisitor (subclass 651) for eligible passports
- Work permitsSkills in Demand visa (subclass 482) – Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams
- Skilled migrationSkilled Independent visa (subclass 189) – Points-tested stream
- Asylum & protectionProtection visa
- CitizenshipAustralian citizenship by conferral
