Fiancé Visa Australia: What People Are Actually Searching For

What Australians actually call it

The visa colloquially known as a 'fiancé visa' or 'marriage visa' is the Prospective Marriage visa, subclass 300 (often written PMV or just '300'). It's a temporary visa that lets someone who is engaged to be married to an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen travel to Australia specifically to get married, with the intention of then applying for a partner visa.

It is not the same visa as the ordinary partner visa (820/801 or 309/100), and it is not itself a pathway to permanent residence — it's a bridge that gets a couple to the point of marriage in Australia, after which the actual permanent-residence-track application (the partner visa) is lodged separately.

How it works, in plain terms

You and your fiancé(e) must genuinely intend to marry and be free to do so legally. The visa is applied for while your fiancé(e) is generally offshore, and once granted, they travel to Australia, you marry within the visa's validity window, and you then lodge a partner visa application (820 if you're both in Australia, 309 if applying from outside) to continue the pathway toward permanent residence.

It suits couples who haven't yet married and either can't or don't want to marry offshore first, or who want their partner in Australia for the wedding itself. Couples who are already married, or who are in a de facto relationship and don't need the marriage step, generally apply for the standard partner visa directly rather than going through this route.

Cost — as at 2026

The Prospective Marriage visa costs $11,710 for the main applicant — the same base application charge as the standard partner visa, confirmed against the current Migration Regulations Schedule 1 figures in our own fee-increase analysis. Additional dependants attract their own separate charges.

What trips people up is thinking this is a separate, smaller fee on top of a partner visa fee later — it isn't smaller, and there is a second, separate charge coming for the follow-on partner visa application after the wedding (see below), though that one carries a significant concession specifically for people who came through the 300.

How long it lasts

The Prospective Marriage visa is generally valid for a period commonly described as 9 to 15 months from grant, though the exact validity period is set out on your individual grant notice and can vary. Within that window, you need to marry your partner and, in practice, lodge the follow-on partner visa application before the 300 expires — the visa doesn't extend, so timing matters. Our dedicated Prospective Marriage visa guide covers the validity mechanics and timing in more depth.

After the wedding: converting to a partner visa

Marrying on a 300 doesn't automatically grant you a partner visa — you still need to lodge a separate application (820 if you're in Australia, 309 if applying from outside) once you're married, with the usual relationship evidence. What's different is the fee: if you held a Prospective Marriage visa and are now applying for the partner visa that follows it, the charge is $1,955 rather than the full $11,710 — one of the largest concessions in the current fee schedule, and it's specifically built for this exact pathway.

We cover this transition in full detail in our dedicated guide on moving from a 300 to an 820 after marriage, including timing and evidence differences from a standalone partner visa application.

The deep guide for eligibility and evidence

This page exists to answer the naming and cost question quickly — for the full eligibility criteria (age, legal capacity to marry, genuine intention), the evidence Home Affairs expects at this stage, and the step-by-step application process, our Prospective Marriage visa guide is the comprehensive resource. If your situation is more complex — a prior refusal, an existing marriage that needs to be dissolved first, or questions about timing against your fiancé(e)'s current visa status — a MARA-registered agent can assess your specific circumstances; on Migratio you describe your situation once and compare consultation fees from MARA-registered agents (comparing is free; consults are typically $150–$300 and you pay only if you book).

Is there a 'fiancé visa' in Australia?

Not by that name officially — the visa people mean is the Prospective Marriage visa, subclass 300. It's colloquially called a fiancé visa or marriage visa but that's not its formal name.

How much does the fiancé visa cost in Australia?

The Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) costs $11,710 for the main applicant as at 2026, the same base charge as the standard partner visa. Additional applicants have separate charges.

How long is the fiancé visa valid for?

Generally around 9 to 15 months from grant, with the exact period shown on your individual grant notice. You need to marry and generally lodge the follow-on partner visa application within that window.

What happens after you get married on a Prospective Marriage visa?

You apply separately for a partner visa (820 onshore or 309 offshore) — marriage doesn't automatically convert your status. If you held the Prospective Marriage visa, that follow-on partner visa application costs $1,955 rather than the full $11,710.

What's the difference between a fiancé visa and a partner visa?

The Prospective Marriage visa (300) is for couples not yet married who want to marry in Australia — it's a bridge to marriage, not a permanent-residence pathway itself. The partner visa (820/801 or 309/100) is the actual pathway to permanent residence, applied for after marriage or for de facto couples who don't need the marriage step.