# How Much Bank Balance for an Australia Student Visa? Indian Applicants > The funds an Indian student must show for an Australian subclass 500 visa when asked: AUD 29,710 living costs, course fees and travel, or the AUD 87,856 income route. _Published: 2026-11-01 · Reading time: 4 min · Words: 1021_ ## TL;DR If the Document Checklist Tool asks for financial evidence, an Indian student must show AUD 29,710 for 12 months' living costs, the first year's course fees and a guide AUD 2,000 for travel. Instead of savings, a parent's or partner's annual income of at least AUD 87,856 can qualify, and Home Affairs wants proof that the money is genuinely available, not a one-day balance certificate. ## Key takeaways - Living costs: AUD 29,710 for the student, AUD 10,394 for a partner and AUD 4,449 per child, for 12 months. - Add the first 12 months' course fees and a guide AUD 2,000 for travel when applying from India. - Income alternative: parents' or partner's personal annual income of at least AUD 87,856 (AUD 102,500 with family), proven by official government documents. - A single-day bank balance certificate does not show genuine access to funds. - Grant rate for Indian citizens applying outside Australia: 59.5% in October-December 2025, down from 79.9% a year earlier. **There is no single balance every Indian student must hold, but if the Document Checklist Tool asks for financial evidence, Australia's Department of Home Affairs requires AUD 29,710 for 12 months' living costs, first-year course fees and a guide AUD 2,000 for travel. Alternatively, a parent's or partner's annual income of at least AUD 87,856 can qualify.** ## Article Funds evidence also feeds into the Genuine Student requirement, which looks at your family's economic circumstances in India. All amounts here are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For fees, English scores and the wider process, see our Australia visa guide for Indians. ### How much money must an Indian student show for a subclass 500 visa? When the Document Checklist Tool asks for evidence of financial capacity, Home Affairs expects you to cover each of these components separately: ComponentAmountNoteTravelAUD 2,000Guide amount when applying from outside Australia anywhere other than AfricaCourse feesFirst 12 monthsUse the fees on your Confirmation of Enrolment or offerLiving costs, studentAUD 29,71012 monthsLiving costs, partnerAUD 10,39412 months, only if a partner can be includedLiving costs, each childAUD 4,44912 monthsSchool costs, each school-age childAt least AUD 13,502 a yearOnly if children come with youAdd the rows that apply to you. Home Affairs publishes the amounts in AUD only, so convert at the rate on the day you prepare the file, and leave a margin for currency movement. ### When does Home Affairs actually ask for proof of funds? Only if the Document Checklist Tool says so for your application. The tool is updated on 31 March and 30 September each year, and Home Affairs advises checking it just before you apply, not months earlier when you first planned the move. Even when no funds evidence is requested, money still matters. Under the Genuine Student requirement, Home Affairs considers your ties and economic circumstances in India. The evidence it lists includes 12 months of employment or business records, tax returns or bank statements, alongside your answers to the online questions (in English, 150 words each). ### Can your parents' income replace a bank balance? Yes. Instead of showing deposits, you can show that your parents' or partner's personal annual income was at least AUD 87,856 in the 12 months before you apply. If family members will come with you, the figure is AUD 102,500. The income must be shown with official government documents such as tax assessments. Bank statements and employer letters are not accepted for this route. Before you choose this route over savings, check that the government-issued tax documents reflect the full income you are relying on. ### What does "genuine access" to funds mean for Indian families? Home Affairs wants to see that the money is really available to you, and how it built up. It names transaction history and salary patterns as examples, and says a single-day bank balance certificate does not show this. - Savings and fixed deposits: statements that show the history of the account, not just the closing balance. - Education loans: the loan terms and evidence of disbursement, not only a sanction letter. - Scholarships: the award letter showing what is covered. - Parents paying: their deposits plus evidence of where the money came from, such as salary credits or business income. A large deposit that appears shortly before the application, with no trail, is exactly what a single-day certificate cannot explain. Give the money time to show a pattern, or document its source. ### Does bringing family change the amount? For most Indian students it no longer can. From 2 October 2026, most Student visa applications must be lodged outside Australia and most applicants can no longer include family members. Exemptions include PhD students, DFAT or Defence-sponsored students and holders of fully funded foreign-government scholarships. Applications lodged before that date are assessed under the old rules. If you fall into an exempt group, add AUD 10,394 for a partner, AUD 4,449 for each child and at least AUD 13,502 a year in school costs for each school-age child. Each family member also pays a visa charge: AUD 1,530 if aged 18 or over and AUD 500 if under 18. ### Which mistakes weaken an Indian student's funds evidence? The stakes are real. Home Affairs reports a Student visa grant rate of 59.5% for Indian citizens applying outside Australia in October to December 2025, measured as grants as a percentage of grants plus refusals, down from 79.9% in the same quarter of 2024. That figure describes all Indian applicants in the quarter, not your own chances. - Submitting a bank balance certificate on its own, without statements that show the history. - Using an employer letter or bank statements for the parental-income route, where only official government documents count. - Leaving out first-year course fees or travel money and showing living costs alone. - Relying on an old checklist instead of checking the Document Checklist Tool just before you apply. - Forgetting Overseas Student Health Cover. OSHC is bought separately from an approved insurer, must cover your whole stay from the day you arrive, and the application is refused if the details are missing. When your funds are in order, the rest of the file still has to read consistently. Yatra For Fun's office in Gurugram prepares cover letters, itineraries, flight reservations and hotel bookings for visa files, from INR 1,000 to INR 3,000 per package. Speak to our team or WhatsApp +91 95230 91018. ### Frequently asked questions #### Does an education loan count as proof of funds for an Australian student visa? Yes. Home Affairs lists loans alongside deposits and scholarships. Show the loan terms and evidence of disbursement, so the officer can see the money is genuinely available to you. #### Is a bank balance certificate enough for an Australian student visa? No. Home Affairs says a single-day bank balance certificate does not show genuine access to funds. Provide statements or transaction history that show how the money was built up. #### What is the Australian student visa fee in 2026? AUD 2,500 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026, or AUD 2,050 for standalone ELICOS or Non-Award courses. The visa charge is separate from the funds you show. #### How long does an Australian student visa take for Indians? For Indian citizens applying outside Australia, primary applications granted in October to December 2025 took a median of 23 days, with 75% decided within 36 days (Home Affairs program report). ## FAQ ### Does an education loan count as proof of funds for an Australian student visa? Yes. Home Affairs lists loans alongside deposits and scholarships. Show the loan terms and evidence of disbursement, so the officer can see the money is genuinely available to you. ### Is a bank balance certificate enough for an Australian student visa? No. Home Affairs says a single-day bank balance certificate does not show genuine access to funds. Provide statements or transaction history that show how the money was built up. ### What is the Australian student visa fee in 2026? AUD 2,500 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026, or AUD 2,050 for standalone ELICOS or Non-Award courses. The visa charge is separate from the funds you show. ### How long does an Australian student visa take for Indians? For Indian citizens applying outside Australia, primary applications granted in October to December 2025 took a median of 23 days, with 75% decided within 36 days (Home Affairs program report). ## Sources 1. [Department of Home Affairs - Student visa (subclass 500)](https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500) — Department of Home Affairs, Australia 2. [Department of Home Affairs - Genuine Student requirement](https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500/genuine-student-requirement) — Department of Home Affairs, Australia 3. [Department of Home Affairs - Student and temporary graduate visa program report, 31 December 2025](https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-stats/files/student-temporary-grad-program-report-dec-2025.pdf) — Department of Home Affairs, Australia