It is highly recommended for couples who are not married or in a registered partnership, as it provides formal legal recognition and can strengthen your partner visa application. Couples who are already married or in a registered relationship generally do not need this add-on.
Couples in a defacto Relationship (i.e. not married) who have their Relationship Registered with an Australian State or Territory government do not have to prove to the Department of Immigration that they have been in a relationship for at least 12 months when they apply for the Australian Partner Visa.
That is – where your Relationship is Registered the minimum 12-month relationship requirement for the Partner Visa is not required.
Importantly, even where couples have been in a relationship for at least 12 months it is still highly recommended to Register your Relationship for the following reasons:
- It removes the requirement to show a genuine relationship of at least 12 months at the time you apply and is particularly helpful where you have limited evidence of your relationship being older than 12 months at the time you apply
- It is further strong evidence of your genuine relationship
- While you may have some evidence that shows a relationship of at least 12 months duration, often couples have limited evidence that shows convincing evidence of a relationship older than 12 months at time you apply – once your relationship is registered it removes this doubt
- It is evidence of a declaration to a government body of your relationship which is further evidence to the Department of Immigration of a genuine relationship for the Partner Visa
- Once registered all you have to show for your Partner Visa is your genuine relationship without the legal requirement to show convincing evidence that you have the required 12-month minimum relationship duration
- The application fee to Register a Relationship is not expensive
What’s included
We have taken great care to provide a comprehensive and easy to follow DIY package to enable you to register your relationship. Our Packages include the following:
- Both Online and Offline (paper based) – Application Forms with detailed instructions/guide on how to Register your Relationship
- What documents to provide – ID documents/Proof of Residence/Statutory Declaration (each state has different rules)
- Alternative documents that you may supply to prove your Identity and Proof of Residence – particularly helpful if one partner is outside Australia or you don’t have the required ID documents
- How to get your documents Certified by an Authorised Person free of charge inside and outside Australia
- Contact details for authorised persons to certify your documents and sign/witness your Statutory Declaration (each state has different rules)
- Where to find an Authorised person in your location
- Completing your Statutory Declaration and the relevant Statutory Declaration for your State
- Copy of the law governing Registered Relationships (i.e. legal rights and obligations once your relationship is registered)
- How to end your Registered Relationship and the application forms to do so
- Comprehensive Contact Details for the relevant registry in your State (Phone, email, mail, online chatbot and physical office addresses across your State).
Each DIY package is individually prepared according to which State you want to Register your Relationship in.
Requirements to Register your Relationship
New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and ACT governments allow you to Register your Relationship where only one partner lives in the State i.e. both partners are not required to live in the State.
The table below shows the State or Territory governments of Australia that allow Relationship Registration for Immigration purposes, application fees, processing times and available application methods.
| Jurisdiction | Application Fee | Processing Time | Application Method |
| Victoria | $259 | ~ 28 Days | Online |
| New South Wales | $253 | ~ 28 Days | Paper Form or Online |
| Queensland | $165 | ~ 10 Days | Paper Form or Online (in part) |
| South Australia | $123 | ~ 28 Days | Online |
| Tasmania | $231 | ~ 28 Days | Form |
| Australian Capital Territory | $74 | Immediate | Form |
Click the drop-down menus below to find the requirements for your State or Territory government.
- Both partners should be unmarried and not be in another relationship or registered relationship in NSW or in another state and territory in Australia
- Both partners must be at least 18 years of age
- Both partners must not be related by family
- At least one partner must be a resident in NSW (i.e. live in NSW), the other can live overseas
- You do not have to live together to be eligible to register their relationship
- Both partners should make a statutory declaration as part of their application
- Ensure certified identification for each applicant and proof of residence (one partner only) is included along with payment of the application fee
- The application can be completed online, by mail or a paper application must be taken to the office in person
- Both partners must be unmarried and not be in another relationship or registered relationship in Queensland or in another state and territory in Australia
- Both partners must be at least 18 years of age
- Both partners must not be related by family i.e. it must not be a prohibited relationship. A prohibited relationship exists when two individuals are:
- Direct ancestors (e.g. parent, grandparent)
- Direct descendants (e.g. child, grandchild)
- Siblings or half-siblings
- At least one partner must be a resident in Queensland (i.e. live in Queensland), the other can live overseas
- You do not have to live together to be eligible to register your relationship
- Your registration certificate can be ordered at the time you make your application (recommended) or at a later point in time
- The application form can be completed online (then printed and mailed to the registry) or a paper application can be completed then mailed to the registry or your application can be taken to the office in person (when applying in person you must organise an appointment
- Ensure certified identification for each applicant is included along with payment of the application fee
- Provide proof that at least one partner is living in Queensland
- Both partners must sign a statutory declaration in front of an authorised person attesting to your relationship
- Both partners must be unmarried and not be in another relationship or registered relationship in Victoria or in another state and territory in Australia
- Both partners must be at least 18 years of age
- At least one partner must be a resident in Victoria (i.e. live in Victoria), the other can live overseas
- You do not have to live together to be eligible to register their relationship
- Both partners must not be related by family
- The application can be completed online only
- Ensure certified identification for each applicant is included along with payment of the application fee
- Provide proof that at least one partner is living in Victoria
- Both partners must make a statutory declaration attesting to your relationship
- Both partners must be at least 18 years of age
- At least one of you must live in South Australia.
- Couples may apply irrespective of their sex or gender identity.
Your relationship can’t be registered if you or your partner are:
- married
- already in a registered relationship or corresponding law registered relationship
- in a relationship as a couple with another person
- related by family
- Acceptable evidence of identity, age and residency in Tasmania must be provided.
- If the date of a birth, death or marriage is unknown (e.g. family history searches) an extended fee will apply.
- Both partners should be unmarried, no less than 18 years old and should not be in a civil union or partnership.
- Both partners should not be related by a linear ancestor, linear descendant, brother, sister, half-brother or half-sister.
- One applicant must be a resident in the ACT, the other can be overseas.
- Ensure certified identification for each applicant is included along with payment of a fee.
- One applicant must provide evidence of residency within the ACT
- The completed application must be taken to the office in person or posted by mail.
- You can also apply online.
- If you apply in person, you should present original forms of identification and if you apply by post you should present certified copies of identification.
DIY Relationship Registration Package
When purchased with the DIY Package, our DIY Relationship Registration is only $49!
(includes GST)
About us
We have one mission – to provide a cost effective and straight forward solution for you and your partner to prepare and lodge your Partner Visa application.
Prepared with the knowledge of over 15+ years of practice by our Senior Registered Migration Agent in conjunction with our in-house Immigration Barrister and Solicitor and our Ex-Department of Immigration Visa Case Officer.
Our DIY Partner Visa Package includes all that you and your Partner need to prepare and lodge your Partner Visa with confidence.
