Cost of Bringing Dependants to Australia and New Zealand as a Student

The money side of bringing family — a separate question from the visa mechanics

If you plan to bring a partner or children while you study in Australia or New Zealand, the visa mechanics (who qualifies, how they apply, whether they can work) are one thing — but the cost is a separate, and often larger, planning problem. This guide covers the money: the extra funds you must evidence, health cover for the family, school fees for children, and the everyday living costs of supporting more people.

Exact amounts change every year and are set by the governments and institutions, so this guide describes the cost factors and points you to the official sources rather than quoting figures that would quickly go stale. Plan on the higher side, because underestimating family costs is a common and expensive mistake.

This is general information, not immigration or financial advice. Verify current amounts on the official government and provider websites, and consider a registered migration adviser (Australia) or licensed immigration adviser (New Zealand) for your individual case.

Extra funds you must evidence per dependant

Both countries require you to show additional financial capacity for each family member who comes with you — this is on top of your own tuition and living costs. In Australia, the Department of Home Affairs sets a living-cost benchmark for the student, with additional specified amounts required for a partner and for each child; family members must generally be declared on your application even if they will not travel with you.

In New Zealand, Immigration New Zealand sets funds requirements for the main student and additional evidence-of-funds expectations for accompanying partners and dependent children. In both cases these are minimum benchmarks the government uses to gauge that you can support your family — your real cost of living will often be higher.

• Both countries require extra evidenced funds for each dependant, on top of your own costs.
• Australia: a living-cost benchmark for you, plus set additional amounts for a partner and each child.
• New Zealand: additional funds/evidence for accompanying partner and dependent children.
• Declare family members as required; the benchmark is a minimum, not your real spend.
• Amounts change — verify current figures on Home Affairs and Immigration New Zealand.

Health cover for the family

Health cover is a significant recurring family cost. In Australia, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is mandatory for student visa holders, and if you bring family members they must be covered too — a family OSHC policy costs more than a single policy, and you generally need it for the full duration of the visa, with proof at the application stage.

In New Zealand, you are expected to have appropriate health and travel insurance for the duration of study, and for dependants you should ensure they are covered for health care and medical needs; New Zealand's accident scheme (ACC) covers certain accident-related costs but is not a substitute for full health insurance. Budget for family health cover as a fixed annual expense and get current quotes from approved providers.

• Australia: OSHC is mandatory and family OSHC (covering partner/children) costs more than single cover.
• You generally need OSHC for the full visa duration, with proof at application.
• New Zealand: appropriate health/travel insurance is expected for you and dependants (ACC covers only certain accident costs).
• Get current quotes from approved providers and budget it as a fixed annual cost.

School fees for dependent children

If you bring school-age children, schooling is often the largest surprise cost — and the rules differ by country and by your course. In Australia, dependent children of many temporary-visa holders are charged international (overseas) student fees at government schools, and these vary by state or territory; however, dependants of some higher-degree (for example Master's by research or Doctoral) students may be treated more favourably in certain jurisdictions. Because this is set by each state/territory education department, check the rules for the state you will live in.

In New Zealand, a dependent child of a student visa holder can in defined circumstances be treated as a domestic student for schooling — meaning you may not pay international school tuition — but eligibility depends on your visa and course, so confirm it with Immigration New Zealand and the school. In both countries, do not assume free schooling; verify your specific situation.

• Australia: dependent children often pay international school fees at government schools (varies by state/territory).
• Some higher-degree students' dependants may get more favourable treatment in some jurisdictions — check the state education department.
• New Zealand: a dependent child may be treated as domestic for schooling in defined cases — confirm eligibility.
• Never assume free schooling; verify with the relevant education authority and school.

Everyday living costs multiply

Beyond the official benchmarks, the day-to-day cost of supporting a family is materially higher than living alone. Rent for a family-sized home is far more than a shared student room; you add food, utilities, transport, childcare or after-school care, phone and internet for more people, and one-off setup costs on arrival.

A partner may be able to work under the relevant visa conditions, which can help — but you should not rely on that income to meet the visa's funds requirement, and work rights and hours are set by the government and can change. Build your family budget on your own guaranteed funds, treat any partner earnings as a buffer rather than a plan, and pad your estimate for the higher cost of family accommodation.

• Family accommodation, food, utilities, transport and childcare all scale up.
• A partner may be able to work under visa conditions — but don't count on it for the funds requirement.
• Base the budget on your guaranteed funds; treat partner income as a buffer.
• Add one-off arrival/setup costs and pad for higher family rent.

How to build a realistic family budget

Put the pieces together in order: start with the official per-dependant funds benchmarks (from Home Affairs or Immigration New Zealand), add current family health-cover quotes, add school fees for each child based on the specific state/territory or New Zealand rules, then add realistic family living costs for your chosen city. Cross-check accommodation against real rental listings for a family-sized place.

Because every figure here is set by a government or provider and updated regularly, verify each one on the official source before you commit — and remember the standing rule that immigration and fee rules change, so confirm current requirements before acting. This guide gives you the categories to plan around; it cannot give you a guaranteed total, and it is general information, not immigration or financial advice.