Registering Your Relationship for an Australian Partner Visa
Six of Australia's 8 states and territories run a relationship register that counts for the partner visa, and a registration removes the 12-month de facto requirement under reg 2.03A(5) of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth).
Western Australia and the Northern Territory operate no relationship register. Neither has a law listed in the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019 (Cth), so a couple living there cannot use this route and must meet the 12 months or another exemption. Each row below was checked with the named registry, or the Act behind it, on 23 September 2026.
Which states and territories let you register a relationship for a partner visa?
| State or territory | What the register is called | The registry that runs it | The Act | Fee to register | Waiting period before registration | Residence condition | Certificate fee | Where you apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Relationships Register | NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages | Relationships Register Act 2010 (NSW) | A$198 (as at 1 July 2026) | 28-day cooling-off period | At least one partner lives in NSW | A$70 standard certificate, including A$11 postage | NSW Government relationship register |
| Victoria | Registered domestic relationship | Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria | Relationships Act 2008 (Vic) | A$266.00 (effective 1 July 2026) | At least 28 days; up to 35 days with the certificate | At least one partner lives in Victoria when you apply | A$59.10 legal certificate, plus A$10.60 express post | BDM Victoria |
| Queensland | Civil partnership | Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages | Civil Partnerships Act 2011 (Qld) | A$170.00 (as at 23 September 2026) | 10-day cooling-off period | You or your partner lives in Queensland | A$58.10 official certificate | Queensland Government |
| South Australia | Relationships Register (registered relationship) | SA Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages | Relationships Register Act 2016 (SA) | Not verified: ask the SA registry | 28-day cooling-off period | At least one partner resides in South Australia | Not verified: ask the SA registry | Law Handbook SA summary |
| Tasmania | Significant relationship (deed of relationship) | Tasmanian Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages | Relationships Act 2003 (Tas) | Not verified: ask the Tasmanian registry | 28 days after lodgement | Both partners domiciled or ordinarily resident in Tasmania | Not verified: ask the Tasmanian registry | Tasmania Legal Aid summary |
| Australian Capital Territory | Civil partnership, or civil union | ACT Registrar-General, through Access Canberra | Domestic Relationships Act 1994 (ACT); Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1997 (ACT) | Not verified: ask Access Canberra | Not verified: ask Access Canberra | Not verified: ask Access Canberra | Not verified: ask Access Canberra | ACT Legislation Register |
| Western Australia | No relationship register | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Northern Territory | No relationship register | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
That makes 6 of 8. The South Australian register is often left out of older lists, but the Relationships Register Act 2016 (SA) is one of the laws the Commonwealth regulations prescribe. Where a cell says "not verified", the registry's own page could not be checked for this guide, so no figure is given.
What does registering your relationship do for a partner visa?
Under reg 2.03A(5) of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), the 12-month de facto requirement does not apply if your relationship is a registered relationship within the meaning of s 2E of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth). That covers relationships registered under the six schemes above. The other two exemptions are set out under the 12-month de facto rule. Registration does less than people often expect:
- It does not make you de facto partners. You still have to meet s 5CB of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth).
- It does not replace relationship evidence across the four matters in reg 1.09A.
- It is not a marriage. You apply as a de facto partner, not a spouse.
Is a registered relationship the same as being de facto?
Not for a partner visa. Registration is a state or territory record that you are a couple. Being de facto is a test under s 5CB that the Department applies to your whole relationship. A registration answers the 12-month question, not the genuineness question.
How do you register a relationship for a partner visa?
- Check the residence condition for your state or territory in the table.
- Complete the registry's application. NSW, Victoria and Queensland take applications online.
- Provide identity documents for both of you. Queensland, for example, asks for 3 forms of identification including proof of address.
- Both partners sign and lodge, and pay the registration fee.
- Wait out the cooling-off period. In NSW, either partner can withdraw during it.
- Receive the certificate, if you ordered one, and attach it to your partner visa application.
How much does registering a relationship for a partner visa cost, state by state?
| State or territory | Registration fee | Certificate fee |
|---|---|---|
| Queensland | A$170.00 (as at 23 September 2026) | A$58.10 |
| New South Wales | A$198 (as at 1 July 2026) | A$70, including A$11 postage |
| Victoria | A$266.00 (effective 1 July 2026) | A$59.10, plus postage |
| South Australia, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory | Not verified: ask the registry | Not verified: ask the registry |
Where the fee could be checked, it runs from A$170 to A$266 as at 23 September 2026, before the certificate.
How long does registration take before it counts for a partner visa?
| State or territory | Waiting period | What starts the clock |
|---|---|---|
| Queensland | 10 days | A compliant application, documents and payment |
| New South Wales | 28 days | Receipt of the application |
| Victoria | At least 28 days | A complete and valid application |
| South Australia | 28 days | The application |
| Tasmania | 28 days | Lodgement of the application |
| Australian Capital Territory | Not verified: ask Access Canberra | — |
Reg 2.03A(5) does not say when the registration must be in place, but the 12-month rule it removes is measured at the date of application.
Can you register a relationship for a partner visa if one of you is overseas?
Only if the residence condition is still met. In New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, one partner living in that state is enough, so a couple where the sponsor lives there and the applicant is overseas may be able to register. Tasmania requires both partners to be domiciled or ordinarily resident in the state. Check the residence column before you plan around this route.
Can you end a registered relationship used for a partner visa?
Yes. In New South Wales either or both partners can apply to revoke a registration; the fee is A$99 as at 1 July 2026, and a 90-day cooling-off period applies before it is revoked. Victoria charges A$89.50 to revoke, effective 1 July 2026. In Tasmania, the Registrar revokes a deed of relationship 90 days after the application unless it is withdrawn. NSW also revokes a registration automatically if either partner marries or dies. The New South Wales, Victorian, Queensland, South Australian and Tasmanian schemes all bar a person who is already in a registered relationship, so a registration with a previous partner has to end first.
Does a registered relationship affect anything other than a partner visa?
Yes. Registration has effects under other Australian laws, including for social security and state law purposes, and those questions are decided by other bodies. This guide does not cover them. Victoria Legal Aid's page on de facto relationships is a starting point.
Questions about registering a relationship for a partner visa
Can you register a relationship for a partner visa in a state you don't live in?
Not usually. Every scheme checked for this guide requires at least one partner, or in Tasmania both partners, to live there.
Does the Department accept a certificate from a scheme that is not in reg 2.03A?
Not for the 12-month exemption. Reg 2.03A(5) covers only the schemes prescribed for s 2E of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth). Any other certificate can still count as evidence.
Do you have to live together to register a relationship for a partner visa?
Not in New South Wales, where the registry says a couple does not have to live together to register. The partner visa still applies its own test under s 5CB.
Registering your relationship and your partner visa
A registration certificate is worth having when you have been together less than 12 months and your state or territory has a scheme, because it removes the waiting period that reg 2.03A would otherwise impose. It does not change what the Department assesses. The de facto partner visa page sets out that test, and the partner visa relationship evidence page shows what proves each of the four factors.
Registration timing, residence rules and the date you lodge all have to line up, or the exemption fails. A registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner checks that sequence before you lodge, so an application they prepare is more likely to succeed. Nobody can promise a grant.
Questions people ask
Which states let you register a relationship for a partner visa?
New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. Their schemes are the ones prescribed by the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019, which is what makes a certificate count under reg 2.03A(5). Western Australia and the Northern Territory have no relationship register.
Is a registered relationship the same as de facto?
For a partner visa, registration removes the 12-month requirement but does not by itself make you de facto partners. You still have to meet the conditions in s 5CB of the Migration Act 1958 and prove the relationship with evidence across the four matters in reg 1.09A.
How much does it cost to register a relationship in NSW?
The NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages charges A$198 to register a relationship, as at 1 July 2026. A standard relationship certificate ordered at the same time costs A$70, including A$11 postage. The registration fee is not refunded if you withdraw.
Can you register a relationship in a state you don't live in?
Generally no. New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia require at least one partner to live in that state. Tasmania's Relationships Act 2003 requires both partners to be domiciled or ordinarily resident in Tasmania.
Does the Department accept an overseas registration certificate?
Not for the 12-month exemption in reg 2.03A(5). That exemption covers only relationships registered under a state or territory law prescribed for s 2E of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901. An overseas certificate can still be evidence of your relationship.
Sources
Primary sources this page was checked against on 23 September 2026.
- Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019 (Cth), s 5 www.legislation.gov.au
- Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), reg 2.03A, compilation in force from 1 July 2026 www.legislation.gov.au
- NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, fees and processing times, current as of 1 July 2026 www.nsw.gov.au
- Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria, fees effective 1 July 2026 www.bdm.vic.gov.au
- Queensland Government, Register a civil partnership www.qld.gov.au
- Relationships Act 2003 (Tas), s 11 www.legislation.tas.gov.au