Key takeaways
- A dependant on a student visa is your partner or an unmarried child under 18, and every family member must be declared in the application, including anyone joining later.
- A dependant may work up to 48 hours a fortnight if the student is in a bachelor degree, more if the student is in a master’s by coursework, and without limit for research master’s and PhD students.
- Annual funds to evidence: AUD 29,710 for the student, 10,394 for a partner, 4,449 per child and at least 13,502 per school-age child for schooling.
- Government school fees vary by state: weekly in Queensland, up to AUD 18,980 a year in Western Australia, with waivers for children of PhD and research students.
- The Cultural Mission pays a monthly allowance for a spouse and children from their arrival date and reimburses school fees up to 18,500 dollars per child per year if the request is lodged three weeks before term.
- OSHC is compulsory and family memberships cover dependants.
In this article
- Who counts as a dependant on an Australian student visa?
- Can a dependant work in Australia?
- How much money must you show for dependants?
- How much do schools charge the children of Saudi scholarship students?
- What does the Saudi scholarship cover for dependants?
- Do dependants need health insurance?
- Adding dependants step by step
Yes: your spouse and your children under 18 can be included on your Australian student visa (subclass 500), and an adult dependant can work within limits that depend on your degree level. Children attend government schools for fees that vary by state, and the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (الملحقية الثقافية) reimburses part of those fees for scholarship students. This guide brings the official numbers together.
Who counts as a dependant on an Australian student visa?
The Department of Home Affairs defines a student’s family members as your partner (spouse or de facto) and an unmarried dependent child under 18, according to the Student visa (subclass 500) page as at September 2026. A child who turns 18 before the visa is decided cannot be granted a dependant visa and must apply for their own visa.
The point many families miss: you must declare every family member in your student visa application even if they are not travelling with you now. A family member you did not declare cannot later join you as a dependant, according to the Department of Home Affairs. Declared family members can travel with you or apply later as a subsequent entrant through ImmiAccount, and must meet the same health and character requirements.
Can a dependant work in Australia?
Yes, with conditions. Neither the student nor their family members may work before the course starts. Once the course is in session, the dependant’s hours depend on the student’s degree, according to the Department of Home Affairs as at September 2026:
| Student’s course | Dependant’s work limit while the course is in session |
|---|---|
| Bachelor degree, diploma or English course | Up to 48 hours a fortnight |
| Master’s by coursework or master’s (extended) | More than 48 hours a fortnight, while the student remains limited to 48 |
| Master’s by research or doctorate | Unlimited for both student and family members |
During term breaks the student can work unlimited hours, but family members’ work rights stay limited, according to the same page. The actual conditions are printed on the visa grant, so check them in VEVO before a dependant starts any job.
Can a dependant study?
A dependant’s study conditions are also printed on their visa grant; check VEVO before enrolling in any programme. On the scholarship side, the Saudi Cultural Mission in Australia publishes a "companion undertaking for language study" form and a "request for approval to attend a training course (companion)" form on its forms page, which means language study or short training for a companion is a recognised procedure that needs prior approval.
How much money must you show for dependants?
Home Affairs requires evidence of funds for travel, 12 months of course fees, 12 months of living costs for you and anyone accompanying you, and school fees for children. The annual amounts on the Student visa page as at September 2026:
| Item | Annual amount (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Student’s living costs | 29,710 |
| Accompanying partner | 10,394 |
| Each accompanying child | 4,449 |
| Schooling for each school-age child | at least 13,502 |
| Travel costs when applying from outside Australia (other than Africa) | 2,000 |
You do not need schooling evidence if you are a PhD student and your child is enrolled in a government school that has waived the fees, according to the same page. The visa application charge starts from AUD 2,500 according to the Department of Home Affairs as at September 2026, and the charge for each additional applicant is calculated in the department’s Visa Pricing Estimator.
For Saudi scholarship students, the Cultural Mission’s financial FAQ refers to a financial guarantee issued by the mission covering the study period, which is normally included in the visa file; confirm the current format with the mission.
How much do schools charge the children of Saudi scholarship students?
Government schools charge the children of student visa holders in most states, and both the amounts and the exemptions differ by state. School starts at around five years of age, with small variations between states, and you pay for either a public or private school, according to Study Australia.
| State | Fees for children of student visa holders in government schools | Exemptions |
|---|---|---|
| Queensland | Application fee AUD 305, then weekly tuition: 314 for Prep to Year 6, 322 for Years 7–9, 340 for Year 10, 385 for Year 11 and 396 for Year 12, per the | School-age dependants of student visa holders may be exempt for the duration of the parent’s course with a Queensland education provider, per the Temporary Residents Admissions policy |
| Western Australia | 2026 annual fees: AUD 14,575 for primary, 17,286 for Years 7–10 and 18,980 for Years 11–12, per TAFE International WA | Waiver for dependants of PhD and master’s by research students; dependants of master’s by coursework students lose the waiver if their placement confirmation is issued after 30 November 2026, per the dependants page |
| Victoria | Dependants of a subclass 500 holder in the higher education sector are fee liable, per the Victorian Department of Education visa fee table, version 2.0 of January 2023 | Dependants of postgraduate research students are exempt; current amounts are on the Study Victoria fees page |
| New South Wales | Children enrol through the Temporary Residents Program at DE International, with fees set by the parent’s study sector | Check the current fee table and exemptions with DE International |
These are government school figures only; uniforms, books and excursions are extra, and private schools set their own fees.
What does the Saudi scholarship cover for dependants?
The Ministry of Education’s King Salman Scholarship Program FAQ (last updated 11 January 2024) answers "Can a scholarship student’s children accompany them?" with "Yes, that is possible." What is actually paid for dependants in Australia is published by the Cultural Mission:
Monthly allowance
According to the Cultural Mission in Australia’s financial allowances page (last updated 1 July 2026), the monthly allowance for civilian scholarship students, in Saudi riyals:
| Status | Monthly allowance (SAR) |
|---|---|
| Single student | 6,929.15 |
| Student with spouse, or female student with mahram | 12,952.07 |
| Married with one child | 13,972.90 |
| Married with two children | 14,993.74 |
| Married with three children | 16,035.40 |
| Married with four children | 17,077.06 |
| Married with five children | 17,285.40 |
| Student with one child and no spouse | 7,949.99 |
Payment for companions starts from the date they arrive at the mission location, and is paid only while they are present there or on official leave from the mission, according to the mission’s financial FAQ. A companion is added with the "request to attach a companion to the scholarship membership" form on the forms page.
Children’s school fees
The mission pays tuition and enrolment fees only, in general education schools from the preparatory year before primary through secondary, excluding nursery, uniforms, books and activities, up to a maximum of 18,500 dollars per child per year; the request must be lodged at least three weeks before the term starts and is paid term by term, according to the children’s school fees page as at September 2026. The request needs original school invoices, a copy of the family card and one form per child, according to the same page.
For dependants’ health insurance and airfares, check the current rules with the mission, which publishes a "companion undertaking for ticket requests" form on its forms page.
Do dependants need health insurance?
Yes. The student visa requires Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), and insurers offer family memberships that cover dependants. OSHC covers hospital and medical treatment and ambulance, with pharmaceutical benefits up to AUD 500 a year for a single membership and AUD 1,000 for a family membership, and it does not cover dental, optical or physiotherapy, according to the Australian Government’s private health insurance site as at September 2026.
Adding dependants step by step
- Declare all family members in your student visa application, including anyone who will join you later.
- Gather evidence of financial capacity using the figures above, or the Cultural Mission’s financial guarantee if you are a scholarship student.
- Buy OSHC with a family membership covering the full visa period.
- After arrival, lodge the companion attachment form immediately, because allowances start from the arrival date and are not back-paid.
- Enrol the children at school and lodge the school fee request at least three weeks before term starts.
- Check the dependant’s work and study conditions in VEVO before any commitment.
If you are planning to take your family on a Saudi scholarship, start with the guide to all scholarship tracks and the Arruaad track requirements. KD International helps with university admission, visa guidance and accommodation; begin with the application form or contact us so we can review your family’s situation before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The subclass 500 visa allows you to include your partner and unmarried children under 18, provided you declare them in your application even if they are not travelling immediately. A family member you did not declare cannot join you later as a dependant.
Yes, once the student’s course has started. The limit is 48 hours a fortnight for dependants of bachelor and diploma students, more than 48 hours for dependants of master’s by coursework students, and unlimited for dependants of research master’s and PhD students. Check the condition printed in VEVO.
It depends on the state. Queensland charges weekly fees from AUD 314 for primary to 396 for Year 12 with a possible exemption; Western Australia charges annual fees from 14,575 for primary to 18,980 for Years 11 and 12 with a waiver for PhD students’ children. In Victoria and New South Wales, check the current table with the state education department.
The Saudi Cultural Mission in Australia pays tuition and enrolment fees in general education schools from the preparatory year through secondary, up to 18,500 dollars per child per year, excluding nursery, uniforms and books, provided the request is lodged three weeks before term with original invoices.
According to the mission’s financial allowances page updated on 1 July 2026, a married student with a spouse receives SAR 12,952.07 a month compared with 6,929.15 for a single student, rising with each child. Payment starts from the date the companion arrives at the mission location.
Annual living costs of AUD 29,710 for the student, 10,394 for a partner and 4,449 per child, plus 12 months of course fees, at least 13,502 in school fees per school-age child, and travel costs. Scholarship students can use the Cultural Mission’s financial guarantee.
Yes, OSHC is a visa condition, and insurers offer family memberships for dependants. It covers hospital, medical and ambulance services and part of pharmaceutical costs, but not dental or optical.
Official sources
- Student visa (subclass 500) — Australian Department of Home Affairs
- Overseas Student Health Cover — Australian Government, PrivateHealth.gov.au
- Bringing your family — Study Australia
- الأسئلة الأكثر شيوعاً – برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث — وزارة التعليم السعودية
- المخصصات المالية — الملحقية الثقافية السعودية في أستراليا
- رسوم دراسة الأبناء — الملحقية الثقافية السعودية في أستراليا
- الأسئلة المتكررة – الشؤون المالية — الملحقية الثقافية السعودية في أستراليا
- نماذج واستمارات — الملحقية الثقافية السعودية في أستراليا
- Temporary Residents Admissions policy — Queensland Department of Education
- School fees and charges (2026) — TAFE International Western Australia
- International Students – Visa Fee Table (Version 2.0, 1 January 2023) — Victorian Department of Education
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Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
