Will I have to pay
school fees?
Possibly, and it is one of the things families should check before choosing where to relocate, not after.
Australia has an excellent public system. It isn’t automatically free.
Public education in Australia is not free for every family living there on a temporary visa. The rules vary between states and territories, and can also depend on the visa you hold.
That makes this particularly relevant for healthcare professionals relocating on employer-sponsored temporary visas, which is how a great many internationally trained clinicians arrive.
If you are relocating with two or three school-aged children, don’t only compare the salaries offered in Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria or New South Wales. Check the schooling position attached to your visa in that state as well. It can change the economics of an offer substantially.
Why your visa decides this, not the school
Each state and territory sets its own position on what dependants of temporary visa holders pay, so the same family can face a different answer in two states.
Citizens & permanent residents
Government schooling is free or low-cost, on the same basis as any local family. The everyday costs below still apply, but there is no tuition contribution.
Temporary visa holders
Several states and territories charge an annual tuition contribution for dependants, and several don’t. Exemptions, waivers, income tests and regional concessions all exist, and all vary.
Which visa, specifically
Eligibility is usually tied to the exact visa subclass, and sometimes to your occupation being on a skills list. Two clinicians on different subclasses can be treated differently in the same state.
This is why we won’t give you a figure on this page. The number depends on your state, your subclass, your occupation and sometimes your household income, and the rules change. We’ll check the current position for your actual circumstances before you weigh an offer.
School fees by state & territory
Each state and territory publishes its own rules. Check the position for your subclass directly, in the year you’re moving.
New South Wales
NSW Department of Education sets the temporary-resident tuition fee and its exemptions. Notably, families on eligible temporary skilled visas moving to regional NSW can currently access public schooling without the temporary-resident tuition fee, so metropolitan and regional positions differ.
Western Australia
WA’s Department of Education applies a family tuition fee for holders of certain temporary skilled visas, including subclass 482, rather than a separate full fee for every child, which changes the arithmetic considerably for larger families.
Victoria
The Victorian Department of Education sets the position for international and temporary-resident students, including which visa subclasses enrol as local students. Confirm your subclass against their current schedule.
Queensland
Queensland’s Department of Education publishes the rules for dependants of temporary visa holders, including any waiver or application process that applies to skilled visa families.
South Australia
The South Australian Department for Education sets fees for temporary residents, with eligibility criteria that can include income testing and sibling arrangements. Check both.
Tasmania
Tasmania’s Department for Education, Children and Young People publishes the position for temporary visa holders, including any levy that applies in place of tuition.
Northern Territory
NT’s Department of Education sets the rules for dependants of temporary visa holders. Confirm the current position and any enrolment requirements for your subclass.
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT Education Directorate publishes its own fee position and eligibility for temporary residents. Worth checking alongside NSW if you’re considering the Canberra region.
Indicative government-school fees for 482 dependants
Rough figures to plan against, not quotes. They are revised each year, several are income-tested, and many of the healthcare occupations we place are exempt entirely. Confirm the current figure with the state department before you budget.
| State / territory | Indicative fee for 482 dependants | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Generally none | Children enrol as local students; school levies and materials still apply. |
| Queensland | Generally none | Fee waiver for 482 dependants; a small annual application fee may apply. |
| Northern Territory | None | No tuition fees for 482 dependants. |
| Tasmania | No tuition; small levy | A school levy of roughly A$300–$750 a year; hardship support exists. |
| New South Wales | circa $5,000–$6,000 per student | Regional NSW (outside Greater Sydney and Wollongong) waived from 2025; skills-list occupations may be exempt; income-based waivers. |
| South Australia | circa $5,000–$7,000 per student | Greater Adelaide, income-tested and waived below roughly $74,000; 10% sibling discount; some country schools exempt. |
| Western Australia | circa $4,000 per family | Charged per family rather than per child; hardship waivers available. |
| Australian Capital Territory | Fees apply | Exempt where your occupation is on the skills list; otherwise among the higher schedules in the country. |
Indicative only, and rounded down so neither end overstates. Reviewed September 2026. State rules, exemption criteria and eligible subclasses all change, so confirm the current position with the relevant state department for your visa subclass, in the year you are moving. Catholic and independent schools set their own fees separately.
Two states worth flagging for anyone weighing offers: New South Wales treats regional and metropolitan moves differently, and Western Australia charges per family rather than per child for certain skilled subclasses. If you have several children, those two differences alone can be worth more than a pay difference between states.
Public school doesn’t mean no school costs
Even where public education is tuition-free, budget for everyday school expenses. They arrive together in your first term.
- Uniforms and shoes
- Books and stationery
- Laptops or other devices
- School camps and excursions
- Sports and extracurricular activities
- Transport
- Before- and after-school care
- Voluntary contributions or school-specific charges
None of these is large on its own. All of them landing in the same month, alongside a rental bond and furnishing a house, is a different matter, our relocation cost guide puts them in the context of everything else you’ll be paying for at once.
What about Catholic & independent schools?
Australia has a substantial Catholic and independent school sector, and fees vary enormously across it — more than the phrase “private school” suggests to most families arriving.
Catholic schools
Often considerably less expensive than families expect when they hear “private school”. Fees typically rise gradually through the year levels, and for many families this is an affordable middle path.
Independent schools
An enormous range. Australia’s most prestigious independent schools charge substantial annual fees; many others sit far below that. Facilities, programs and philosophy all feed into it.
If this matters to you
Research the specific schools and their current fees in the particular area you’re considering, before accepting a role. Many have waiting lists, so enquire early rather than after you arrive.
Check before choosing where to live
Many Australian government schools have local enrolment areas or catchments, so schools influence your choice of accommodation more than most families expect.
A property that looks perfect online may not place your child within the enrolment area of the school you have chosen. And by the time you’ve signed a twelve-month tenancy, that is an expensive thing to discover.
Our advice is simple: look at the job, the school and the home together. Don’t secure accommodation first and start thinking about schools afterwards. And if you’re moving on a temporary visa, check the current state education rules applying to your subclass before you calculate your relocation budget at all.
One of the hidden differences between two states
School fees don’t appear in an employment contract but can change which offer is better for a family.
Two roles with identical salaries in two different states are not equivalent offers if one state charges tuition for your children and the other doesn’t, or if one charges per child and the other per family. For a clinician moving with three school-aged children, that difference can outweigh a meaningful gap in pay.
So when you’re weighing states, put the schooling position beside the salary. Our money guide works through the other costs that shift the answer the same way, and the education guide covers how Australian schooling is structured, childcare and the tertiary pathways.
The questions parents ask us about fees
We’re on a 482 visa. Will we pay for a government school?
It depends entirely on the state or territory. Some charge dependants of temporary visa holders an annual tuition contribution; others don’t; and several operate exemptions, waivers, income tests or regional concessions. Check the current position with the relevant state department for your exact subclass before you plan around it.
How reliable are the figures above?
They are indicative, rounded down, and reviewed each year — enough to plan a relocation budget against, not a quote. The fees themselves change annually, the exemption criteria change, and eligibility often turns on your exact visa subclass and occupation, so the figure that applies to your family can be lower than the band or nothing at all. Confirm the current position with the department that sets it, and we will work through your own position with you.
Does moving regionally make a difference?
In some states, considerably. New South Wales currently distinguishes regional from metropolitan moves for eligible temporary skilled visa families. It’s one of several reasons regional roles can be worth more to a family than the headline salary suggests.
Is it cheaper if we have several children?
It can be, depending on the state. Western Australia currently applies a family tuition fee for certain temporary skilled subclasses, including 482, rather than a full fee per child. Some other states operate sibling arrangements. If you have three children, this is worth checking state by state before you shortlist locations.
Will becoming a permanent resident change it?
Generally yes, permanent residents and citizens access government schooling on the same basis as local families. If you’re on a pathway to permanent residence, the timing of that can matter to your school costs, which is worth factoring in early.
What about New Zealand, is it the same?
No, the systems and rules are different, and New Zealand’s enrolment zones work differently again. Our New Zealand education guide covers the position there, and it’s worth comparing both if you’re still deciding between the two countries.
Tell us the ages, and we’ll check the position
Once you’re applying for a role through us, give us your likely visa subclass, the states you’re considering and your children’s ages, and we’ll help you understand what schooling would cost in each, before it becomes a factor you discover after accepting a role.
Ethicare Resourcing · your guide to a life and career in Australia.