Partner Visa 820/801 Documents: What You Need
A practical breakdown of every document category for the Australian Partner Visa (Subclass 820/801), with tips for gathering strong relationship evidence.
The Partner Visa (820 onshore / 801 permanent) is one of Australia's most evidence-intensive visa applications. Unlike many visa types where documents are straightforward, the partner visa requires you to prove the genuineness of your relationship — which means compiling evidence across multiple aspects of your life together. Here's exactly what you need.
Identity documents
Both you (the applicant) and your sponsor (your Australian partner) need to provide full identity documents.
- Passport bio-data page — must be valid for the duration of your stay
- Previous passports if you've changed names or had visas in them
- Birth certificate (apostilled if from certain countries)
- Change of name documents if applicable
- National identity card (some countries)
Relationship evidence — the four aspects
The Department of Home Affairs assesses your relationship across four aspects. You need strong evidence in each category — thin evidence in any one area can weaken your application.
Financial aspects
- Joint bank account statements (at least 3 months of history)
- Joint mortgage, rental agreement, or lease
- Shared financial commitments: insurance, car registration, subscriptions
- Evidence of contributing to shared household expenses
- Wills, superannuation beneficiary nominations naming each other
Social aspects
- Photos together over time — variety of occasions, with dates
- Statutory declarations from friends and family who know you as a couple
- Evidence of attending social events together (invitations, tickets)
- Joint memberships (gym, clubs, streaming services)
- Social media evidence of your relationship (optional but useful)
Household aspects
- Shared lease or mortgage documents showing cohabitation
- Utility bills with both names at the same address
- Evidence of shared household responsibilities
- Both names on electoral roll, rates notices, or council correspondence
Commitment aspects
- Statement on commitment and future plans (written by both of you)
- Evidence of long-term plans: property purchase, children, travel
- Knowledge of each other's personal history, family, daily routines
- Communication records if you've spent time apart (messages, call logs)
Sponsor documents
- Proof of Australian citizenship or permanent residency
- Sponsor identity documents (passport or citizenship certificate)
- Police clearance if sponsor has lived overseas
Health and character
- Health examination results (arranged through eMedical — do not include the raw results, these are uploaded by the panel physician)
- Australian Federal Police (AFP) check for applicant
- Foreign police clearances for any country you've lived in for 12+ months in the last 10 years
More is almost always better for partner visa relationship evidence. Aim for at least 10–15 documents across the four aspects. Case officers are looking for a consistent pattern of genuine cohabitation and commitment over time.
Partner Visa 820/801 Document Checklist
Upload your documents, use the built-in PDF tools, and export a ready-to-lodge bundle.