300 Prospective Marriage Visa Checklist 2026
The Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage Visa (sometimes called the "fiancé visa") is for people who intend to marry an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, but have not yet done so at the time of applying. You must be outside Australia when you apply, and you must travel to Australia, marry your partner, and then apply for a Partner Visa (Subclass 820/801) to stay permanently.
The 300 visa is valid for 9 months from the date of grant. You must marry your sponsoring partner within this window — if you do not, the visa will cease and you will need to leave Australia. Once married, you can apply for the Subclass 820/801 onshore, or the 309/100 if you leave Australia before lodging the partner application.
Because you are applying before the marriage, the evidence requirements focus on demonstrating a genuine, ongoing relationship with genuine intention to marry. Photos, communication records, travel together, and evidence of meeting your partner in person are all important. The Department requires proof that you and your sponsoring partner are both legally free to marry under Australian law.
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Common 300 document mistakes to avoid
- Not marrying within the 9-month grant period — the visa ceases if you do not marry before it expires, and there is no simple extension; you would need to leave and reapply.
- Insufficient evidence of a genuine ongoing relationship before marriage — the Department needs to be satisfied the relationship is real, not a marriage of convenience.
- Not being legally free to marry — divorce decrees, annulments, or death certificates for previous spouses must be provided if either party has been previously married.
- Being in Australia at the time of lodgement — you must be offshore when you apply for the Subclass 300.
Identity documents
5 itemsClear colour scan of your current valid passport photo page.
Official birth certificate showing your full name and date of birth.
Deed poll or other proof if your current name differs from your birth certificate.
Recent 45mm × 35mm colour photos against a plain background.
Evidence that any previous marriage has ended, allowing you to legally remarry.
Your relationship
5 itemsA personal statement covering how you met, the development of your relationship and your intention to marry.
Photos documenting your relationship from early stages to now, with approximate dates.
Screenshots of messages, emails or call logs demonstrating ongoing contact across the relationship.
Boarding passes, passport stamps, travel itineraries or photos showing you have met in person.
Statutory declarations from two Australian citizens or permanent residents who know both of you and can attest to the genuine nature of your relationship.
Plans to marry
2 itemsMarriage venue booking, celebrant or church correspondence, or other documentary evidence of your wedding plans.
If already lodged with a celebrant, include a copy. The NOIM must be lodged at least 1 month before the ceremony.
Health & character
3 itemsNational police certificates from each country you have lived in for 12 or more months since age 16.
Medical examination completed through an approved Panel Physician or by booking a Health Assessment Portal (HAP) appointment. Results are sent directly to the Department of Home Affairs. Book early — appointments can take several weeks.
Completed Form 80 for Character Assessment. Fill for free →
Sponsor / fiancé(e) documents
5 itemsCurrent identity document for your Australian fiancé(e).
Proof your fiancé(e) is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen.
Completed and signed sponsorship application from your fiancé(e).
If your fiancé(e) was previously married, evidence that the previous marriage has ended.
National Police Check from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for your sponsoring fiancé(e), as required under the sponsorship assessment.
Ready to lodge your Prospective Marriage Visa?
Answer a few quick questions to get a checklist tailored to your exact situation — only the documents that apply to you. Upload each file, then export a clean ZIP ready to attach.
Build my personalised checklist →Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need for a Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300) application?
The Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300) typically requires 20 documents across 5 categories: Identity documents, Your relationship, Plans to marry, Health & character, Sponsor / fiancé(e) documents. Use the personalised builder above to filter this list to your exact circumstances — it removes items that don't apply based on your profile.
How do I prepare my documents for the Prospective Marriage Visa?
Work through each category in the checklist. Scan or photograph every document as a clear colour PDF at 150–200 DPI. The Department of Home Affairs (ImmiAccount) has a 5 MB per-file limit — compress any oversized file using VisaPacks' built-in tool. Combine multi-page documents (e.g. bank statements, payslips) into a single PDF using Merge. VisaPacks automatically renames your files on export, ready to attach to your ImmiAccount lodgement.
Can I prepare my Prospective Marriage Visa documents myself without a migration agent?
Yes. Many applicants successfully self-prepare their documents using publicly available Department of Home Affairs guidance. VisaPacks provides a free personalised document checklist and upload tool to help you organise everything correctly. For complex cases — such as those involving previous refusals, health waivers, character issues, or difficult relationship circumstances — consulting a registered migration agent (MARA) may be worthwhile.
What file format should Prospective Marriage Visa documents be in?
The Department of Home Affairs accepts PDF, JPG, and PNG files up to 5 MB each. Most documents should be submitted as PDF. Passport photos can be JPG. If a scan exceeds 5 MB, use VisaPacks' built-in PDF compressor to reduce file size while maintaining legibility — it uses three quality levels (screen, standard, or high) so you can choose the right trade-off.
Is this checklist official Department of Home Affairs guidance?
No. This checklist is based on publicly available Department of Home Affairs guidance but is maintained by VisaPacks as a convenience tool only — it is not legal advice and does not replace the assessment of a registered migration agent. Always verify current requirements on the Department of Home Affairs website.
What are the most common mistakes when preparing Prospective Marriage Visa documents?
The most common errors are: exceeding the 5 MB per-file ImmiAccount limit without compressing first; omitting certified NAATI translations for non-English documents; submitting uncertified copies when originals or certified copies are required; including documents expiring within 6 months (particularly passports); and forgetting documents for a spouse or dependent children on the same application. VisaPacks addresses all of these — it includes a built-in PDF compressor, auto-naming to a consistent convention, and per-applicant sections for family members included in the application.
How does VisaPacks compare to the Department of Home Affairs checklist tool?
The Department of Home Affairs website shows a static document list for each visa type. VisaPacks goes further: it personalises the list to your circumstances (employment type, relationship status, whether children are included), lets you upload documents against each item, includes built-in PDF compression and merging to meet the 5 MB limit, auto-renames files to a consistent naming convention, and exports a complete ready-to-lodge ZIP. VisaPacks is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Home Affairs.