Don't have all the required funds? Your study abroad in Australia is still possible: check out the pathways

Declaração de Suporte Financeiro (modelo)

Financial Support Declaration (template)

Declaración de Apoyo Financiero (modelo)

You've chosen the course, the city, and you can already picture yourself walking along the beach after class... and then the time comes to check how much money you need to prove for your visa. For many international students, this is the moment when the dream seems further away.

The good news: not having the full amount in your own account doesn't mean the end of the plan. Australian immigration itself accepts different forms of proof—including support from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, or your partner, family income, loans, and scholarships. What matters is proving it the right way.

In this article, you will understand what the Department of Home Affairs (Australian immigration) requires as financial evidence for the Student visa (subclass 500), how much money needs to be demonstrated, what pathways exist when you don't have the amount on your own, and what documents your sponsor should gather. At the end, you can download the Yooz Study Financial Support Declaration template for free.

Does immigration always ask for financial proof?

Not always at the time of application. The requirement depends on your passport country and educational institution, and is indicated by the official Australian government Document Checklist Tool, updated twice a year (March 31 and September 30).

Pay attention to two points, though:

• If the checklist asks for financial evidence and you don't attach it, immigration may refuse the visa without requesting additional information.

• Even if the checklist doesn't ask for it, Home Affairs may request this proof at any time during the application review.

Therefore, our recommendation is: have your financial documentation ready from the start, whether it's on the checklist or not.

How much money do you need to prove?

The minimum amount must cover at least the following costs (current official figures in Australian dollars):

Cost of living (12 months)

• Student: AUD 29,710

• Accompanying partner: AUD 10,394

• Each accompanying child: AUD 4,449

Children's schooling

• Each school-age child: starting from AUD 13,502 per year

Airfares

• Applying from outside Australia (except Africa): AUD 2,000

• Applying from within Australia: AUD 1,000

Course fees

• First 12 months of the course (or total amount, if the course is up to 12 months), deducting what has already been paid

How to calculate the course: if the course costs AUD 50,000 for 3 years, the amount to prove is AUD 50,000 ÷ 3 = AUD 16,666 (minus what has already been paid, with a receipt or CoE as proof).

Stays shorter than 12 months: the calculation is proportional — divide the annual amount by 365 and multiply by the number of days you intend to stay in Australia.

Practical example: single student, 12-month course of AUD 15,000, with nothing paid yet, applying from Brazil:

AUD 29,710 (living) + AUD 15,000 (course) + AUD 2,000 (airfare) = AUD 46,710.

Important: these are the minimum amounts required for the visa. The government itself warns that the actual cost of living can be much higher, depending on the city. Research the region where you will live.

What types of evidence are accepted?

Legislation (instrument LIN 19/198) accepts four forms of financial evidence:

1. Cash deposit in a financial institution (checking account, savings, investments);

2. Loan with a financial institution;

3. Government loan;

4. Scholarship or financial support.

Alternative: annual income proof

Instead of showing a balance, you can prove that your parents or your partner had an annual personal income of at least AUD 87,856 in the 12 months prior to application — or AUD 102,500 if you bring family members.

• If both parents work, their income can be combined.

• Proof must be provided with official government documents, such as tax returns/assessments less than 12 months old.

• Bank statements and employer letters are not accepted for this category.

This alternative applies only to parents and partners. If your sponsor is a grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, or someone else, the required path is proof via balance/funds.

Don't have the full amount on your own? Discover the pathways accepted by immigration

If the math doesn't work out with just your own money, these are the alternatives provided for in the official rules — all legitimate, as long as they are well-documented:

1. Financial support from family or partner. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, or spouse can cover your costs, fully or partially. This is the most common path — and it's what the Financial Support Declaration is for (see below).

2. Annual income of parents or partner instead of account balance. If your parents (combining their incomes) or your partner earned at least AUD 87,856 in the past 12 months, you can prove it via income using tax returns — without needing to show the full amount sitting in an account.

3. Combining different sources. Your savings can be supplemented by support from a family member, as long as each party has their own documentation (statements, relationship proof, origin of funds).

4. Student or bank loan. Financing from financial institutions and government loans are accepted. The best evidence is proof of loan disbursement along with the contract.

5. Scholarship or institutional financial support. Scholarships and discounts granted by the institution or support programs count as evidence.

6. Paying part of the course before applying. Anything already paid toward the course (with a receipt or CoE as proof) is deducted from the amount to be proven.

7. Adjusting the duration of the plan. For stays shorter than 12 months, the cost of living and course calculation is proportional to the number of days. A shorter course — or a well-planned package of courses — can reduce the amount required in the application.

Important: these alternatives are correct ways to provide proof — not shortcuts. "Borrowing" money just to show up on a statement, without a relationship or history, is precisely what immigration looks to identify, and can lead to visa refusal. When in doubt, talk to Yooz before building your strategy.

When someone else pays: what the sponsor needs to present

It's not enough for the money to exist — immigration wants to see that you have genuine access to it. When funds come from third parties, Home Affairs requests:

1. Proof of relationship between you and the sponsor (birth certificate, marriage certificate, documents showing family ties);

2. Identity document of the sponsor;

3. Evidence of financial support already given to you or another student in the past, where applicable (transfers, tuition payments, etc.);

4. Origin of funds: recent bank statements with transaction history showing how the money was accumulated — for example, salary deposited every month, investment returns, sale of an asset.

⚠️ A single-day balance is not enough. The Australian government expressly states that a bank balance certificate on a single date does not show how the funds were formed. Large, sudden deposits without explanation usually raise questions.

If support comes from a business (for example, the family business), you must prove that the business is operational (articles of incorporation, active business registration, balance sheets, company statements).

If support comes from a loan, present the contract with the conditions, the collateral used, and ideally, proof of disbursement of funds — which is considered the best evidence of access to the funds.

Financial sponsor checklist

Before submitting, check if your sponsor has gathered:

☐ Signed Financial Support Declaration (template below)

☐ Sponsor's identity document or passport (the signature must match the document)

☐ Document proving relationship/ties with the student

☐ Recent bank statements with transaction history (ideally from the last 3 to 6 months)

☐ Proof of origin of funds (pay slips, earnings withdrawals, tax returns, income statements, sale of assets)

☐ If applicable: company documents or loan contract

☐ English translations for documents in Portuguese

Download the Financial Support Declaration template

The Financial Support Declaration is a letter in English in which your sponsor formally declares that they will cover your costs in Australia — tuition, accommodation, food, transport, airfares, and health insurance (OSHC) — and that the funds are available for international transfer.

The text of the declaration is always in English, as required by immigration. Choose the version with filling instructions in your language:

Declaração de Suporte Financeiro (modelo)

Financial Support Declaration (template)

Declaración de Apoyo Financiero (modelo)

How to fill it out

1. Fill in the date and sponsor's details: full name, passport number or ID/CPF, and address (neighborhood, city, and country).

2. Enter the student's full name and passport number.

3. Indicate the degree of relationship in English (e.g., daughter, son, niece, nephew, grandson, wife, husband).

4. Print and obtain the sponsor's signature — it must be identical to the one on their ID document.

5. Delete all instructions in red before signing and submitting.

6. Send the declaration along with the other documents from the checklist above.

The declaration alone does not replace proof of funds. It is a complementary piece that gives context to the support — immigration will look primarily at the statements, the origin of the money, and the relationship between you.

Final tips from Yooz Study

• Get organized in advance. Ideally, the money should have been in the sponsor's account for a few months, with activity consistent with their income.

• Avoid "borrowing" a balance for the application. One-off transfers from third parties without a relationship and history are one of the red flags that most catch immigration's attention.

• Be transparent. False or misleading information can lead to visa refusal and bars on future applications.

• Check the Document Checklist Tool right before submitting your application, as it is updated periodically.

• Count on Yooz. Our team reviews your documents before submission to reduce the risk of requests for additional information or refusal.

Official sources: Department of Home Affairs — Student visa (subclass 500), section "Evidence you have enough money for your stay"; Migration (LIN 19/198: Evidence of financial capacity — Subclass 500 Visa and Subclass 590 Visa) Instrument 2019. Figures checked in September 2026 and subject to change by the Australian government. This content is for informational purposes and does not replace the guidance of a registered migration agent.