Registering a Relationship in Australia: State Registers and the Partner Visa 12-Month Rule

Start by checking the residence rule in the table below and the relevant government registration page before applying.

Section 5 of the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019 lists prescribed laws in 6 jurisdictions: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.

Legal help: An Australian migration lawyer with Australian Migration Lawyers can check relationship registration and its effect on the 12-month rule before you lodge or reply.

The NSW Government’s Relationship register page, Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria’s Fees page and the Queensland Government’s Register a civil partnership page list registration fees of A$198, A$266 and A$170 respectively, checked on 3 October 2026.

The Relationships Regulations 2023 (Tas) set Tasmania’s registration fee at 121 fee units, equivalent to about A$237 using the Tasmanian Treasury’s 2026–27 fee-unit value.

The Migration Act 1958 and regulation 1.09A of the Migration Regulations 1994 still require a qualifying de facto relationship and consideration of its financial, household, social and commitment circumstances.

Sources checked 3 October 2026. Fees below are registration charges in Australian dollars, not partner visa application charges; certificate and delivery charges are identified separately.

State or territory	Prescribed law and relationship type	Registration fee	Cooling-off or statutory waiting period	Residence rule	Counts for the partner visa 12-month exception?
NSW — Sydney (NSW)	Relationships Register Act 2010.	A$198, registration only.	28-day cooling-off.	At least one partner lives in NSW.	Yes, for a qualifying registration under the prescribed law.
Victoria — Melbourne (Vic)	Relationships Act 2008, Part 2.2; registrable domestic relationship.	A$266, excluding certificate.	At least 28 days.	One partner lives in Victoria.	Yes, for a qualifying registration under the prescribed law.
Queensland — Brisbane (Qld)	Civil Partnerships Act 2011; civil partnership.	A$170.	10-day cooling-off.	Either partner lives in Queensland.	Yes, for a qualifying registration under the prescribed law.
South Australia — Adelaide (SA)	Relationships Register Act 2016.	Not confirmed; check the current registry charge.	28 days after application.	Not confirmed; check current scheme eligibility.	Yes, for a qualifying registration under the prescribed law.
Tasmania	Relationships Act 2003; significant relationship registered by deed.	121 fee units, about A$237 in 2026–27.	Registrar must wait until after 28 days before deciding.	Both adults domiciled or ordinarily resident in Tasmania.	Yes, for the prescribed significant-relationship registration.
ACT	Domestic Relationships Act 1994, civil partnership; Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1997, civil union.	Registration fee not confirmed.	Civil partnership: Part 4A specifies no waiting period; administrative processing time is not established. Civil union: wait not confirmed.	Civil partnership: one or both partners live in the ACT. Civil union: rule not confirmed here.	Yes, for the prescribed relationship types.
Western Australia — Perth (WA)	No WA law prescribed for this exception.	Not applicable to a WA migration-recognised registration route.	Not applicable.	Not applicable.	No WA registration route under the prescribed-laws list.
Northern Territory	No NT law prescribed for this exception.	Not applicable to an NT migration-recognised registration route.	Not applicable.	Not applicable.	No NT registration route under the prescribed-laws list.

“Yes” concerns the 12-month exception only under regulation 2.03A(5) of the Migration Regulations 1994, not overall partner visa eligibility. A minimum wait is not a guaranteed registration-completion date.

What is relationship registration?

Relationship registration is a state or territory process recognised for the migration exception where the relationship and its governing law fall within section 5 of the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019.

Registration does not replace the de facto partner test in section 5CB of the Migration Act 1958.

Concept	Required answer
Registered relationship	Formal registration under a prescribed scheme. Regulation 2.03A(5) of the Migration Regulations 1994 makes the specified 12-month duration requirement inapplicable; it does not establish universal legal consequences.
De facto partner for migration purposes	Section 5CB of the Migration Act 1958 requires partners not to be married to each other; to have mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of others; a genuine and continuing relationship; to live together or not be permanently apart; and not to be related by family.
Spouse for migration purposes	Section 5F of the Migration Act 1958 requires a marriage valid for the Act, mutual commitment to a shared married life to the exclusion of others, a genuine and continuing relationship, and living together or not permanently apart. Registration does not substitute for these requirements.

Section 5CB of the Migration Act 1958 covers same-sex and different-sex partners. Registration and the underlying relationship are separate questions: registering is not marrying, applying for a visa or proving that every visa criterion is satisfied.

Which states have a relationship register?

Six Australian jurisdictions have relationship laws prescribed by section 5 of the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019.

The table distinguishes those prescribed schemes from Western Australia and the Northern Territory, neither of which has a law listed for the partner visa registration exception.

The national comparison above uses section 5 of the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019 for prescribed laws and relationship types. NSW charges and conditions come from the NSW Government’s Relationship register page; Victorian charges from Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria’s Fees page and conditions from its Register a domestic relationship page; and Queensland details from the Queensland Government’s Register a civil partnership page.

For South Australia, the Legal Services Commission of South Australia’s Law Handbook describes the 28-day wait under the Relationships Register Act 2016. Tasmania’s Relationships Act 2003 supplies its residence and waiting rules, the Relationships Regulations 2023 supplies fee units, and Tasmanian Treasury’s Fee units page supplies their approximate dollar value. The ACT civil-partnership conditions come from Part 4A of the Domestic Relationships Act 1994.

Read residence eligibility before comparing prices. The shortest statutory wait does not necessarily identify a scheme you can use.

Registering a relationship in NSW

Registering a relationship in NSW costs A$198 for registration only, according to the NSW Government’s Relationship register page checked on 3 October 2026.

The same government page requires at least one partner to live in NSW, both partners to be 18 or older, and a 28-day cooling-off period.

The NSW Government’s Relationship register page lists processing of up to 7 weeks including the cooling-off period—not 7 weeks plus 28 days. It lists the registration charge as non-refundable and a standard certificate ordered at registration as A$70, including A$11 postage.

Before applying:

• Check the residence eligibility.
• Consult the official application instructions for required evidence.
• Allow for cooling-off and processing.
• Decide whether to order the certificate.

Registering a domestic relationship in Victoria

Registering a domestic relationship in Victoria costs A$266 from 1 July 2026, according to Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria’s Fees page.

Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria’s Register a domestic relationship page requires one partner to live in Victoria and registration to wait at least 28 days.

Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria’s Fees page, updated 23 September 2026 and checked 3 October 2026, lists registration as non-refundable and excluding a certificate. A legal certificate costs A$59.10; the listed A$10.60 express-post charge is separate.

Before applying:

• Check residence eligibility on the official Register a domestic relationship page.
• Consult its application instructions for required evidence.
• Allow for the minimum wait; no total processing time is confirmed here.
• Decide whether to order a certificate and pay the separate delivery charge.

Queensland civil partnership register

Registering a civil partnership in Queensland costs A$170, according to the Queensland Government’s Register a civil partnership page checked on 3 October 2026.

The same government page requires either partner to live in Queensland and provides a 10-day cooling-off period.

The Queensland Government’s Register a civil partnership page, updated 1 October 2026, lists an official certificate separately at A$58.10. A civil partnership under the Civil Partnerships Act 2011 is a prescribed relationship type under section 5 of the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019.

Before applying:

• Check residence eligibility.
• Consult the official instructions for required evidence.
• Allow for cooling-off; no total processing time is confirmed here.
• Check the separate certificate option.

South Australia relationship register

South Australia’s Relationships Register Act 2016 provides for registration 28 days after application, according to the Legal Services Commission of South Australia’s Law Handbook.

The current registration fee and residence rule were not confirmed in the supplied primary-source research checked on 3 October 2026.

The Relationships Register Act 2016 is prescribed by section 5 of the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019. The Legal Services Commission of South Australia’s Law Handbook supports the 28-day wait, not a guaranteed total processing duration.

Check the registry’s current eligibility and charges before applying. An unconfirmed charge does not mean registration is free.

Tasmania and ACT registers

Tasmania and the ACT both have relationship types prescribed by the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019.

Their eligibility and waiting-period rules must be read separately rather than copied from another state.

How do you register a relationship in Tasmania?

Registering a deed of relationship in Tasmania costs 121 fee units under the Relationships Regulations 2023, or about A$237 using Tasmanian Treasury’s 2026–27 fee-unit value.

Sections 11–13 of the Relationships Act 2003 require both adults to be domiciled or ordinarily resident in Tasmania and prevent the Registrar deciding until after 28 days.

Under sections 11–13 of the Relationships Act 2003:

• Both people must be adults domiciled or ordinarily resident in Tasmania.
• Neither may be married or already in a deed of relationship.
• Each person lodges a statutory declaration.
• Either party may withdraw during the 28-day period.

For migration recognition, section 5 of the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019 prescribes a significant relationship registered by deed—not every deed type.

The Relationships Regulations 2023 sets 121 fee units, and Tasmanian Treasury’s Fee units page lists A$1.96 per unit for 2026–27. “About A$237” is approximate because official payable-dollar rounding was not confirmed.

How do you register a civil partnership in the ACT?

Registering a civil partnership in the ACT requires one or both partners to live in the ACT under Part 4A of the Domestic Relationships Act 1994.

Part 4A specifies no waiting period, but that reading does not establish the registry’s administrative processing time.

Part 4A of the Domestic Relationships Act 1994 requires:

• Two adults who are a couple.
• Neither person to be married or already in a civil union or civil partnership.
• No prohibited relationship between them.
• One or both partners to live in the ACT.

The partnership takes effect on registration under that Part.

The registration fee was not confirmed as at 3 October 2026. Section 5 of the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019 also prescribes ACT civil unions, but the civil-partnership rules above should not be transferred to civil unions.

Is there a recognised register in Western Australia or the Northern Territory?

No Western Australian or Northern Territory law is prescribed for the registered-relationship exception in section 5 of the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019.

That means neither jurisdiction provides a local registration route under the prescribed-laws list for the partner visa 12-month exception.

The WA Registry’s government page describes records of births, deaths, marriages and changes of name. The research did not establish whether the Northern Territory has any other relationship-registration scheme; the confirmed boundary is the absence of a prescribed NT law for this migration exception.

Do not assume you can register interstate. Check and meet the chosen scheme’s residence rule; a false address or nominal move is not a substitute for eligibility.

How registration meets the partner visa 12-month rule

Relationship registration meets the partner visa 12-month rule by making that duration requirement inapplicable under regulation 2.03A(5) of the Migration Regulations 1994.

The exception requires a registered relationship within section 2E of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901, with the prescribed laws identified in the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2019.

Three limits matter:

1. Duration only: regulation 2.03A(5) of the Migration Regulations 1994 removes the specified duration requirement; it does not make a relationship actually 12 months old.

2. The relationship test remains: section 5CB of the Migration Act 1958 still applies to the underlying relationship. The broader de facto visa requirements are not replaced by registration.

3. Relationship circumstances still matter: regulation 1.09A of the Migration Regulations 1994 requires consideration of financial, household, social and commitment circumstances.

Regulation 2.03A(2) of the Migration Regulations 1994 also requires de facto applicants and their partners both to be at least 18 at application.

Regulation 2.03A also contains duration exceptions involving compelling and compassionate circumstances and specified humanitarian-partner circumstances; those are separate from registration.

Should you register before lodging a partner visa application?

Complete registration and obtain its certificate before lodging as a practical planning step when you intend to rely on the registration exception.

Regulation 2.03A(3) measures the 12 months to the application date, but regulation 2.03A(5) does not expressly state a registration deadline.

Clauses 820.211 and 309.211 of the Migration Regulations 1994 place the spouse/de facto criterion within time-of-application criteria. Home Affairs’ subclass 820 page says applicants who have not been together for 12 months can provide evidence that they have registered their relationship.

These primary sources do not establish an express rule that registration must occur before lodgement. They also do not establish that later registration always works, never works or retrospectively cures a deficient application.

If registration is incomplete and lodgement is imminent, ask an Australian migration lawyer to check the dates, applicable criteria and evidence before lodging.

Revoking a registration and getting the certificate

Getting a relationship certificate and revoking a registration are separate registry tasks, and the verified charges differ by jurisdiction.

The steps below separate obtaining evidence of registration from checking the procedure for ending it.

How do you get a relationship certificate?

1. Firstly, identify the registry and registered relationship type.

2. Secondly, check whether a certificate was included or ordered with registration. The NSW Government’s Relationship register page and Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria’s Fees page list registration-only charges that exclude the certificate.

3. Thirdly, use the registry’s official certificate instructions and retain evidence of the registration date.

Jurisdiction	Supported charge and scope
NSW	NSW Government’s Relationship register page: standard certificate ordered at registration, A$70 including A$11 postage.
Victoria	Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria’s Fees page: legal certificate, A$59.10; listed express post, A$10.60 separately.
Queensland	Queensland Government’s Register a civil partnership page: official certificate, A$58.10.
Tasmania	Relationships Regulations 2023: register search including certificate, 31 fee units.

South Australian and ACT relationship-certificate routes and applicable charges are not established here.

Keep registration evidence alongside the financial, household, social and commitment material considered under regulation 1.09A of the Migration Regulations 1994. See evidence for partner visa for that broader evidence task.

How do you revoke a relationship registration?

This is a checking sequence, not a verified national revocation procedure.

1. Firstly, identify the scheme under which the relationship was registered.
2. Secondly, check that registry’s current revocation instructions, notice requirements, charge and effective date. A complete procedure for every jurisdiction was not established by this research.
3. Thirdly, retain the registry’s confirmation and seek advice about any pending partner visa if the underlying relationship has ended.

Tasmania’s Relationships Regulations 2023 sets a revocation fee of 50 fee units. That fee should not be applied to another jurisdiction.

If the underlying relationship has ended, Home Affairs’ subclass 820 page and partner visa FAQs describe notifying relationship cessation. Registry revocation is not withdrawal of a visa application; do not assume revocation automatically cancels a visa or that retaining registration means the relationship continues.

Partner visa lawyers in each state

An Australian migration lawyer can check the prescribed relationship type, residence eligibility, registration date and consistency of the certificate with your partner visa evidence.

Home Affairs’ Using a legal practitioner page states that a lawyer cannot fast-track processing or guarantee a visa.

Applicants and sponsoring partners should consider checking the relationship timeline where they have been together for less than 12 months. If a certificate is pending, a lawyer can check registration status, applicable criteria and what evidence remains missing.

Find information about legal help in each city:

• partner visa lawyer Sydney
• partner visa lawyer Melbourne
• partner visa lawyer Brisbane
• partner visa lawyer Adelaide
• partner visa lawyer Perth

Home Affairs’ Using a legal practitioner page explains the limits of lawyer assistance. This page is an information guide, not a law firm or registry.

Ask an Australian migration lawyer to check whether the registration law is prescribed, when registration takes effect and what relationship evidence remains necessary.

Enquiry navigation: Ask an Australian migration lawyer about relationship registration.

This navigation link leads to the shared enquiry form. There are no enquiry fields on this page; seek an Australian migration lawyer directly if advice is needed.