Australia Visa Fixed Deposit 2026/2027: Can a Term Deposit Prove Your Funds?
Direct answer: Yes. In the Visitor 600 document guidance, the Department of Home Affairs lists term deposits as one of the acceptable ways to show you have enough money — in the same list as itemised personal bank statements for a 3 month period, pay slips, audited accounts, tax records and credit card statements. But "a term deposit counts as evidence" is not the same as "having a term deposit is enough". What gets examined is whether the money is yours, whether you can actually use it, and where it came from.
Updated 30 October 2026. Official source: Home Affairs — Visitor visa (subclass 600) Tourist stream, apply outside Australia (Eligibility: "You must have, or have access to, enough money…"; Step by step → Gather your documents → Genuine visitor documents; checked 30 October 2026).
Key Facts at a Glance
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Is a term deposit accepted? | Yes — term deposits are named in the official document list |
| What else is on that list | 3 months of itemised personal bank statements · pay slips · audited accounts · tax records · credit card statements |
| The official money test | You must have, or have access to, enough money to support yourself while you are in Australia |
| Is a term deposit enough on its own | Not necessarily. A term deposit shows stock; statements show flow. They are usually read together |
| A freshly opened deposit | A high-risk point. Where the money came from, and why it moved now, has to make sense |
| Official minimum amount | None published. Every "you must have RM X" figure online is someone's experience, not a rule |
| Whose name it is in | Yours, your spouse's or a sponsor's is fine — but the relationship has to be documented |
| Visitor 600 official cost | From AUD 250 (as published), plus other costs |
What the Case Officer Is Actually Testing
The official line is one sentence: "you must have, or have access to, enough money". In practice it breaks into four questions.
- Is this money yours? Account holder name, the name on the deposit certificate, the share of a joint account.
- Can you actually use it? A term deposit has a lock-in period. A 12-month deposit maturing two months after your trip is weaker evidence than savings you can draw on.
- Where did it come from? Salary, business income, a property sale, a family transfer. Unexplained large sums are the single most common reason for a request for further information.
- Is it enough for this trip? Length of stay × daily cost + airfare. That is not an official formula — it is the logic of your own itinerary.
A term deposit answers questions 1 and 4 well. It answers 2 and 3 poorly — which is exactly why it normally travels with bank statements.
Term Deposit vs Savings Account
| Fixed / term deposit | Savings or current account | |
|---|---|---|
| What it proves | Stock: how much you hold | Flow: how money moves in and out |
| Stability | High (locked, cannot be spent casually) | Lower (balance moves) |
| Liquidity signal | Weaker (depends on early withdrawal terms) | Stronger (available now) |
| Source explanation | Required, especially if new | Required, visible in the transaction history |
| Enough on its own | Usually not | Usually not |
One line: a term deposit proves you have it; statements prove you have had it. Submit both and the money story is complete.
Four High-Risk Situations
1. The deposit was opened one or two months before applying. This is the classic red flag. The officer will ask where the money sat before, and why it moved now. If the honest answer is "borrowed and pooled", that needs a loan agreement and a repayment arrangement — not a pretence that it was savings.
2. A large sum appeared suddenly. Whether it landed in the deposit or the savings account, the source has to line up: a sale contract, a dividend resolution, a gift letter. The larger the amount, the more specific the explanation needs to be.
3. Self-employed, no payslips. Without payslips, substitute: audited business accounts, tax filings (Form B / BE), business bank statements, client contracts. Mixing personal and company money in one account is the most common structural problem — not because there is too little money, but because income cannot be identified.
4. Using a sponsor's money. Parents, spouses and relatives can fund the trip, but three things are needed: proof of relationship (birth or marriage certificate), a sponsor letter stating which costs are covered, and the sponsor's own financial evidence (their deposit plus statements). "My father will pay" is not evidence.
Three Real Structures We See
Case A: An employee whose deposit just rolled over. Salary lands in Bank A, the deposit sits in Bank B. Submit: 3 months of salary credits, the deposit certificate, and the rollover record — proving the deposit is accumulated savings rather than new money.
Case B: A small business owner with everything in the company account. The personal account looks thin but the company has money. Submit: audited accounts or tax filings, company statements, and the director's salary or dividend record. Treating the company balance as personal funds is usually rejected unless you can show the money is lawfully distributable to you.
Case C: Parents funding the trip; the applicant's account is empty. Submit: the parents' deposit, the parents' statements, a sponsor letter and proof of relationship. Do not move the money into the applicant's name at the last minute — that creates two problems at once: a sudden large credit and an unexplained source.
Where AUSVJ Helps
We do not promise visa outcomes and we do not sell a "guaranteed approval" package. What we do is get the evidence structure right:
- Read the existing structure: deposits, savings, company accounts, sponsor funds — what each one can actually prove
- Identify what is missing: statements, source explanations, relationship documents — listed once, clearly
- Work out how the source should be explained: property sale, dividend, gift, loan — each needs a different form of proof
- Find the weak spots before the officer does: a new deposit, a sudden credit, personal and company money mixed
- Check what alternative evidence exists: for people without payslips
- Reduce rework and requests for further information: fix the structure before lodging, not after
FAQ
How long must a deposit be "seasoned"? There is no official seasoning rule. In practice the question is whether the money was already there and stable before you applied, and whether the source can be explained. A large deposit made last week invites more questions than a smaller one held for two years.
Do deposit certificates need to be in English? Yes, with a translation. A bank-issued confirmation of fixed deposit, ideally stamped, carries more weight than a phone screenshot.
What if the deposit is still locked in? Not automatically a problem — but explain the early-withdrawal terms, or show savings you can access during the trip so there is no doubt you have usable funds.
If I have a term deposit, can I skip bank statements? Not advisable. The deposit proves stock; statements prove flow. Submitting only the deposit answers half the question.
People say "you need RM50,000 in a deposit" — is that right? There is no published minimum. Round figures circulating online are agency or forum experience, not rules. What is enough depends on trip length, number of travellers, accommodation and your overall circumstances.
Is this the same topic as the bank statement guide? No. The bank statement guide covers how many months and how much; this page covers how a term deposit is used and where it gets questioned. Read them together: Australia visa bank statement guide.
Want Your Fund Structure Reviewed?
Send us three things: the deposit certificate (or a bank screenshot), the last 3 months of statements, and roughly how many days you plan to stay. We will tell you what is structurally missing and where questions are likely, before anything is lodged. No promises about outcomes — just the evidence prepared properly.
Related Guides
- Australia visa bank statement: how much and how many months — the companion page on cash flow
- Australia visa rejection reasons for Malaysians — where money problems usually land
- Australia visa fees for Malaysians 2026 — Visitor 600 starts at AUD 250
- ETA 601 complete guide — for a short trip you may not need a 600 at all
- ETA 601 vs Visitor 600 — settle the visa class before preparing funds
- Australia visa for Sarawak applicants: what is actually different
- Australia visa agent in Miri: tourist visa help for Miri and Northern Sarawak
- Australia tourist visa documents checklist for Malaysian applicants
Sources:
- Department of Home Affairs — Visitor visa (subclass 600) Tourist stream (apply outside Australia):
immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600/tourist-stream-overseas(Eligibility: "You must have, or have access to, enough money to support yourself while you are in Australia"; Step by step → Gather your documents → Genuine visitor documents lists itemised personal bank statements for a 3 month period, pay slips, audited accounts, tax records, term deposits, credit card statements; cost from AUD250.00; stay up to 12 months; checked 30 October 2026) - Department of Home Affairs — Visitor visa (subclass 600) overview:
immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600 - Department of Home Affairs — Visa Pricing Estimator and visa processing time guide (official tools; neither is a promise for an individual case)
- ⚠️ Every "in practice" or "usually" statement on this page comes from our casework, not from official text; the official rule is whatever the linked pages say
