What is mortgage registration fee?
Mortgage registration fee is a state-government charge ($130-$300 depending on state) paid at settlement to register the lender's mortgage interest over the property on the title, distinct from stamp duty and separately charged on each loan.
Mortgage registration fee is a state-government charge for recording the lender's mortgage interest over your property on the state's land title register. It's a separate line item from stamp duty (transfer duty) and is charged per mortgage, so if you refinance to a new lender, the new mortgage is registered and the old one discharged, with separate fees for each.
Typical fees in 2025-26: NSW $164, VIC $128, QLD $214, WA $187, SA $179, TAS $144, ACT $155, NT $159. The fees are paid at settlement via the buyer's conveyancer and listed in the settlement statement.
On a refinance, you pay BOTH the discharge fee on the old mortgage AND the registration fee on the new one, roughly $250-$500 combined depending on state. Worth factoring into refinance economics alongside the cashback offer.
Also called
mortgage registration · title registration fee · mortgage stamping fee
Related
- Stamp duty (transfer duty): Stamp duty is a state government tax on property transfers, typically 3-5.5% of the purchase price, paid in full at sett…
- Discharge fee: A discharge fee is a one-off administrative charge ($300-$700) your existing lender levies when you pay out the loan, co…
- Settlement: Settlement is the day the property legally changes hands: the lender releases the loan amount, the buyer pays the balanc…
General information only, not personal financial advice. Verified against https://ratesniffers.com.au/glossary on 2026-06-01.