The Rottnest admission fee, 2026-27

What is the Rottnest Island Admission Fee?

An entry charge set by the Rottnest Island Authority for every visitor to the island, whatever way they arrive.

The RIA's admission fees page is clear that the entry fee applies whether you arrive by ferry, plane, helicopter or boat. Rottnest Express puts it this way: "All visitors entering the Rottnest Island A-class Reserve, are required to pay an admission fee."

It is not a ferry company charge and not a tax on accommodation. The ferry companies build it into their fares. That is one reason the ferry companies' own fares end up so close to each other: a fixed government slice sits inside every one of them.

What changed on 1 July 2026?

The fee went up slightly. The new rates cover 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 and the structure is the same as last year.

The RIA publishes a new schedule each financial year on its fees and charges page. Comparing it with the previous rate still quoted on SeaLink's FAQ, the adult fee rose by a small amount for both day and extended visits. For a day tripper the change is small enough that most people will not notice it in the fare.

The structure did not change. Children under four still go free, the family rate still covers two adults and two children, and the extended-stay rate is still a little higher than the day rate. Annual permits for private boats run on a different cycle, from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027.

Who pays the admission fee?

Every visitor aged four and over: ferry passengers through their fare, private boat visitors online or through an annual boat permit, and passengers arriving by plane or helicopter.

Ferry passengers pay it without doing anything. The fee sits inside the fare from SeaLink, Rottnest Express and Rottnest Fast Ferries. If you fly over with a seaplane or the Rottnest Air-Taxi, the fee applies to you as well.

Boaters have two options. They can pay the visitor fee online before they arrive, or buy an annual admission permit for the vessel, which covers the boat and everyone on board. The permit belongs to the boat, and the RIA says permit holders get no refund or discount if they take the ferry instead, so they pay the fee in the fare like everyone else. Mooring licensees and authorised users have the fee covered by their annual mooring charge, and small tenders that meet the RIA's definition are exempt.

What is the difference between the day and extended-stay fee?

The day fee covers a visit where you arrive and leave on the same day. The extended-stay fee applies when you travel to and from the island on different days.

The RIA's fees and charges page defines an extended stay as travelling "to and from the island on different days", and the fee covers the whole visit. One night or five, you pay it once. That is why every operator sells a same-day return and a slightly dearer extended return.

The fee is charged on the way in. Rottnest Express notes that its one-way fares from the island carry no admission fee. If you plan to stay over, book the extended return from the start. Changing a same-day ticket later can mean a fare difference on top of any change fee.

Is the admission fee included in my ferry ticket?

On the operators' own fares, yes. On a resale listing, read what it says: most state it, a few do not.

SeaLink, Rottnest Express and Rottnest Fast Ferries all quote fares with the admission fee included. On GetYourGuide, the SeaLink Fremantle ticket lists the island admission fee in its inclusions. The Rottnest Express return from Fremantle is different: the listing does not mention the admission fee; the operator's own fares include it.

Two cases where the fee shows up on its own. WA kids in the Quokka Club ride the Rottnest Express ferry free with a paying adult but still pay the child admission fee. The Red Rider Annual Pass for WA residents covers the boat trips but not the admission fee, which is paid each visit. SeaLink's advance-booking discounts also apply to the ferry part only, not to the fee. More on what makes up a fare in our Rottnest ferry cost guide.

Rottnest Express from B Shed or Northport, with two days to cancel for a full refund on this listing.

★ 4.5 · Same-day return · departs Fremantle

Book this → Tour details

What does the Rottnest admission fee pay for?

Facilities, services and conservation on the island, according to the RIA and the ferry operators.

The RIA says the fee helps maintain the island's facilities and services. Rottnest Express describes it as paying for "the provision and upkeep of facilities and the conservation of the Island", and Rottnest Fast Ferries adds that it helps the RIA work towards "long term sustainability as a self-funded tourism destination".

The RIA runs as a public non-financial corporation. Its managing the island page names visitor fees and payments, entry fees among them, as its principal source of revenue for the amenities, activities and accommodation on the island. In plain terms: the fee is part of the island's upkeep budget, paid by the people who use it.

The island is also Wadjemup, the Whadjuk Noongar name for it. Between 1838 and 1931 about 3,700 Aboriginal men and boys were imprisoned here, and many died. The RIA's Aboriginal history page explains that history and the Wadjemup Project, led by the Wadjemup Whadjuk Cultural Authority Reference Group, on how it is remembered. Read it before you go.

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