The Nauru government has confirmed it plans to charge journalists 8,000 dollars to apply for a three-month visa.
The current fee is just 200 dollars.
A government spokesperson says she understands the fee hike is for revenue purposes.
She says the new fee will come into force once it has been gazetted and it will only apply to media visa applications.
An Australian journalist, Nick Olle, says the fee is extraordinary and prohibitive for media outlets.
Mr Olle, who works for the Global Mail in Sydney, says applying for a visa will also be an expensive gamble as the application fee is not refundable.