Becoming a registered NDIS provider opens the door to NDIA-managed participants and higher-risk supports, but the process trips up a lot of new providers. This step-by-step guide walks you through eligibility, the application, the audit, costs and timeline, plus the documents you'll need ready.
On this page
1. Decide what supports you'll deliver
Registration is based on the supports you intend to provide. Map out your services, for example support work, community participation, supported independent living (SIL), plan management or allied health, because this determines your registration groups and how rigorous your audit will be.
2. Check your registration groups and risk level
The NDIS Commission sorts supports into registration groups, each with a risk rating. Lower-risk supports require a lighter verification audit. Higher-risk supports, like SIL, behaviour support and personal care, require a deeper, on-site certification audit against the NDIS Practice Standards.
3. Prepare your policies and procedures
This is where most providers get stuck. Before you can pass an audit, you need a complete set of written policies and procedures mapped to the NDIS Practice Standards, plus the registers and forms that show you actually follow them. At a minimum you'll need:
- Governance, risk and quality management policies
- Incident management policy and register
- Complaints management policy and register
- Privacy, dignity and human rights policies
- Human resources, worker screening and Code of Conduct
- Work health and safety and emergency/disaster management
4. Apply through the NDIS Commission
Create an application in the NDIS Commission Applications Portal. You'll provide your organisation's details, the registration groups you're applying for, your key personnel, and a self-assessment against the relevant Practice Standards. The Commission then connects you with an approved quality auditor.
5. Pass your audit
An independent, NDIS-approved auditor reviews your evidence. For verification, this is largely a desktop review of your documents. For certification, the auditor also visits and may interview workers and participants. They check that your policies exist, that your registers and forms are used, and that your practice matches your paperwork.
Use our free audit-readiness quiz to find your gaps before the auditor does, and read how to pass an NDIS audit.
6. Get your outcome and certificate
The auditor sends their report to the NDIS Commission, which makes the final registration decision. Once approved, you receive a certificate of registration listing your registration groups, and your details appear on the NDIS provider register. Registration typically lasts up to three years, with a mid-term audit around 18 months in.
Costs and timeline
There's no application fee to the Commission, but you pay your auditor directly. Verification audits typically cost a few hundred to around a thousand dollars; certification audits for higher-risk supports can run to several thousand. Start to finish, most providers take 3 to 6 months, and the biggest variable is how long it takes you to get your policies in order. For a full breakdown of every fee, see our NDIS registration cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
How long does NDIS registration take?
Around 3 to 6 months for most providers, depending on how fast you complete the application, prepare your policies and book your audit. Verification is quicker than certification.
How much does it cost?
No Commission fee, but you pay an approved auditor, a few hundred to about a thousand dollars for verification, or several thousand for certification.
What policies do I need?
A full set mapped to the Practice Standards (governance, incident, complaints, privacy, HR, WHS, emergency and more), plus registers and forms. See the full list.
Do I have to register?
Registered and unregistered providers can both operate, but only registered providers work with NDIA-managed participants and some higher-risk supports. Registration becomes mandatory for SIL and platform providers from 1 July 2026.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Always check current requirements with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.