How to apply

You are eligible to apply for an NDIS Worker Check if you:

• are doing NDIS work and have an employer that will verify your application
• do not have an NDIS worker screening application underway in New South Wales or any other state or territory
• do not have an existing NDIS worker screening clearance from New South Wales or any other state or territory (unless it is less than 3 months before it expires)
• do not have an existing NDIS worker screening exclusion from New South Wales or any other state or territory
• in the last 12 months, have not had your application cancelled because you failed to comply with a requirement to provide information.

If you apply and you are not eligible, your application will be cancelled without refund.

If you are not doing NDIS work (or about to commence NDIS work), you cannot apply. Your application will not be verified and will be cancelled. For more information, go to the NDISWC - employer verification page.

If you have an existing NDIS Worker Check clearance, you can apply if it is about to expire within the next 3 months.

If you have an existing NDIS Worker Check exclusion, you can apply if you have had a relevant change of circumstances. However, contact us first. For more information refer to the early application section of the NDISWC - requesting a review page.

Step 1: Lodge an online application

• Select 'Apply for an NDIS Worker Check' at the top of this page
• Log into your MyServiceNSW account (or create an account if you do not have one)
• Follow the prompts to complete the online application
• You'll be sent a confirmation email with an application number

Step 2: Visit a Service NSW centre within 14 days (2 weeks)

• Bring your application number (contained in your confirmation email)
• Bring your original identity documents (not photocopies, photos or scans, and any paper documents must not be laminated)
• Bring evidence of your name change (marriage certificate or change of name certificate), if applicable
• Pay the application fee
• Have your photo taken
• Service NSW will review your application, then send it to us for processing

Step 3: Your employer will verify your application

• We review your application to check it is valid. If we need additional information from you, we will contact you by email
• When your application is determined to be valid, we then send it to the NDIS Worker Screening Database
• Your NDIS employer will be sent an email asking them to verify your application (they have 30 days to do this)
• When your employer has verified your application, you'll receive an email from us confirming this
   

We then assess your application

Once your application is verified the assessment process begins. This means we commence our background checks.

If there are records identified, we will review them. A risk assessment may be required for some applicants. For more information, refer to the NDISWC - application assessment page.

You will be advised of the outcome by email or if more information is needed from you.

It's not possible for us to provide you a time frame to complete the assessment of your application. 

You can check the status of your NDISWC by logging into your MyServiceNSW Account.

To apply, you need:

• A MyServiceNSW account (if you don't have one, you only need an email and password to create an account)
• Four identity documents (see the 'Identity documents' section below)
• Your employer's NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission registration number or name (your employer should provide you with this)
• To advise us of your current address and your previous addresses for the last 5 years
• To advise us of your current full name and any other names you have used throughout your life
• To provide your personal email address and mobile phone number (do not use your work contact details)
• To consent to a criminal history check and to information about you being shared with other agencies
• To provide information about your other worker screening checks, child protection matters, crimes committed overseas, and workplace misconduct
• If you're under 18, your parent or legal guardian's personal details, phone number, email address and consent to your application

The NDIS Worker Check application fee is the cost for applying. The application fee is:

• $105 for paid workers
• Free for volunteers

We incur our own costs and pay third-party service providers for every application we receive and process. The application fee contributes to these costs.

Before you apply, ensure you:

• are eligible to apply
• have the required identity documents
• have an NDIS employer who will verify your application.

If for any reason your application is cancelled, you will not receive a refund. If you are not sure about your circumstances, please contact us by email before you apply.

When you apply for an NDIS Worker Check you must prove your identity. The documents you use to prove your identity enable us to:

• conduct a criminal history check
• gather the necessary information to assess your application
• be assured that you are who you say you are.

Most workers do not have a criminal record, or have minor or unrelated offences. However, some workers have committed serious offences, and for the safety of NDIS participants it's important they are identified.

To apply for an NDIS Worker Check, you must provide 4 identity documents:

• 1 x Category A 
• 1 x Category B 
• 2 x Category C

Your documents must meet the requirements outlined in the 'Identity document requirements' section below. If you cannot meet these requirements, refer to the 'Special Provisions' section below.

Category A documents (x 1)

• Australian birth certificate issued by a state or territory registry (full certificate, not an extract or birth card)
• Australian passport (private, official or diplomatic)
• Australian visa (current at time of entry to Australia, evidenced as a Visa Entitlement Verification Online certificate)
• Australian ImmiCard
• Australian citizenship certificate

Note: if you were born in Australia and your birth was registered but you do not currently have a Category A document, we suggest you apply for a birth certificate from the registry of births, deaths and marriages in the state or territory in which you were born.

Category B documents (x 1)

• Australian driver licence, learner permit or provisional licence
• Australian marriage certificate issued by a state or territory registry 
• Australian change of name certificate issued by a state or territory registry 
• Australian photo card (proof of age card) issued by a state or territory government agency
• Australian adult shooter or firearm licence (not minor or junior permit or licence)  
• Australian student identification card with signature or photo (only if under 18 years of age)

Note: if you do not currently have a Category B document, we suggest you apply for a NSW photo card

Category C documents (x 2)

• Medicare card
• Centrelink concession card or Australian health care card or Australian government issued helath care card
• Australian university or other tertiary student photo identity card (if 18 years or older)
• Academic transcript or certificate of completion from an Australian university or tertiary institution
• Australian secondary student photo identity card
• Australian issued bank, debit or credit card
• Australian bank statement (issued within the last 12 months)
• Australian Tax Office notice of assessment (most recent financial year)
• Australian local council rates notice (within the last 12 months)
• Australian land valuation notice (within the last 12 months)
• Australian utility bill – gas, water, electricity, telephone, mobile phone, internet (within the last 12 months)
• Passport issued by a country other than Australia

1 - Identity documents must be current and original

• Original paper documents that have been laminated are not acceptable
• Photos, screen shots, photocopies, or certified copies are not acceptable documents
• Expired documents are not acceptable
• Government issued digital documents, such as a digital Medicare card and a NSW digital driver licence, are acceptable
• Digital documents must be opened in the relevant mobile phone app at the Service NSW counter. They cannot be a screen shot or image. 

2 - Identity documents must contain your signature and photo

• At least one of your identity documents must contain a photo of you
• At least one of your identity documents must contain your signature

3 - All identity documents must be in the same name 

• Your identity documents must be in the same name
• They must display the same first, middle and last names 
• An initial is acceptable, such as 'J Smith' instead of 'John Smith'
• A middle name can be excluded, such as 'John Smith' instead of 'John James Smith'
• An abbreviated name is acceptable, such as 'John Smith' instead of 'Johnathan Smith'

4 - You must provide evidence of a name change (if applicable)

• Identity documents can be in different names if you have legally changed your name and you have evidence of a legal name change
• A legal name may be due to marriage, divorce, or any other legal reason
• You must provide evidence of the legal name change when you attend Service NSW
• Evidence of a legal name change must be an Australian marriage certificate or an Australian change of name certificate
• The certificate must be issued by a state or territory registry of births, deaths, and marriages
• We do not accept a statutory declaration, deed poll, divorce order, or a certificate issued by a marriage celebrant

5 - Officially translated if not in English

• You must provide officially translated documents if any of your identity documents are not in English. For more information go to: apply for document translation services
• Take both the original and the translated document(s) with you when you visit the service centre

If you do not have the documents to meet the minimum identity requirements from categories A, B and C, you may be able to apply using Special Provisions. To apply using Special Provisions you must have:

• a legitimate reason, and
• evidence to support your reason, and
• 6 identity documents 

Legitimate reasons include:

1. You arrived in Australia in the last 6 months
2. You were born overseas and now live in Australia, but you're not a citizen
3. You were born in Australia, but not yet established an identity in the community
4. You have reasons associated with being in statutory care
5. You have limited capacity to provide evidence of an identity
6. You were not registered at birth or there is conflicting information about the date or place of your birth
7. You are transgender or intersex
8. You were affected by a natural disaster, such as fire or flood, in the last 6 months

Evidence of a legitimate reason:

• Reasons 1 – 6: a New South Wales statutory declaration from you that outlines your circumstances and the reasons for not being able to provide identity documents. For a copy of the NSW statutory declaration form, go to the Service NSW - statutory declarations page.
• Reason 7: a letter or certificate from a registered medical practitioner which specifies a change in gender.
• Reason 8: an emergency services report or insurance documents relating to the natural disaster. 

Note: you need to upload a copy (PDF or JPG) of your evidence document in your online application. Make sure you have this document ready before you start your online application.

Special Provisions identity documents:

• maximum 2 x Category A
• maximum 2 x Category B
• maximum 3 x Category C
• maximum 3 x Category D (see below)

Category D documents (Special Provisions only):

• Australian employment payslip (within last 3 months)
• Australian employment payment summary / group certificate (most recent financial year)
• Driver licence from a country other than Australia (no more than 12 months expired)
• Australian tenancy or rental agreement (within the last 12 months)
• Australian vehicle registration certificate or renewal notice (within the last 12 months)
• If under 18, a reference from an Australian school principal (signed, dated in the last 3 months, on school letterhead, confirms identity of the student).
• An NDIS Worker Check trusted referee report (PDF, 77 KB) (signed, dated within the last 3 months).

Before using a trusted referee report as an identity document, contact us by email to confirm it will be accepted.

Email: contact@ndiswc.nsw.gov.au

Contact us if you can't meet the identity requirements (standard and special provisions).

Send us an email explaining what identity documents and requirements you can and can't meet, and any relevant reason or circumstances for us to consider.

We will consider what options are available to help you apply for your NDIS Worker Check.

Email: contact@ndiswc.nsw.gov.au