How Much Does NDIS Registration Cost?
NDIS registration cost explained: the Commission charges no fee, but audit, insurance and compliance costs run from a few hundred to $15,000+. See the real nu
The Commission charges no registration fee — the audit is the cost
Verification vs certification: the single biggest cost driver
Indicative audit price ranges
The costs that aren't the audit
Worked example: sole trader vs small SIL provider
Ongoing costs after you're registered
Registration cost vs what you can actually earn
Registered vs unregistered: is paying for registration worth it?
How to reduce your registration cost without cutting corners
Deciding your next step
Frequently asked questions
Does the NDIS Commission charge a fee to register?
No. Lodging your application through the NDIS Commission Application Portal is free, and so is the NDIS Worker Orientation Module. Your costs come from the independent audit by an Approved Quality Auditor, insurance, worker screening checks, and the policies and systems you need in place. There is no government registration fee to pay.
How much does an NDIS audit cost?
Audit fees are set by each Approved Quality Auditor, not the government, so they vary. As an indicative guide, a verification audit for a sole trader or small business commonly runs around $900–$2,000, while a certification audit for higher-risk supports like SIL can run $3,000–$15,000+ across the three-year cycle. Always get two or three written quotes for your specific scope.
Why is a certification audit more expensive than a verification audit?
Certification applies to higher-risk supports such as SIL, personal care and daily living, and it involves a full site audit with staff and participant interviews against the Core Practice Standards — not just a desktop document review. That takes an auditor far more time, and there's an additional mid-term surveillance audit within the cycle. From 1 July 2026, SIL providers are also assessed against the new SIL Supplementary Module, which can add scope.
Do I have to register at all as an NDIS provider?
Currently only agency-managed participants must use registered providers, so many operators serve self- and plan-managed participants without registering. That's changing: SIL and digital-platform providers came into mandatory scope from 1 July 2026, and personal care and daily living supports phase in from 1 July 2027 toward around 90% of providers registered by end 2030. Check the current mandatory-registration timeline for your supports before deciding.
Is the PAPL price limit the same as what I pay my workers?
No — and confusing them is a common, costly mistake. The PAPL price limit (from the NDIA) is the most you can charge; the SCHADS award rate (from Fair Work, MA000100) is what you must pay workers, commonly $31–$44/hour. The gap between the two covers super, insurance, admin, training, supervision, registration costs and margin — it is not all profit.