Fee relief for parental and other types of leave

A 30 per cent rebate on renewal fees is now available for practitioners who have taken parental leave or certain other forms of leave.

The rebate is available for practitioners who are renewing their registration after taking leave for at least six continuous months on the grounds of a protected attribute. Protected attributes include parental leave, disability or status as a carer.

A practitioner can claim the rebate at the next renewal after the six-month period of leave ends. Practitioners cannot apply for this rebate before the six-month period has started, or before it has ended. 

This follows a review into Ahpra’s fee-setting policy, and is an interim measure ahead of wider work on a pro rata approach to fees.

How do I apply?

You must apply for this form of fee relief while completing your renewal application. If you meet the eligibility criteria, then the rebate will automatically be applied on the payment page. We can’t consider an application for fee relief for parental leave and certain other forms of leave after you have applied for renewal.

When do I apply?

You apply at the next renewal opportunity after you have completed six continuous months of leave for parental leave or certain other forms of leave. 

Which fees are eligible for fee relief consideration?

The policy applies to individuals who hold registration (other than non-practising registration) and are renewing the following registration types with the relevant National Boards:

• general
• provisional
• limited
• specialist, and

who have taken six continuous months leave, ending during the previous full registration period, due to parental leave or another relevant protected attribute. The policy does not apply to individuals, including graduates, applying for registration, re-entry applicants, or to international practitioners, including practitioners under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition (TTMR) Act. This is because the rebate applies to the previous registration period and is rebated from the amount of a renewal fee.

Those who are applying to transition to non-practising registration already have a reduced or pro-rata fee applied.

Do I have to provide evidence of having taken parental leave or protected leave to support my application?

As part of your application, you will need to make a declaration that you took leave for at least six continuous months which ended in the previous registration period on the grounds of a protected attribute. This is the only evidence we need at application.

We may ask you for more information to demonstrate your eligibility at a later stage. Examples of the type of information we may ask for is listed in the policy.

• Policy - Fee relief for parental and other protected attribute leave (217 KB, PDF), Word version (114 KB, DOCX)

What happens after I apply?

If you are eligible and declare that you meet the criteria, the 30 per cent rebate will automatically be applied to the fees in your renewal application. No other action is required from you at the time of renewing.

Where can I find more information?

Please read Ahpra and the National Boards’ Fee relief policy for further information.

• Policy - Fee relief for parental and other protected attribute leave (217 KB, PDF), Word version (114 KB, DOCX)