NDIS Worker Screening Check (VIC): cost, renewal and no clearance, no start
Victoria's NDIS Check in October 2026: $139.20, valid five years, renewal from 90 days out, and no clearance, no start for first checks.
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In Victoria the NDIS Worker Screening Check is assessed by the NDIS Worker Screening Unit and applied for through Service Victoria. A clearance lasts five years and is valid across Australia. The current fee is $139.20, with a fee waiver for volunteers in risk-assessed roles. Victoria is a no clearance, no start state for first checks.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing body | NDIS Worker Screening Unit (Worker Screening Victoria) | vic.gov.au |
| Official name | NDIS Worker Screening Check (NDIS Check) | vic.gov.au |
| Validity | 5 years from the date of the notice, unless surrendered or revoked; valid across Australia | vic.gov.au |
| Cost (paid) | $139.20 (current fee) | vic.gov.au |
| Cost (volunteer) | Fee waiver for volunteers in a risk-assessed role | vic.gov.au |
| Processing time | Three to 12 weeks after your employer verifies the application (indicative); up to six months during current high demand; paper applications add about two weeks | vic.gov.au |
| Renewal | Renew online from 90 days before expiry; reminder emails at 120 and 90 days | vic.gov.au |
| Interstate clearances | Accepted: a Victorian clearance is valid across Australia, and interstate clearances are recognised in Victoria | vic.gov.au |
| Apply or renew | Apply through Service Victoria Renew through Service Victoria | vic.gov.au |
| Status check or register | Access is through the NDIS Commission portal: employers check status and expiry in the NDIS Worker Screening Database | ndiscommission.gov.au |
| What an employer must do | Verify the application within 30 days, link workers in the NDIS Commission portal and unlink those who leave, and keep a written list of risk-assessed roles | vic.gov.au |
Fees and processing times change, most often once a year. The source column links to the official page each value was checked against in October 2026.
How to apply: NDIS Worker Screening Check (VIC)
- Get the right identifier from the organisation you will work for: a registration ID for a registered NDIS provider, an employer ID for an unregistered provider, or a participant WS ID for a self-managed participant. The application cannot be processed without it.
- Apply online through Service Victoria: sign in, verify your identity and submit at least three identity documents. If your identity cannot be verified digitally, a paper application with certified copies adds about two weeks.
- Pay the $139.20 fee, or apply for the volunteer fee waiver if you volunteer in a risk-assessed role.
- The organisation you nominated has 30 days to verify the application, or it is withdrawn.
- Wait for the clearance before you start. Victoria is a no clearance, no start state: you cannot work in a risk-assessed role while your first check is being decided.
How to renew: NDIS Worker Screening Check (VIC)
- Watch for reminder emails 120 days and 90 days before your expiry date.
- Renew online through Service Victoria from 90 days before expiry. You supply identity documents again.
- If your current clearance was issued interstate and your details have changed, contact that state's worker screening unit to update them before you renew.
- Renew before expiry. Under the Worker Screening Act 2020 you may keep working after expiry while a lodged renewal is undecided, provided you have no interim exclusion, exclusion, or relevant charge or conviction.
What employers must do
- Assess all roles, identify the risk-assessed ones and keep a written list of them.
- Verify a worker's application within 30 days of the NDIS Commission's notice. Unverified applications are withdrawn.
- Link new and existing workers to your organisation in the NDIS Commission portal and unlink workers you no longer engage.
- Make sure every worker who needs a clearance has one. Providers that do not meet the national requirements face penalties under federal law.
What is specific to Victoria
- Victoria takes a no clearance, no start approach: a first-time applicant cannot work in a risk-assessed role until the clearance is issued.
- Holders must tell the unit within seven days if they are charged with, convicted or found guilty of a category A or B offence, and update personal details within 21 days.
- The NDIS Check does not replace Victoria's Working with Children Check. If the law requires you to get a WWC Check and you already hold an NDIS clearance, the WWC application fee may be refunded.
- There is no card or certificate. Employers see the clearance in the NDIS Worker Screening Database.
What Koora checks
Reviewed. Koora does not verify NDIS Worker Screening clearances against the NDIS Worker Screening Database today; source verification is on Koora's roadmap. The compliance engine checks the clearance against the requirements of each role, and Koora tracks its expiry date. A person reviews the evidence when a worker shares their Career Passport or a provider requests access, or across an organisation's own records where Crew is attached. Registered providers still verify and link their workers in the NDIS Commission portal themselves.
Your team reviews each credential in Koora, or Crew does it for you. The provider keeps the legal responsibility for who they engage.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the NDIS Worker Screening Check in Victoria?
The current fee is $139.20. Volunteers in a risk-assessed role can apply for a fee waiver.
How long does an NDIS check take in Victoria?
Three to 12 weeks after your employer verifies the application, as an indication. Victoria says current demand can stretch assessments to six months, while applications with no criminal history to assess are usually much faster.
How do I renew my NDIS Worker Screening Check in Victoria?
Online through Service Victoria, from 90 days before expiry. Victoria emails you 120 days and 90 days before the expiry date.
Can I start work before my NDIS clearance comes through in Victoria?
Not on a first check. Victoria is a no clearance, no start state for risk-assessed roles, so you wait for the clearance.
Related
- NDIS Worker Screening Check: a state-by-state guide for 2026
- NDIS Worker Screening Check in every state and territory: the comparison table
- Working with Children Check (VIC) in Victoria
- National Police Check (VIC) in Victoria
- Teacher registration (VIC) in Victoria
- Glossary: NDIS Worker Screening Check
- Which worker check do I need?: pick your sector, role and state
Sources
This is general information, not compliance advice. Always confirm requirements with the relevant regulator, and remember that providers keep the legal responsibility to sight credentials and decide who can work.
We work hard to keep everything accurate, and our compliance engine keeps up with the rules as they change. Even so, we might get a detail slightly wrong or miss something. No one's perfect. If you think something here needs updating, email us at resources@koora.care. We would genuinely rather know, because we all do better when we help each other get it right.
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