Registering with Ahpra for the first time – what you need to know

When you graduate, your student registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) will end and you will need to apply for provisional registration as a medical graduate before starting your intern training.

What is Ahpra and what is its role?

Ahpra is the national agency that supports the Medical Board of Australia. Ahpra manages the registration process for health practitioners.

How to register and why

Before working as a doctor, you need to hold registration with the Medical Board. As an intern you need to apply online for provisional registration.

Some preliminary information and links to the Ahpra portal for online registration are available at Medical Board of Australia – Interns (under the FAQ “How to apply for provisional registration”) or at Medical Board of Australia - Forms.

If your pathway to registration is not currently supported via online application, you will be prompted to complete a downloaded PDF application form. Ahpra’s customer service team are available to provide support.

How long does it take to register?

Ahpra recommends you apply for provisional registration four to six weeks before you complete your course. (Applying much earlier than this may mean the disclosures you make aren’t current enough.)

Allow plenty of time to complete and submit your application – you can save information and go back to the form at any time.

Getting started

The starting point for online registration is to create an account in the new Ahpra portal. This will require you to set up multifactor authentication (or two-step verification) to keep your account secure.

Here are some tips:

• Please review the content on the new Ahpra graduate landing page, and follow the instructions closely.
• Registration needs to be done on a desktop/laptop, but you will also need your mobile phone with an authenticator app installed, and to capture a QR code.
• If you do not already have an authenticator app on your phone, Ahpra recommends the free ‘Google authenticator’ app.
• If you have difficulties, first check Troubleshooting tips for the Ahpra portal. If you still require assistance, you can contact Ahpra on 1300 419 415.

You will also need

• Proof of identity (see below).
• Details of the qualification you studied and your student number. Your education provider will send your graduate results directly to Ahpra once these are available. (Your application will show this step is ‘pending’ until results have been provided to Ahpra by your university. You will be notified by email once this has occurred.)
• A Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card to pay the application for registration fee. The schedule of fees is published on the Medical Board of Australia website.

What do you have to disclose to Ahpra?

The registration process assesses your fitness to practise and requires you to disclose a range of information including:

Any criminal history

Criminal history includes:

• every charge for an offence
• every plea of guilty or finding of guilt by a court for an offence, regardless of whether a conviction is recorded
• every conviction for an offence.

There are different requirements in different states and territories. You must tell Ahpra if:

• you’re in Western Australia and you’ve been convicted for unpaid parking fines
• you’re in Queensland and pleaded guilty to an offence charge, even if the outcome was guilty without conviction
• you’re in Tasmania and you’ve received a speeding or parking fine.

You must also provide information about any spent convictions, because under the National Law spent convictions legislation does not apply to criminal history disclosure requirements.

Ahpra conducts an Australian criminal history screening on every registration applicant, and where applicable an International Criminal History Check (ICHC) – see below.

For more information go to Ahpra’s Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - Criminal history checks (ahpra.gov.au) and the Medical Board’s criminal history registration standard.

Your application might be delayed if you do not declare your criminal history and one is found during the screening process.

Ahpra might ask you for more information about a criminal history if it, or the Board, thinks that it might be relevant to whether or not you are a suitable person to hold registration as a medical practitioner.

International criminal history check

Some applicants need to apply for an International Criminal History Check (ICHC) before starting the registration process.

It is mandatory to apply for an ICHC if:

• you have lived or have been primarily based in one or more countries other than Australia for six consecutive months or longer, when 18 years old or older; or
• you have a criminal history outside Australia to declare.

You are responsible for requesting and paying for an ICHC. There are two Ahpra approved vendors who can process this: Fit2Work or AIS International.

Once you have applied, the approved vendor will provide an ICHC reference page and check reference number. You then provide these details as part of your registration. The approved vendor will send the ICHC results to you and to Ahpra.

For more information on international criminal history checks refer to Ahpra's international criminal history checks page.

English language skills

The Medical Board’s registration standard for English language skills applies to all new applicants, regardless of the country you graduated in.

You can demonstrate your English language competency if English is your primary language and you have undertaken and satisfactorily completed:

1. all of your primary and secondary education which was taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country, and
2. relevant tertiary qualifications (those you’re relying on to be eligible for registration) which were taught and assessed solely in English.

Where English is not your primary language, there are a number of other ways to demonstrate your English language competency set out in the registration standards.

An impairment

An impairment is defined as any physical or mental impairment, disability, condition or disorder (including substance abuse or dependency) that detrimentally affects or is likely to detrimentally affect your capacity to safely practise your profession or undertake clinical training.

If you have a permanent health condition which potentially affects your “…capacity to safely practise your profession” because, for example, you have to avoid certain tasks or situations, it is important to provide details in your registration application.

It does not mean your registration will be denied. Ahpra may ask you for further information, focusing on understanding how the heath condition is managed.

If an impairment you disclose is managed with support from a treating health practitioner, uploading a letter from them about how the condition is managed can assist.

Exposure prone procedures

As an intern, you will most likely be performing exposure prone procedures. You need to confirm this and indicate you agree to comply with the ‘Guidelines: Registered health practitioners and students in relation to blood-borne viruses’.

Other information about the application process

Proof of identity

Everyone applying for registration must go through an identity check. Ahpra does this using InstaID+, a secure, independent provider.

After you submit your application, InstaID+ will email you a secure link (within 48 hours) to complete your proof of identity check online.

When you get the link, you have 30 days to complete your identity check. If you don't complete it within 30 days, Ahpra will withdraw your application and refund your registration fee. If this happens and you still want to apply, you’ll have to start a new application and pay the application and registration fee again.

Registration information will be publicly available

Some of the information you provide for your registration, for example, your full name, qualifications and any conditions on your registration, will be publicly available on Ahpra’s register of practitioners.

CPD requirements

Interns will be deemed to have met the Medical Board's requirements for CPD by working in their position and undertaking any associated education. Interns in accredited training positions are therefore not required to have a CPD home or to record their CPD hours.

Professional indemnity insurance and registration

All medical practitioners who undertake any form of practice must have professional indemnity insurance. In accordance with the professional indemnity insurance arrangements registration standard this needs to cover you for all aspects of your practice for the whole period of your registration.

When you are an intern, professional indemnity insurance will most likely be provided by your employer, however it may not cover you in all circumstances. It's important to choose the medical defence organisation that has the expertise and resources to support you when you need it most.

As an intern member you will have access to Avant’s Medico-legal Advisory Service to help you if you need it, 24/7 in an emergency.

Avant's Intern Indemnity Insurance Policy inclusions*:

• Up to $20 million civil liability cover for private work where it forms part of your training program and when you are not indemnified by your employer^.  
• Legal fees cover - Cover up to $500,000 if you are required to participate in a disciplinary, criminal or coronial inquiry.
• Cover for employment disputes - you are also covered for legal fees and expenses up to $150,000 for an employer dispute such as a complaint that arises from your involvement in your hospital’s rotation program.
• Automatic communicable disease cover - Provides you a lump sum payment of $125,000 in certain circumstances if you contract Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B or HIV.

Cover is subject to approval and to the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy.

More information

Find out more about the benefits of Avant membership in your intern and RMO1 years.

If you would like more information on registration for interns, visit Ahpra's Graduate registration information and graduate registration FAQs page.

For medico-legal advice, please contact us here, or call 1800 128 268, 24/7 in emergencies.