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

When you graduate, your student registration will end and you will be responsible for completing the provisional registration process with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) before starting your intern training.

Ahpra is the national agency that supports the Medical Board of Australia. One of Ahpra’s statutory responsibilities is to manage the registration process for health practitioners.

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

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

The application form contains questions to ensure you are eligible to apply online for provisional registration. If your pathway to registration is not currently supported, you will be prompted to apply using the General registration application form by contacting Ahpra’s customer service team.

How long does it take to register?

Ahpra recommends you apply for provisional registration four to six weeks before you complete your study 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 access the form at any time.

Do you need an 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:

• declare a criminal history outside Australia; and/or
• 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.

You are responsible for requesting and paying for an ICHC, and can apply to the Ahpra approved vendors; 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 results to you and to Ahpra.

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

You will also need

• Details of the qualification you studied and your student number (the education provider will send your graduate results directly to Ahpra).
• Proof of identity (see below).
• A Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card to pay the application and registration fees. You can find the fee amounts on the Medical Board of Australia website.

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 and 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 the relevant legislation does not apply to the National Law’s criminal history disclosure requirements.

Ahpra conducts an Australian criminal history screening on every registration applicant, and where applicable an ICHC.

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

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:

a. all of your primary and secondary education which was taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country, and

b. 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.

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’. 

Any 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 condition which potentially affects your “…capacity to practise the 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.

Proof of identity

All new registration applicants must also provide sufficient evidence of their identity. Please refer to Ahpra’s fact sheet on proof of identity requirements.

Your identity documents need to be certified in line with Ahpra’s guidelines before submitted.

Make sure the name and address you provide in your application matches those of your documents.

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. Therefore, interns in accredited training positions are exempt from the requirements that apply to most other medical practitioners.

Documents

You will need to have certified copies of your supporting documents ready to upload when you submit your online application.

Make sure the information you provide is accurate. Remember some of the information, for example your full name, qualifications and any conditions on your registration will be publicly available on the Ahpra’s register of practitioners.

For more information, see Ahpra's Supporting Documentation for Graduate Applications.

All medical practitioners who undertake any form of practice must have professional indemnity insurance.

When you are an intern, professional indemnity insurance may be provided by your employer, however it may not cover you in all circumstances. You should ensure it covers all capacities in which you practise. Initial registration and annual renewal of registration will require you to declare you are covered for all aspects of practice for the whole period of your registration. It is important that you understand the professional indemnity insurance arrangements registration standard.

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.  
• Unpaid healthcare cover - For those times when you may provide healthcare without being paid, such as an unpaid volunteer at a sporting event.
• Legal fees cover - Cover up to $500,000 if you are required to participate in a disciplinary, criminal or coronial inquiry. There is also cover for 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.

Intern members have access to Avant’s medico-legal advisers to help you if you need it, 24/7 in an emergency. 

If you would like more information, 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.