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Occupational therapists must be registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia, and meet the Board's registration standards, in order to practise in Australia.
Application forms for general registration are now available for downloading.
Further information on the registration process is available on the AHPRA website.
See the National Board’s PowerPoint slides for more information about the scheme. Hear a Voiceover on Powerpoint for further information about the scheme.
The National Board has issued guidance about when practitioners need to be registered. The guidance builds from the definition of practice used in the Board’s registration standards and provides profession-specific advice relevant to occupational therapists: Read the information sheet :
Visit the National Board's FAQ for more information about the scheme.
To work as an occupational therapist in Australia, you need to apply for and be registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia. You may also need to apply for a visa issued by the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (Australian Immigration Department).
These two application processes are entirely separate and success in one does not automatically guarantee success in the other.
More information on visa applications, including skills assessments and assessing authorities is available on the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection website.
Internationally-qualified occupational therapists wanting to practise in Australia are currently required to undertake an initial assessment in compliance with the requirements specified by the Occupational Therapy Council (OTC). This assessment comprises:
These initial assessment processes will then qualify internationally-trained practitioners for registration by the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia via the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Please visit the OTC website for further details on the initial assessment processes.
In addition, further information is provided on our facts sheets page, including:
The AHPRA website also provides information on the registration process as well as further information for overseas practitioners.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) supports the 15 National Boards in their role of protecting the public and setting standards and policies that all registered health practitioners must meet.
AHPRA and the National Boards work together to register and renew health practitioners and, where required, investigate complaints or concerns regarding health practitioners.
AHPRA's operations are governed by the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law which came into effect on 1 July 2010. This law applies in each Australian state and territory, and is sometimes referred to on our sites as ‘the National Law’.
All health practitioners registered to practise are included on the national register of practitioners which is managed by AHPRA.
Find out more about AHPRA.