Starting a private practice in Australia after you move: ABN, provider numbers, NDIS and insurance for OTs, speech pathologists and physios

Written by Callum Trevorrow. Last checked 28 October 2026 against official sources.

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To run your own practice in Australia you need an ABN, which the Australian Business Register says you’re entitled to only if you’re carrying on or starting an enterprise, not for work as an employee. Before any of that, a registered migration agent needs to confirm that your visa allows you to be self-employed, because that’s a visa question, not a business one.

This is general information, not visa, legal or tax advice. I run a multi-site paediatric allied health practice in South East Queensland, and several of our clinicians came to us from overseas. This page sets out the official steps in the order they usually come up.

Step 1: the visa question

Whether you can run a business or work for yourself depends on your visa and its conditions. We don’t assess that. Ask a registered migration agent to confirm it for your visa before you register a business, sign a lease or take on clients, and check Home Affairs for your visa’s conditions.

Step 2: registration or certification in your own name

	Occupational therapy	Speech pathology	Physiotherapy
What you need	Registration with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia (Ahpra)	Speech pathology isn’t regulated under the national registration scheme (Ahpra). Medicare, private health insurers and registered NDIS providers require Certified Practising (CPSP) status with Speech Pathology Australia (SPA), so in practice you need it	Registration with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia (Ahpra)
For Medicare	Current general or limited registration	Certified Practising (CPSP) status with SPA	Current general or limited registration
Your route there	See Ahpra registration for overseas OTs	See Certified Practising, not Ahpra	See Express FLYR, FLYR and APEP

Step 3: an ABN

The Australian Business Register says you’re entitled to an ABN if you’re carrying on or starting an enterprise in Australia. You’re not entitled to one for work you do as an employee, and employers shouldn’t require an ABN as a condition of employment. If a practice asks you for an ABN for what looks like a job, read contractor or employee first.

Step 4: a Medicare provider number for each location

Apply online in HPOS (you need a PRODA account: My details, then My Digital Provider Number Registration). If you’re not eligible to apply online, use paper form HW093.
Services Australia says most health professionals get their provider number immediately through HPOS, though some applications need a service officer.
You need a new provider number for each new practice location. If you’ll work from rooms and also do home visits or a second site, plan for it.
Services Australia says to apply early because of a surge between December and April.

What Medicare pays for, and the limits, are on how allied health is funded.

Step 5: NDIS registration, only if you need it

Registration is needed for NDIA-managed participants and a short list of supports, not for therapy as such; who must register, the Code of Conduct and worker screening are on the NDIS for overseas therapists.

Step 6: your own professional indemnity insurance

	What the standard says
OTs	You must not practise without appropriate PII arrangements. An employer’s cover is unlikely to cover self-employed work, so you need your own. Tell the Board within 7 days if cover lapses
Physios	PII appropriate to your level of risk, including run-off cover. The Board sets no minimum amount
Speech pathologists	PII is mandatory for CPSP status

See CPD, recency and insurance for the rest of the annual standards.

If you take on contractors

The ATO can treat a contractor paid mainly for their labour as an employee for super; see contractor or employee and get advice before you engage anyone.

Streams you can’t simply opt into

Some work is through approved providers only. WorkCover Queensland’s return to work services, for example, can only be delivered by members of its Rehabilitation Services Provider Panel. Panel providers are organisations appointed through WorkCover’s open tender; clinicians aren’t approved individually. See OT in workers’ compensation.

Your next step

OTs: check which OT Board route your qualification is on, because registration comes before a provider number or an ABN is any use to you.
Speech pathologists: check whether you can use SPA’s MRA or need the OSQCA, because Medicare, NDIS work at a registered provider and private health insurers all look for CPSP status.
Physios: check which Australian Physiotherapy Council route applies to you.
Everyone: ask a registered migration agent whether your visa allows self-employment before you spend money on a practice.

The pathway check below asks the registration questions in a few minutes and shows which route applies, so you can see how far you are from working in your own name.

Related guides

Contractor or employee? How the ATO and Fair Work decide, for OTs, speech pathologists and physiosATO and Fair Work use different employee-or-contractor tests. What each checks, when contractors get 12% super, and what it means for OTs, speech and physios.
CPD, recency of practice and insurance in Australia: OT Board and Physiotherapy Board side by side, plus SPA for speech pathologistsOTs, physios and speech pathologists all need 20 hours of CPD a year in Australia, but recency, insurance and records rules differ. Side by side, with sources.
Do speech pathologists need Ahpra registration? No: what Certified Practising (CPSP) status means insteadNo: speech pathologists aren't regulated by Ahpra. Employers, Medicare and registered NDIS providers look for Certified Practising (CPSP) status: 20 CPD hours.
Who pays for OT, speech pathology and physio in Australia? One map of the funding streamsOne map of how OT, speech and physio are funded in Australia: Medicare, NDIS, private extras, Queensland Health, aged care, WorkCover, DVA and the paperwork.
The NDIS for overseas OTs, speech pathologists and physios: registration, worker screening and pricingEmployees don't need their own NDIS registration, but a practice must be registered to see NDIA-managed participants. Qld worker screening is A$147.

Sources

Written by Callum Trevorrow, Physiotherapist and founder
Callum Trevorrow is a physiotherapist with experience across public, private and community settings, across the lifespan. He has led a hospital, and now leads a multi-site allied health company that employs overseas staff.
Last checked 28 October 2026. Sources are listed below. How we check.

General information only, not migration or legal advice. Visa advice should come from a registered migration agent (we work alongside them). Registration decisions are made by Ahpra and the professional bodies, not by us. Fees and rules change: check the linked official source before you rely on a figure.