Who's eligible - the three tests
The NDIA checks three things, in this order. All three have to be met.
- Age. You must be younger than 65 on the day you apply - and the complete application has to reach the NDIA before your 65th birthday. (Over 65, the aged-care system is the door instead.)
- Residency. You must live in Australia - it's your home and where you spend most of your time - and be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or hold a Protected Special Category visa.
- Disability, or early intervention. Either your impairment is likely to be and substantially reduces what you can do in daily life, so you're likely to need NDIS support for life - or the impairment is likely to be permanent and getting support early will reduce what you need later.
The NDIA's phrase for an impairment that's expected to be lifelong - there's no known treatment that would remove it. It's about the impairment, not the diagnosis: two people with the same diagnosis can be affected very differently, and the evidence has to show how you are affected.
A parent, guardian or nominee can make the application. The evidence still has to be about the person applying, and the NDIA may want to speak with them directly where they can take part.
The evidence that matters most
Applications live or die on the evidence, so it's worth spending most of your effort here. The NDIA wants information from your treating health professionals - a GP, specialist, psychologist, occupational therapist, speech pathologist or similar - that covers:
- What the impairment is, and that it's likely to be permanent
- How it affects everyday life - moving around, communicating, looking after yourself, learning, managing at home and in the community
- What treatments have been tried, and what's still expected to change (if anything)
- Recent, dated reports - the more specific about daily impact, the better
- Proof of identity, age and residency
The single most common reason applications stall is evidence that describes a diagnosis without describing its impact. "Has autism" is a diagnosis; "needs prompting for every step of the morning routine and can't use public transport alone" is impact. Ask the professionals writing your reports to be concrete.
The five steps
- Talk to an NDIS partner. Local area coordinators (LACs) and early childhood partners help people apply for free. Find yours through the NDIS office finder, or call the NDIA on 1800 800 110.
- Gather the evidence from your treating health professionals - the list above.
- Complete the access request form. Your partner can do it with you, or you can do it yourself.
- Submit it - online through the NDIA's service hub, by mail, or in person at a local office.
- Wait for the decision. The NDIA may ask for more information; the sooner it arrives, the sooner the clock runs.
If you're found eligible, the next step is a planning conversation about your goals and supports - and that's where a provider like us comes into the picture.
The access request form - and the supporting evidence form
The application itself is the Access Request Form. You can ask for one by calling the NDIA on 1800 800 110, through your local area coordinator or early childhood partner, or at an NDIA office - and your partner can fill it in with you.
The medical part is where applications are won or lost. Your treating health professional can complete it in one of two ways: Part F of the Access Request Form, or the NDIA's separate Supporting Evidence Form. Either works - what matters is that it describes the impact on daily life, not just the diagnosis.
How long it takes
The NDIA has 90 days to make an access decision once it has received your application and all the supporting evidence. In practice the clock is often longer than 90 days from the day you start, because gathering reports takes time and the NDIA can ask for more. Two things shorten it: sending everything at once, and answering requests for information quickly.
If the answer is no
The NDIA sends a letter explaining the decision. You have two routes:
- Ask for a review. An internal review looks at the decision again, and it helps to add evidence that answers the reasons given in the letter.
- Apply again if your circumstances change or you have new evidence.
Either way, your NDIS partner can connect you with community and mainstream services in the meantime - and a "no" now is not a "no" forever.
NDIS legislation is changing in 2026, and the NDIA's own website says its pages are being updated. What's on this page was checked against ndis.gov.au on 26 September 2026. If you're reading this later, use it as a map, and treat the NDIA's applying page as the source of truth.
Children under 9
Young children go through the NDIA's early childhood approach rather than the standard access request. An early childhood partner talks with the family first, can connect you to supports straight away, and helps with an application if the NDIS is the right path. You don't need a diagnosis to have that first conversation.
Help while you wait - on the Central Coast
An application can take months, and life doesn't pause. Beyond Disability Support offers self-funded practical help - domestic help, shopping, meals, companionship and transport - arranged privately, without a plan. It isn't personal or clinical care, and we'll say so if that's what's needed.
Once a plan arrives, bring it to us. We'll show you what's in it, which supports we could provide, and what it would cost from each budget - Your NDIS plan, decoded is the guide for that stage.