Non-Practising Registration

This type of registration may be suitable for medical practitioners who:

• have retired completely from medical practice,
• are having a temporary absence from practise (for example, on maternity or paternity leave) or
• who are not practising in Australia but are practising overseas.

The Board’s definition of ’practice‘ is:

Any role, whether remunerated or not, in which the individual uses their skills and knowledge as a health practitioner in their profession. For the purposes of the Board’s standards, practice is not restricted to the provision of direct clinical care. It also includes using professional knowledge in a direct non-clinical relationship with clients, working in management, administration, education, research, advisory, regulatory or policy development roles, and any other roles that impact on safe, effective delivery of services in the profession.

Under the National Law, medical practitioners with non-practising registration must not practise the profession. The definition of practice is intended to be broad and inclusive. It allows individuals with medical qualifications to be registered if they are using their skills and knowledge as a health practitioner, regardless of whether they are providing direct patient care. This definition does not prevent individuals working in non-clinical roles from holding registration as long as they meet the relevant registration requirements.

The Board has published a statement on Medical Registration – What does it mean? Who should be registered? to help individuals with medical qualifications to decide whether or not they should be registered. It also provides advice on the activities that can be undertaken without requiring practising registration.

Medical practitioners with non-practising registration must not:

• provide medical treatment or opinion about the physical or mental health of an individual
• prescribe or formally refer to other health practitioners.

Non-practising practitioners seeking to prescribe and/or refer to other health practitioners may apply for general or specialist registration and will need to meet the Board’s registration standards for:

• continuing professional development
• recency of practice
• professional indemnity insurance arrangements
• criminal history

There is a reduced fee for non-practising registration.

For more information see:

• Frequently asked questions on non-practising registration.
• Medical Registration – What does it mean? Who should be registered? 

Forms for non-practising registration

• Application for non-practising registration as a medical practitioner - ANPC-30 (861 KB,PDF)