Written by the Good Company Disability Services team, NDIS support providers in Perth and Melbourne. Reviewed October 2026.
You are eligible for the NDIS if you are under 65 when you apply, live in Australia as an Australian citizen, permanent resident or Protected Special Category visa holder, and meet the disability or early intervention requirements. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) makes the decision using evidence about your impairment and how it affects your daily life. If you’re new to the scheme, our guide to what the NDIS is and how it works covers the basics first.
What are the NDIS eligibility criteria?
The NDIA uses the same NDIS eligibility requirements for everyone, and you need to give evidence for each one. There are three:
- Age: you are aged 0 to 64 when you apply.
- Residence: you live in Australia and are an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or a Protected Special Category visa holder.
- Disability or early intervention: you meet the disability requirements, the early intervention requirements, or both.
Is there an age limit for the NDIS?
Yes. You must be younger than 65 on the day you apply, so your application needs to go in before your 65th birthday. If you’re turning 65 soon, the NDIA’s Applying to the NDIS guideline says to contact them so they can help you apply in time. People aged 65 or older can be referred to local aged care services instead.
What are the NDIS residence requirements?
You must be an Australian citizen, hold a permanent visa, or hold a Protected Special Category visa (some New Zealand citizens have one). Australia also needs to be your home, where you spend most of your time. The NDIA looks at things like where you live, where your close family lives and how long you spend overseas. Usually, consenting to the NDIA using your Centrelink record is enough evidence of residence.
What are the NDIS disability requirements?
To meet the NDIS disability requirements, all five of these must apply:
- Your disability is caused by one or more impairments.
- The impairment is, or is likely to be, permanent. It can still have ups and downs.
- It substantially reduces your ability to do everyday activities, so you usually need disability supports, such as a high level of help from others or prescribed equipment or home modifications.
- It affects your ability to work, study or take part in social life.
- You are likely to need NDIS supports for your whole life.
The NDIA looks at six areas of everyday life: communicating, socialising, learning, moving around, looking after yourself and managing your life. Your impairment needs to substantially reduce your capacity in at least one of them.
Impairments can be intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, physical or psychosocial (related to mental health). The NDIA usually considers treatment options first, and it bases eligibility on how your impairment affects you, not just on a diagnosis.
What are the early intervention requirements?
The early intervention requirements are about getting support early so you need less support later. You may meet them if:
- you have an impairment that is likely to be permanent (or, for a child under 6, developmental delay)
- early intervention is likely to reduce how much support you’ll need in the future
- the support would improve your daily functioning, stop it getting worse, or build the skills of your family and other informal supports
- the supports you need are NDIS supports
There are also specific rules for people aged 25 or younger with hearing loss. Early intervention supports are usually short term, and the NDIA checks more often whether you still meet these requirements.
| Disability requirements | Early intervention requirements | |
|---|---|---|
| Impairment | Permanent or likely to be permanent | Likely to be permanent, or developmental delay for children under 6 |
| Main test | Substantially reduced capacity in everyday activities | Early support is likely to reduce future support needs |
| How long support is expected | Likely needed for life | Usually short term, checked regularly |
You can meet both sets of requirements at the same time.
What evidence do you need for the NDIS?
You’ll need evidence of your identity, age, residence and disability. For identity, you can provide documents or give consent for the NDIA to access your Centrelink record.
Good supporting evidence about your disability is recent and comes from a treating health professional who knows you well. The NDIA suggests someone who has worked with you for at least six months and is registered with AHPRA or the relevant professional body. Common examples are GPs, paediatricians, neurologists and psychiatrists. The evidence should explain:
- your disability and impairment
- how it affects different parts of your life
- treatments you’ve had and how they went
- future treatment options
You, your family, carers and providers can also share how your disability affects daily life. Evidence can be a formal report or assessment, or an informal letter or email.
How to apply for the NDIS
The NDIA sets out five steps to apply:
- Connect with an NDIS partner: a local area coordinator if you’re 9 or older, or an early childhood partner for children under 9. Not sure who yours is? Call 1800 800 110. First Nations people can also call First Nations Connect on 1800 411 640.
- Gather evidence from your treating health professional.
- Complete your application with your partner’s help, or on your own using the NDIS access request form.
- Submit it online through the NDIS service hub, by mail to NDIA, GPO Box 700, Canberra ACT 2601, or in person at your NDIS partner or a local office.
- Wait for the decision. You’ll be told whether you’re eligible within 90 days of giving the NDIA your application and all supporting evidence.
If the NDIA asks for more information, you’ll have at least 90 days to respond, and you can ask for more time. If you don’t respond, your application can be treated as withdrawn, but you can apply again.
What happens if you are eligible?
You become a participant on the day of the decision, and you’ll get an impairment notice saying which requirements you met. The NDIA’s guideline says your first plan must be approved within 56 days of becoming a participant.
What if you’re not eligible for the NDIS?
The NDIA will send you a letter explaining why. You can call 1800 800 110 to talk it through, ask for a review, or apply again with new evidence. You can still get help outside the NDIS:
- Community connections: NDIS partners help people aged 9 to 64 find local supports, peer groups and services through community connections, even if they aren’t eligible for the NDIS.
- Mainstream services: government-funded health, mental health, education and employment services are still available to you.
- Foundational supports: governments are rolling out foundational supports outside the NDIS in stages. Thriving Kids, for young children, is the first phase.
How does NDIS eligibility work for children?
Children younger than 9 and their families are supported through the early childhood approach, delivered by early childhood partners. A partner can help you understand your child’s development, connect with community and mainstream services, and apply to the NDIS if your child is likely to be eligible. They can help even if your child isn’t eligible.
A child under 6 with developmental delay can meet the early intervention requirements if the delay is caused by a mental or physical impairment, substantially reduces their functional capacity compared with other children their age, and means they need help from more than one professional working as a team, usually for longer than 12 months.
What is Thriving Kids?
Thriving Kids is a new program outside the NDIS for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs. It started in October 2026 and is rolling out in stages, with all supports due to be in place by 1 January 2028. A diagnosis isn’t needed.
The NDIA says NDIS access and eligibility won’t change until 1 January 2028, and children with permanent and significant disability or high support needs will keep accessing the NDIS. For autism information and referrals, the Thriving Kids Autism Helpline is 1300 654 789.
Can you ask for a review of an NDIS eligibility decision?
Yes. A decision that you’re not eligible can be reviewed. To request an internal review:
- ask within 3 months of getting the decision
- contact the NDIA by phone on 1800 800 110, through the service hub, by letter or at a local office
- explain why you think a different decision should be made, and include any new evidence
A staff member who wasn’t involved in the first decision does the review, and the NDIA aims to finish within 60 days. If you still disagree, you can apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal for an external review within 28 days of the internal review being completed.
How Good Company can help
Only the NDIA can decide if you’re eligible. Once you have a plan, we can help you put it to work, in person in Perth and Melbourne or remotely in other states.
- Our NDIS support coordination helps you understand your new plan and connect with providers.
- NDIS mentoring helps you work towards the goals in your plan, one step at a time.
- Find local help through our Perth disability services or Melbourne disability services.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a diagnosis to get the NDIS?
Not on its own. The NDIA bases eligibility on your impairment and how it affects your everyday life, not just a diagnosis. You still need evidence from a treating professional showing your impairment, that it’s likely to be permanent, and how it affects activities like communicating, learning, moving around or looking after yourself. Thriving Kids, for young children, doesn’t need a diagnosis.
Can you get the NDIS for a mental health condition?
Yes, if you meet the requirements. Psychosocial disability, meaning reduced capacity to do daily tasks because of a mental health condition, is one of the impairment types the NDIA considers. The impairment must be permanent or likely to be permanent, even if its effects come and go, and it must substantially reduce your functional capacity in everyday life.
How long does an NDIS application take?
The NDIA says you’ll be told whether you’re eligible within 90 days of giving them your application and all supporting evidence. If they ask for more information, you’ll have at least 90 days to respond. Missing information from your health professional can delay a decision, so check your evidence is complete before you submit it.
Can I reapply if my NDIS application is not approved?
Yes. You can apply again, and it makes sense to reapply when your situation changes or you have new evidence. You can’t reapply while an internal review or tribunal review of your earlier decision is still underway. You can also ask for an internal review within 3 months of the decision.
Got a new NDIS plan and not sure where to start? Call our team on 08 9334 6995 (office hours 9am to 5:30pm) or contact us online and we’ll talk you through your options.
