What the NDIS will not pay for
The NDIS supports rules list travel costs as day to day living costs that are not NDIS supports. That includes:
- Cruises, holiday packages and holiday accommodation
- Airfares, including interstate and overseas travel
- Passports and visas
- Activities and meals included in travel
- School camp, excursion and incursion fees, and vacation care or school holiday programs
What the NDIS can fund while you travel
Your disability support needs do not stop on holiday, so the supports you would normally use can continue while you are away. For example, a support worker can help with personal care or getting around, paid from your Core budget at the usual price limits for the time and day.
Costs connected to the worker coming with you, such as their flights, accommodation or meals, are the hardest part to plan for. Agree in writing with your provider what will be charged and how, and check with your plan manager or the NDIA before you book if you are unsure it can be claimed.
Respite stays and camps through short term accommodation
Short term accommodation, often called respite, is support away from home for up to 14 days at a time, so you and the people who usually support you can have a break. It can be in a respite house or another individual or group setting, and some camps run by disability providers are delivered this way.
Under the 2026/27 price limits, providers claim the support hours separately from the accommodation. Accommodation for the participant is up to $162.85 a day in most of Australia, and the same daily limit applies to accommodation for a support worker during the stay.
Camps that build skills
Some camps and holiday programs are designed to build independence, social skills or confidence. Where the disability related costs of a camp or activity have a real capacity building focus, they may be funded from your Capacity Building budget. Ask the camp provider how the program builds skills and what they will claim, and keep in mind the general cost of the trip is still yours.
Travelling overseas
Under the NDIS Act you can be outside Australia for a grace period of 6 weeks without your plan being affected. If you stay away longer, your plan is suspended from the end of the grace period until you return, unless the NDIA has agreed to a longer grace period. Talk to the NDIA before you go if you expect to be away longer.
Holidays and the 2026 funding reset
Support worker time while you are out and about is often funded from social, economic and community participation, which is reduced by 50% when your plan is created, reassessed or renewed from 1 October 2026. Personal care at home is not affected. If a trip will use a lot of support hours, plan it early and check what is left in each budget.
Planning tips
- Write travel or respite goals into your plan, such as having a break with friends or trying a new place
- Get a written quote and service agreement before the trip, including weekend and public holiday rates
- Ask about group respite or camps, which can share costs across participants
- Check accessible accommodation and transport before you pay deposits
- Carers can ask Carer Gateway about planned respite for a break too