Can NDIS providers charge for travel?

Two parts: travel time and travel costs

Provider travel has two parts, claimed separately from the support itself:

• Labour costs: the time the worker spends travelling to you, charged by the hour
• Non labour costs: the running costs of the trip, such as kilometres in the worker's car, road tolls, parking and public transport fares

When travel can be charged

Under the NDIS claiming rules, a provider can only claim travel if all of these apply:

• The support item allows provider travel
• The travel is part of delivering a face to face support to you
• The provider explained the costs and why they are good value, and you agreed in advance, usually in your service agreement
• The provider has to pay the worker for the travel time, or is a sole trader travelling from their usual place of work or between clients
• The support does not already have travel built into its price

Travel time limits

How much travel time can be claimed depends on where you are when the support is delivered, using the Modified Monash Model:

• MM 1 to 3, cities and large regional towns: up to 30 minutes of travel to each participant
• MM 4 to 5, medium and small rural towns: up to 60 minutes
• MM 6 to 7, remote and very remote areas: no time limit, by arrangement with you
• For core and capacity building supports, return travel from the last participant back to base can also be claimed if the worker is paid for it, within the same limits

What travel time costs

For support workers and most other supports, travel time is charged at the hourly rate agreed for the support, or lower if you agree.

For therapists, travel time is capped at 50% of the hourly price limit. In the 2026/27 pricing schedule the national travel limits are $97.00 an hour for an occupational therapist, $92.00 for a physiotherapist and $126.50 for a psychologist, with higher remote and very remote limits.

Kilometres, tolls and parking

Non labour travel costs can only be claimed when travel time can be claimed. They are claimed against a separate provider travel non labour item, which has no price limit and is claimed at a notional unit price, so each dollar of cost is one unit. The amount must be reasonable and agreed with you. Check the NDIA's current claiming guidance for the per kilometre amount it considers reasonable.

Tolls, parking and fares can be passed on at cost, with your agreement. In remote and very remote areas this can include flights and accommodation, again only if you agree first.

Sharing travel between participants

If a worker visits several participants on one trip, the travel time and costs should be divided between them, as agreed with each participant in advance. Providers are expected to keep your travel costs as low as possible, for example by grouping visits in an area or using telehealth when it suits you.

Provider travel is not activity based transport

Provider travel is the worker getting to you. Activity based transport is different: it is the cost of transporting you during a support, such as driving you to a community activity. It is claimed against its own item, which also has a notional unit price rather than a price limit, and must be agreed in advance.