Features of the model
As an aged care registered provider, you will need to meet requirements under the Aged Care Act and Aged Care Rules relevant to your registration category or categories. These requirements will depend on the services you deliver or are funded to deliver.
Use the Aged Care Provider Requirements Search tool to find your requirements.
Registration requirements are intended to be proportionate to the environment a provider operates in, the services they deliver and any risks of harm that may be present.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) manages the provider register to publish each registered provider’s:
- registration categories
- service types
- registration period.
Regulatory oversight
The ACQSC is the Australian regulator of aged care services, it ensures aged care providers:
- comply with their requirements under the Act
- work in an open and ethical way to support older people.
The ACQSC may also apply specific conditions on the registration of an individual provider, for example:
- conditions related to the location or number of aged care recipients the provider can deliver services to
- a condition that restricts the service types that can be delivered within a registration category.
Watch a video about provider registration and the regulatory model.
Universal provider registration categories
Universal provider registration is a single registration for each provider across all aged care programs.
You can register into one or more of the 6 categories relevant to:
- the type of services you provide, or
- services required by your current funding agreement.
Download the Support at Home and residential care service lists or read about the types of aged care services delivered in Australia.
You are not required to deliver all services in the categories you are registered in, but you should deliver at least one service. You must notify ACQSC of the service types you intend to deliver.
For providers of multiple service types
If you deliver services across multiple registration categories, you will have a consolidated set of requirements. Requirements may be different based on the registration category.
For providers wishing to expand or vary service types
To register in an additional registration category, you will need to submit an application to the ACQSC to vary your registration.
If you operate under a funding agreement and want to provide services not listed in your current agreement, you will need to coordinate this with your funding arrangement manager.
For sole traders and non-corporations
Sole traders and partnerships can deliver government-funded aged care services.
This opens the market to more organisations and offers more choice to older people.
To register to deliver services you will need to:
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- demonstrate the ability to deliver aged care services in your proposed registration category.
Sole traders and partnerships should consider the requirements of delivering their proposed services before deciding to apply. For example, until at least June 2027 a single provider model will operate for the Support at Home program which means that providers will need to be able to deliver all of the services their care participants need.
For associated providers
An associated provider describes an organisation that delivers services on behalf of a registered provider, like a subcontractor.
An associated provider may:
- be a registered provider who provides specific services on behalf of another registered provider
- operate in the aged care system solely as a subcontractor and remain unregistered.
Registered providers can subcontract out service delivery, but they cannot contract out their legal responsibilities.
The registered provider is responsible for ensuring their associated providers comply with relevant requirements, regardless of whether the associated provider delivering those services is registered or not.
ACQSC remains responsible for managing non-compliance for all registered providers.
Workers of an associated provider may be considered aged care workers and will be screened to make sure they are suitable to work in an aged care setting.
Associated providers may decide to apply to become a registered provider and will need to follow the application process managed by ACQSC to become registered under the correct registration category.
Providers will be responsible for providing the ACQSC with a full list of associated providers delivering aged care services on their behalf, both at registration and renewal.
Watch a video about associated providers.
For state and territory governments
The registration process for state and territory government providers is slightly different.
A government entity can be a:
- Commonwealth entity (within the meaning of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013)
- State or Territory
- body established for a public purpose by or under a law of a State or Territory (other than a local government authority).
ACQSC will also regulate these providers.
Deeming process
On 1 November, with the start of the new Act, government-funded providers were deemed to the regulatory model as registered providers. In early November 2025, providers received a ‘Registration notification under the Aged Care Act 2024. This confirms their registration information and registration category(ies). No action is required by providers. This is the final step in the deeming process.
If amendments to provider registration details are required after the new Act starts, providers can complete a change in circumstance notification form or application for variation form managed by the ACQSC. An application to vary your registration can include:
- adding or removing a registration category
- adding an approved residential care home
- varying the total number of beds for a residential care home
- revoking, removing or changing a condition of registration.
Update your organisation’s contact information through the Manage your organisation tile on the Government Provider Management System (GPMS).
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