Direct answer: NDIS travel charging rules let registered providers claim for the time a worker spends travelling to deliver a support, and for related non-labour travel costs like the per-kilometre vehicle cost, within the limits set in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. Travel must be reasonable, agreed in the participant's service agreement, and claimed against the correct travel support items. The exact rates, limits, and rules are NDIS-set and change, so always check the current Pricing Arrangements.
Travel is one of the most misclaimed areas in NDIS billing. Providers either under-claim, leaving legitimate travel costs on the table, or over-claim and trigger rejections and compliance risk. Both cost you.
This guide covers the NDIS travel charging rules from the provider's seat: what you can charge for travel time, how the per-kilometre and non-labour costs work, how travel is calculated, and how to claim it correctly. Get it right and you recover real costs without breaching the rules.
What are the NDIS travel charging rules?
The NDIS travel charging rules, set within the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, govern when and how a provider can charge for travel connected to delivering a support.
Short answer: NDIS travel charging rules allow providers to claim for a worker's travel time to and from a participant, plus related non-labour travel costs, within NDIS limits and where it's agreed in the service agreement. The rules cap how much travel can be claimed.
There are two distinct things you can charge for:
Travel time (labour): the worker's time spent travelling to deliver the support.
Non-labour travel costs: the vehicle running cost, usually a per-kilometre rate, plus certain other transport costs.
Confusing these two is where most travel billing errors start.
Can NDIS providers charge for travel time?
Yes, within limits.
Short answer: NDIS providers can charge for the time a support worker spends travelling to and from a participant, at the same hourly rate as the support, up to the maximum travel time allowed in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. The limit depends on the participant's location (metro, regional, or remote).
Key points on travel time:
It's claimed at the support's hourly rate.
There's a maximum claimable travel time per trip, which varies by region.
It must be genuinely for delivering the participant's support.
It has to be agreed in the service agreement.
Travel time also intersects with your payroll, since the worker is paid for that time under SCHADS. Our SCHADS payroll audit guide covers the pay side, which must line up with what you claim.
How much can you charge per kilometre for NDIS travel?
The per-kilometre rate for non-labour travel costs is set in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements.
Short answer: Providers can claim a per-kilometre rate for vehicle travel costs when delivering a support, up to the limit in the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements. The exact rate is NDIS-set and changes, so confirm it in the current Pricing Arrangements before charging.
Because the per-km rate and caps are updated by the NDIS (usually each 1 July), this article deliberately doesn't lock in a figure. Confirm the current rate in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. Charging an outdated rate is a common cause of rejected travel claims.
How is NDIS travel calculated?
Travel is calculated in two parts, claimed against the right support items:
Travel time: the reasonable time to travel to the participant, at the support's hourly rate, capped by region.
Non-labour costs: the distance travelled at the per-km rate, plus any allowable additional costs (like road tolls or parking, where permitted).
Short answer: NDIS travel is calculated as travel time (at the support's hourly rate, capped by region) plus non-labour costs (distance at the NDIS per-km rate). Both are claimed against the correct travel support items and must be within the participant's budget.
Where a worker travels to multiple participants in a row, the travel is generally apportioned between them, not charged in full to each. Getting this apportionment right is a common audit and rejection point.
What you must have to charge for travel
Before claiming travel, confirm:
The travel is genuinely for delivering the participant's support
It's within the NDIS travel limits for the region
The per-km rate matches the current Pricing Arrangements
The travel terms are agreed in the service agreement
The participant has budget for it
It's claimed against the correct travel support items
Key point: Like cancellations, travel charges are only chargeable if they're agreed in the participant's service agreement. Travel billed without agreed terms is a compliance and consumer-law risk.
How to claim NDIS travel correctly
The process:
Record the travel accurately (time and distance).
Check it's within the regional travel limit.
Apply the current per-km rate for non-labour costs.
Apportion travel across multiple participants where relevant.
Claim against the correct travel support items.
Keep the records to evidence the claim.
Claiming travel incorrectly, wrong item, over the limit, or without agreed terms, causes rejections. Our rejected claims guide and invoice requirements guide cover getting the claim clean.
Key takeaways
NDIS travel charging covers travel time (labour) and non-labour costs (per-km and related).
Travel time is claimed at the support's hourly rate, capped by region.
The per-km rate and caps are NDIS-set and change; check the current Pricing Arrangements.
Travel must be agreed in the service agreement and within budget.
Travel across multiple participants is apportioned, not charged in full to each.
Frequently asked questions
Can NDIS providers charge for travel time?
Yes. Providers can charge for a support worker's travel time to and from a participant, at the support's hourly rate, up to the maximum travel time allowed in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements, which varies by region. It must be agreed in the service agreement.
How much can you charge per kilometre for NDIS travel?
Providers can claim a per-kilometre rate for vehicle travel costs, up to the limit in the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements. The exact rate is set by the NDIS and changes, so confirm the current figure before charging.
How is NDIS travel calculated?
NDIS travel is calculated as travel time (at the support's hourly rate, capped by region) plus non-labour costs (distance at the NDIS per-km rate, plus allowable extras). Both are claimed against the correct travel support items and must be within the participant's budget.
What is the difference between travel time and non-labour travel costs?
Travel time is the worker's time spent travelling, claimed at the support's hourly rate. Non-labour travel costs are the vehicle running costs, usually a per-kilometre rate. They're separate charges with separate rules and support items.
Do you need travel terms in the service agreement to charge for travel?
Yes. Travel charges are only chargeable when the travel terms are agreed in the participant's service agreement. Charging for travel without agreed terms is a compliance and consumer-law risk.
How is travel charged when a worker sees multiple participants?
When a worker travels to several participants in sequence, the travel is generally apportioned between them rather than charged in full to each. Getting this apportionment right avoids over-claiming and rejections.
NDIS travel charging rules come down to charging the right things, travel time and non-labour costs, within the regional limits, at current rates, agreed in the service agreement, and claimed correctly. Get it right and you recover legitimate travel costs. Get it wrong and you either lose money or trigger rejections.
The providers who bill travel well aren't charging more; they're charging accurately, with agreed terms and clean claims.
See travel billed correctly. Start a free CareVisor trial and see how providers capture travel time and distance, apply current rates, and claim travel against the right items, so legitimate costs are recovered without rejections.
About CareVisor
CareVisor is the audit-ready operating system for Australian NDIS providers, built in Sydney by NDIS operators who have prepared for and passed Quality and Safeguards Commission audits firsthand. Rostering, travel and claiming, service agreements, participant management, incident reporting, and SCHADS payroll live in one platform, mapped to the NDIS Practice Standards, with a time-stamped audit trail captured by default. Learn more about us or start your free trial at carevisor.com.au.
