NDIS provider travel guide
NDIS provider travel explained: time, kilometres, tolls and participant transport.
Short answer: NDIS travel is not one single charge. Travel time to reach a participant, the non-labour cost of that trip and transport provided while the participant is with you are different things. Each amount needs to be allowed for the support, agreed with the participant and recorded separately before it is added to an invoice.
A cost may be possible under the pricing rules but still be inappropriate to invoice if it was not discussed and agreed. Check the current NDIS pricing documents, the support item and the participant's service agreement before billing.
Begin by naming the type of travel
Most confusion begins when every vehicle-related amount is called travel. That makes it hard to tell what happened and which rule applies. Separate the trip into three possible parts.
| Travel type | What it describes | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Provider travel time | The worker's time travelling to deliver an eligible face-to-face support | Driving from the provider's usual place of work to the participant |
| Provider travel non-labour cost | Vehicle running costs, parking, tolls or other agreed travel expenses | Agreed vehicle contribution for the trip to the participant |
| Activity-based transport | Transporting the participant as part of delivering an eligible support | Driving the participant from home to a community activity |
These amounts can have different support items, units and conditions. One journey may involve more than one type, but that does not mean every part can automatically be charged.
Five questions to answer before adding travel
- Is travel allowed for the primary support?Check the current support catalogue and pricing documents. Do not assume every support allows the same travel treatment.
- Was the cost agreed?The participant should understand what may be charged, how it is calculated and which journeys it covers.
- Which funding arrangement applies?Plan-managed and NDIA-managed claims are subject to applicable price limits and claiming processes.
- What actually happened?Record real time, distance and costs. Do not use a standard amount when the service agreement requires actual travel.
- Can you show each part clearly?Travel should not be hidden inside the support hours or described so vaguely that the recipient cannot review it.
The SoloDocket claim rules checker provides a question-by-question review for provider travel and activity-based transport. It is a guide for checking conditions, not an approval decision.
Provider travel time is the worker's time
Provider travel time is about the time required to reach a participant for an eligible face-to-face service. It is different from the time spent supporting or transporting the participant. The applicable rate, direction of travel and time limit can depend on the support type, provider type and location.
Record the departure and arrival information required by your own process, the actual minutes and the support the travel relates to. If the journey benefits more than one participant, check the current apportionment rules rather than charging the full trip to every person.
Do not copy the hourly support line and simply rename it travel. Confirm the correct rate and claim type. The NDIS notes that therapy travel time and therapy time should appear separately on invoices. It also states that the therapy travel pricing change introduced from 1 July 2025 applies to therapy providers, not disability support workers or other providers. Read the NDIS travel claiming update before applying therapy examples to support work.
Kilometres, tolls and parking are non-labour costs
Non-labour travel costs are expenses other than the worker's time. Current NDIS guidance gives vehicle running costs, road tolls and parking fees as examples. A provider may negotiate a reasonable participant contribution toward eligible costs. The fact that a cost occurred does not remove the need for agreement and a valid support context.
Keep the calculation readable. For a vehicle contribution, record the actual eligible distance and the agreed amount per kilometre. Keep toll or parking evidence when those costs are passed on. If one trip is shared between participants, document how the cost was divided.
Provider travelled 18 kilometres to deliver the agreed face-to-face support. Service agreement records an agreed contribution of $0.85 per kilometre for eligible provider travel. Calculation: 18 km x $0.85.
This example explains the calculation. It does not decide whether the cost is claimable for a particular support.
Transporting a participant happens during the support
Activity-based transport describes costs associated with transporting a participant as part of an eligible support. For example, a provider may support a participant to attend a community activity and drive them there during the shift. The support time and the vehicle-related transport amount should remain understandable as separate components.
Record where the participant was transported, why the trip related to the agreed support, the distance and any agreed cost. Do not record private clinical detail merely to justify the journey. A short factual description is normally more useful, such as “transport from participant's home to agreed community access activity and return.”
Provider travel to reach the participant and activity-based transport with the participant are not interchangeable. Use the NDIS price and support item finder to inspect current item names, codes and units, then confirm the conditions in the official documents.
Provider type and location can change the result
Rules that apply to a therapist may not apply to an independent support worker. Location also matters. The NDIA uses Modified Monash Model classifications for metropolitan, regional, remote and very remote areas. Current guidance includes different travel-time settings for therapy providers across these areas.
Never copy an example from another occupation or location without checking it. Use the current NDIS pricing arrangements page, which links to the schedule effective from 1 July 2026. If a service agreement needs a price change, discuss it with the participant and obtain agreement before applying the change.
How travel can appear on an invoice
A clear invoice lets the recipient understand the service and each travel component without reconstructing the shift. The numbers below are examples only and are not recommended rates.
Community participation support, 3.00 hours at the agreed rate. Activity-based transport, 22 kilometres at the agreed amount per kilometre. Service date, participant and relevant support item shown on both lines.
Provider travel time, 20 minutes at the applicable agreed travel rate. Provider travel non-labour cost, 15 kilometres at the agreed contribution. Face-to-face support, 2.00 hours at the agreed support rate.
Use the shift-to-invoice calculator to separate support time, travel time and kilometres. Review the result against the current rules before sending it.
Keep the travel evidence with the shift
Your travel record should connect to the participant, service date and delivered support. Depending on the cost and your process, useful records can include:
- actual travel time and eligible distance
- the start and destination needed to explain the trip
- the support item connected to the journey
- the agreed travel terms and rate
- parking or toll evidence
- how a shared journey was apportioned
- the invoice number and date sent
A map estimate can help check a distance, but it is not a substitute for recording the trip that actually occurred. Avoid retaining more precise location information than your legitimate record-keeping purpose requires.
Travel mistakes that cause questions
- Using “travel” without saying whether it means time, vehicle cost or participant transport.
- Charging a standard kilometre amount that was never agreed.
- Combining support and travel into one unexplained quantity.
- Applying a therapy-provider rule to a disability support worker.
- Charging the full shared journey to more than one participant.
- Recording an estimated distance when the invoice states it is actual.
- Adding tolls, parking or other fees without checking the relevant conditions.
- Changing the travel rate without discussing the change.
Common NDIS travel questions
Can I charge for driving from home to a participant?
Possibly, but not automatically. Check whether the support permits provider travel, what counts as the provider's usual place of work, the applicable time and cost conditions, and what was agreed with the participant.
Can I charge kilometres while the participant is in the car?
This may be activity-based transport when it is part of an eligible support. Record it separately and check the applicable support item and agreement.
Can I charge both time and kilometres?
They represent different costs, but both must independently satisfy the relevant rules and agreement. Showing them separately does not by itself make them claimable.
What if the plan manager asks for more information?
Ask which line or condition needs clarification. Provide a clean calculation and relevant supporting record without sending unrelated participant information.
Finish the travel record while the details are fresh, then use the NDIS invoice checklist before sending. SoloDocket keeps the agreed support, actual shift, travel details and invoice review together without deciding the claim for you.