Mutual recognition

For the purposes of the information provided below, mutual recognition refers to the ability of a person who is registered in connection with an occupation in a state, territory or New Zealand.
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Mutual recognition

For the purposes of the information provided below, mutual recognition refers to the ability of a person who is registered in connection with an occupation in a state, territory or New Zealand to carry on an equivalent occupation in Western Australia, subject to the provisions of the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (Cth) or the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 (Cth). These acts are adopted in Western Australia by the Mutual Recognition (Western Australia) Act 2020 and the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition (Western Australia) Act 2007.

An FAQs website has been established by the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to provide an overview of mutual recognition of occupational licences, access to relevant material, and the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.

What you need to know

  • Mutual recognition only applies to licensed individuals (not partnerships or bodies corporate).
  • The licence (or equivalent) you are seeking to have mutually recognised must be current at the time you seek mutual recognition.
  • You must lodge a completed notice in the form provided, seeking registration for the equivalent occupation, pay the required fee and provide evidence of your existing registration.
  • Once you have lodged the notice, you are deemed registered and immediately become subject to all of the licensing and other relevant laws of Western Australia while carrying out the occupation.
  • You will be notified in writing of the outcome and are entitled to seek a review of the decision with the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Deemed registration

Once you have been deemed registered, you can commence work in your licensed occupation in WA, under the same terms as your interstate or New Zealand authorisation but subject to all local laws which apply to the industry until a formal decision has been made. Any trading requirements under the WA licensing laws regarding insurance, fidelity funds, trust accounts and the like that are designed to protect the public, clients, customers or others will immediately apply and you cannot commence trading in WA without them.

You must familiarise yourself with the applicable occupational licensing legislation in Western Australia, to ensure compliance with the laws that apply to your industry.

What happens once the notice is lodged?

  • The department will make enquiries regarding your licensing history in any state, territory or New Zealand where you are currently licensed or registered.
  • Conditions may be imposed on the Western Australian licence to achieve equivalency with the scope of your interstate or New Zealand authorisation. If your interstate or New Zealand licence is subject to any special conditions, those conditions will likely apply in WA.
  • The relevant decision maker may refuse or postpone the grant of a licence or registration if the completed notice is materially false or misleading or if the occupation is not considered equivalent (or able to be made equivalent by the imposition of conditions). If you are aggrieved by the decision, you can apply to the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review.
  • If granted, registration takes effect from the date the completed notice was lodged and all renewals are pursuant to the relevant WA licensing legislation.

Please refer to the drop-down options relating to your licence or registration for the required form(s), fees, and any supplementary requirements you will need to undertake following deemed registration. For further assistance or questions relating to your application, contact Licensing Services on 1300 30 40 64.

Any further questions you have may be answered by our FAQs.

Lodgement

To lodge a notice, please post it to Locked Bag 100, East Perth WA 6892; or visit Level 1, 303 Sevenoaks Street, Cannington (8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday to Friday).

Building, painting, surveying, and building engineering

Written Notice of Equivalent Occupation - Building, Painting, Building Surveying, and Building Engineering

Apply in writing to have your registration recognised in Western Australia

Download the form

In Western Australia, the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011 registers building services providers as:

  • Builders;
  • Painters;
  • Building Surveyors; and
  • Building Engineers.

Within each of the four categories of building service provider (i.e. building, painting, building surveying, or building engineering), there are two different types of registration:

  • Building services practitioner; or
  • Building services contractor.

A building services practitioner registration is necessary if you wish to be a nominated supervisor for a building services contractor. Registration as a practitioner does not authorise you to contract with others to carry out a prescribed building service. It authorises you to be the nominated supervisor for a building services contractor. As a registered practitioner you may be the nominated supervisor for your own (individual) building services contractor registration, or the building services contractor registration of a body corporate or partnership.

A building services contractor registration authorises you to contract with others to carry out a prescribed building service, as long as you have a registered building services practitioner nominated as supervisor. A building services contractor is not authorised to carry out (or undertake to carry out) any work unless a registered building services practitioner is nominated as supervisor. In other words, if you wish to lodge a notice of equivalent occupation in order to contract with others to carry out a prescribed building service, you must also be eligible for registration as a practitioner in that class of building service. This means you must pay both the building service practitioner and contractor registration fees when lodging the notice. Fees are detailed below. 

For more information about the registration scheme for building service providers in Western Australia, go to Building and Energy - Licensing and Registration page.

Any conditions imposed on your interstate licence will also apply to your building services provider registration.

Fees

Information regarding fees can be found at Building & energy fees.

Two fees are payable for each registration category: a non-refundable application fee and a registration fee. If you are lodging a notice that entitles you to both practitioner and contractor registration, only one application fee is charged, however, the registration fee for both a practitioner and a contractor is payable.

If the Board refuses your notice on the basis that your interstate licence is not an equivalent occupation, the registration fee only will be refunded.

Motor vehicle industry

Written Notice of Equivalent Occupation - Motor Vehicle Industry

Apply in writing to have your licence recognised in Western Australia

Download the form

Motor vehicle dealer

​Further information available from:

All premises must be authorised.

If you are granted a licence, you will be required to provide the address of all premises you intend to operate from. Once the premises are authorised by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection, your licence and certificate(s) of authorised premises will be issued to you.

Motor vehicle repairer

​Further information available from:

If you are granted a licence, you will be required to provide two certified passport-sized photographs and a certified copy of your photographic identification. Once this is received, a wallet sized identity card will be issued to you.

Motor vehicle repair business

​Further information available from:

All premises must be authorised.

If you are granted a licence, you will be required to provide the address of all premises you intend to operate from, including mobile premises. Once the premises are authorised by the Commissioner for Consumer Protection, your licence and certificate(s) of authorised premises will be issued to you.

Motor vehicle salesperson

​Further information available from:

Property industries

Written Notice of Equivalent Occupation - Property Industry

Apply in writing to have your licence recognised in Western Australia

Download the form

Real estate and business agent

Further information available from:

All real estate agents intending to receive or hold trust money must have an auditor and a trust account in accordance with section 68 of the Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978. If granted, the licence and triennial certificate will be held pending receipt of a letter from the nominated auditor and details of the trust account opened for this purpose.

Please note: In WA, auctioneer licensing is administered by the Magistrates Court, so if you are entitled to auction property in your home State, a real estate agent's licence issued in WA will not permit you to carry out this work. For further information about auctioneer licensing, please contact the Magistrates Court of Western Australia.

Real estate and business sales representative

Further information available from:

Real estate settlement agent / business settlement agent

Further information available from:

Settlement agents (also known as conveyancers in other jurisdictions) are required to hold professional indemnity and fidelity insurance at all times while operating. If you intend to hold or receive trust money you must also have a nominated auditor and a trust account.

If the application is granted, the licence and triennial certificate will be held pending receipt of a letter from the registered auditor, a copy of the insurance policy document and the details of the trust account.

Land valuer

Further information available from:

Land valuers must provide their employment details for the purposes of the register. If the licence is granted, you will be required to provide this information before the licence certificate is issued to you.

Debt collector

Written Notice of Equivalent Occupation - Debt Collector

Apply in writing to have your licence recognised in Western Australia

Download the form

Debt collector

Further information available from:

A licence cannot be issued until a security (bank guarantee) in the approved form (proforma) or a fidelity bond in the form prescribed by the Debt Collectors Licensing Regulations 1964 is lodged with the Commissioner. The bond or bank guarantee must be the original and for the sum of:

  • $6,000 for a natural person licensee
  • $10,000 for a company licensee

Fidelity bonds are accepted from:

Bonds underwritten by Lloyds of London are also accepted.

Should a bond be terminated during the licence period the licence is deemed to be suspended until a replacement bond, that is in force, is lodged with the Commissioner.

Electrical, plumbing, and gas

Written Notice of Equivalent Occupation - Electrical, Plumbing, and Gas

Apply in writing to have your licence recognised in Western Australia

Download the form

If you hold more than one electrical or gas licence type that is mutually recognised in WA, and intend to carry out that work, you will be required to lodge separate Written Notice of Equivalent Occupation forms for each licence type.

Two fees are payable with the licence types listed below: a non-refundable application fee and a registration fee.

Electrician and restricted electrical worker

GST is not payable on the fees.

Gasfitter

GST is not payable on the fees.

It is recommended that you complete the Gas Standards Legislation module as this module covers Western Australian legislation requirements relating to gasfitting work.

Plumbing tradesperson

GST is not payable on the application or registration fees.

If the Board does not grant your licence in accordance with section 23 of the Mutual Recognition Act 1992, the licence fee will be refunded.

If you are granted a licence, you will be required to provide two passport-sized photographs and a certified copy of your photographic identification. Once this is received a wallet sized identity card will be issued to you.

Plumbing contractor

GST is not payable on the application or registration fees.

If the Board does not grant your licence in accordance with section 23 of the Mutual Recognition Act 1992, the licence fee will be refunded.

If you are granted a licence, you will be required to provide two passport-sized photographs and a certified copy of your photographic identification. Once this is received a wallet sized identity card will be issued to you.

Demolition and High Risk Work Licence Assessor

Written Notice of Equivalent Occupation - Demolition and High Risk Work Licence Assessor

Apply in writing to have your licence recognised in Western Australia

Download the form

Demolition

Within demolition there are two different types of registration:

  • Demolition Licence (Class 1); or
  • Demolition Licence (Class 2).

For more information about the registration scheme for demolition providers in WA, go to Demolition Applicant Guide

Any conditions imposed on your interstate registration will also apply to your demolition licence in WA.

Fees

Information regarding fees can be found at Demolition licensing fees.

Please note that if the WorkSafe Commissioner refuses your notice on the basis that your interstate registration is not an equivalent occupation a portion of your application fee will be refunded.

High Risk Work Licence Assessor

For more information about the registration scheme for High Risk Work Licence Assessors in WA, go to High Risk Work Licence Assessor Applicant Guide

Any conditions imposed on your interstate registration will also apply to your high risk work licence assessor registration in WA.

Fees

Information regarding fees can be found at High risk work licensing fees.

Please note that if the WorkSafe Commissioner refuses your notice on the basis that your interstate registration is not an equivalent occupation a portion of your application fee will be refunded.

Mining certificates of competency

Holders of the following mining certificates of competency issued in another Australian State or Territory or New Zealand may be eligible to apply for mutual recognition of those certificates in Western Australia.

Application and lodgement portal

Application for mutual recognition of Australian or Trans-Tasman occupations in Western Australia

For more information

  • Certificate of competency to manage a quarry (coal and non-coal operations)
  • Certificate of competency to manage an underground mine (non-coal operations)
  • Certificate of competency to be appointed as an underground supervisor
  • Certificate of competency to be appointed a mine surveyor (surface and/or underground mine).

Dangerous goods and explosives

There is no requirement to apply for mutual recognition of your interstate licence even if you become a WA resident.

However, you are not prevented from applying for mutual recognition if you wish to obtain a WA licence.

This does not apply for holders of New Zealand dangerous goods and explosives licences who must apply for mutual recognition of their licences.

Required information

Applications must include (document must be no older than 6 months):

Interstate applicants:

  • Application: Complete and signed application form
  • Interstate licence: Colour image of both sides of the licence to be recognised
  • Photograph: Colour passport quality photo (JPEG format)

New Zealand applicants:

  • Application: Complete and signed application form
  • Motor driver licence (MDL): Colour image of both sides of the MDL showing the D Endorsement
  • Controlled Substance Licence: Colour image of both sides of the Controlled Substance Licence
  • Approved Handlers Test Certificate: Colour image of the certificate
  • Photo: Digital photo (passport quality; JPEG format; a photo taken on a smartphone is acceptable)

Fees

Application fee: The specific application fee amount can be found in the Dangerous goods fees and charges.

Lodging the application

For dangerous goods and explosives drivers and shotfirer applications

Applications must be made online through the Safety Regulation System(SRS).

For fireworks operators and pyrotechnics applications

The completed application form, together with supporting documents and payment can be sent to the Department via:

Emailed to: cso@dmirs.wa.gov.au

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