Mutual recognition for plumbers
The Mutual Recognition Act 1992 permits people holding a registration, licence, permit or authorisation to carry out plumbing work in another Australian state, territory or in New Zealand to apply for a registration/licence to undertake that work in Victoria.
Similarly, if you are looking to work outside Victoria, you may apply for mutual recognition of your Victorian registration or licence in other Australian states or territories or in New Zealand.
You must have a current equivalent interstate or New Zealand registration, licence, permit or authorisation to apply for registration or a licence as a plumber in Victoria via the Mutual Recognition scheme.
Start your application
Save and complete the following form onto your computer (do not handwrite; it will take longer to process).
You must not make any written or oral statement to the VBA in relation to an application for registration (or for the renewal of registration) that you know, or should reasonably know, is false.
Insurance
You must provide an insurance Certificate of Currency stating that it complies with all the requirements of the relevant Victorian Insurance Ministerial Order. Check with your insurer to see if your current insurance meets the Victorian insurance requirements.
For further information regarding insurance, please refer to plumbing insurance requirements.
Submit your application
Sign and submit a hard copy of your completed Mutual Recognition Application Form, plus certified copies of your interstate or New Zealand registration, licence, permit or authorisation. Find out who can certify documents.
By mail:
Victorian Building Authority
GPO Box 536
Melbourne VIC 3001
In person:
Victorian Building Authority
Goods Shed North
733 Bourke Street
Docklands 3008
What happens after you apply
Once you apply for Mutual Recognition, we will check you have completed the application form correctly and submitted the required documents.
If we do not accept your application
We will send you a letter to explain what information is missing, and then you may resubmit the application.
If we accept your application
We will check the accuracy of your submitted information, and work out whether you have the equivalent licence, registration or other authorisation to qualify for registration or licence in a class or specialised class of plumbing work in Victoria.
Throughout this process, we may ask you for further information to help our assessment. We may send our request by letter or email.
Fee Exemption
As a transitional measure, the VBA will exempt mutual recognition application fees where the person cannot participate in the AMR scheme due to the AMR exemption in place until 1 July 2024. This is for interstate workers who intend to work in Victoria for up to 6 months.
This is a one-off fee exemption effective from 1 July 2022 and will not apply to subsequent fees associated with maintaining registration.
The fee exemption will be automatically applied to eligible mutual recognition applications.
Practitioners from the following jurisdictions are not eligible for mutual recognition fee exemption:
- Queensland: as it is a state not participating in the AMR scheme
- New Zealand: applicants from New Zealand apply under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 and are not eligible to participate in the automatic mutual recognition scheme (AMR)