Renewal of Practising Certificates

01/05/2025

Applications for renewal of practising certificates will be opening shortly. All barristers will receive an email containing a link to renew their practising certificates using the same online system as previous years. The 2025/2026 fees for practising certificates and membership have increased by 2.5% for all categories to reflect CPI.

We also want to inform you about an important change to our payment processing procedures that will affect your transactions from 1 May 2025.

The Bar Association accepts payments by the following methods:

• Credit/Debit Card;
• BPay; or
• Direct Deposit.

Please be advised, that as of 1 May 2025, the NSW Bar Association will be passing on a payment processing fee of 1.7% + $0.30 of the total payment amount (including GST, if applicable) for all payments received by credit or debit card. This includes the renewal of your 2025-2026 Practising Certificate and Membership.

The NSW Bar Association is charged fees from financial institutions when receiving payment via credit and debit cards. In previous years the NSW Bar Association has absorbed this cost, however the Bar Council has recently determined to pass on the payment processing fee to those who choose to pay by card. This change will take effect from 1 May 2025.

Please note that payments made by BPAY and Direct Deposit will not incur the payment processing fee.

Please note that payments by BPAY and Direct Deposits for the renewal of your practising certificate and membership will not be accepted after 23 June 2025. Payments after that date must be made by credit or debit card online.

Applications for waiver of fees will be considered in accordance with the NSW Bar Association Fee Waiver Policy in the link here. If you wish to apply for a waiver of your practising certificate fees for 2025/2026, please progress with the online application with your responses until just before the payment stage (the last step) and save the application. Please send your application for a fee waiver to certification@nswbar.asn.au and wait for a response before completing the payment stage of your application.

All applications to renew must be received by Monday, 30 June 2025. Any applications received after Saturday, 7 June 2025 will attract the statutory late fee. Late fees will also be applied to applications received after 1 July 2025, where the applicant held a practising certificate prior to 30 June 2025.

If you are not intending to renew your practising certificate, you can advise the Bar Association of your intention using the same link. You will also have the option of moving to Class B membership of the Association.

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