To apply for Full Membership with the Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA), you must have completed a course that is formally recognised by ANTA. You can find a list of approved courses and training providers on our Recognised Courses page.
ANTA is recognised by over 50 health funds, making your membership a valuable step toward professional recognition. To ensure your application is processed efficiently, please complete all sections and include the required certified documentation. A helpful checklist is provided with the application form.
Please note: Incomplete applications or those missing certified documents cannot be processed and will be returned.
Important: ANTA does not recognise undergraduate courses delivered predominantly via Distance, Online, or External modes. Health funds also do not accept these qualifications for provider recognition.
To apply for Membership with ANTA, please visit the ‘Become A Member‘ page of our website.
To apply for Full Membership with the Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA), you must have completed a course that is formally recognised by ANTA. You can find a list of approved courses and training providers on our Recognised Courses page.
ANTA is recognised by over 50 health funds, making your membership a valuable step toward professional recognition. To ensure your application is processed efficiently, please complete all sections and include the required certified documentation. A helpful checklist is provided with the application form.
Please note: Incomplete applications or those missing certified documents cannot be processed and will be returned.
Important: ANTA does not recognise undergraduate courses delivered predominantly via Distance, Online, or External modes. Health funds also do not accept these qualifications for provider recognition.
To apply for Membership with ANTA, please visit the ‘Become A Member‘ page of our website.
Students enrolled in ANTA-recognised courses are encouraged to apply for free Student Membership and access a wide range of valuable resources and benefits designed to support their education and future careers.
Benefits of Student Membership include:
Free access to IMGateway – a scientific resource for natural therapists
Free access to eMIMS – including a contraindication checker
Eligibility for the Student Bursary Program – $12,000 awarded annually
New Graduate Awards – includes 12 months of free Full Membership and $200
Regular eNews industry updates
Reduced membership fees upon graduation
Discounted practitioner insurance for new graduates
Membership in an association that advocates for statutory registration
Before applying for Student Membership, please confirm that your course is recognised by ANTA.
Reminder: ANTA does not accept undergraduate qualifications completed largely through Distance, Online, or External modes for membership or health fund recognition.
To apply for Student Membership with ANTA, please visit the ‘Become A Member‘ page of our website.
Membership with a recognised professional association, such as ANTA, establishes your credibility as a qualified practitioner within the unregulated natural healthcare industry.
It also enables you to apply for provider registration with private health funds. Without this recognition, you will not receive a provider number, and your clients will be unable to claim rebates through their private health insurance.
Additionally, association membership can significantly reduce the cost of professional indemnity insurance, as insurers view practitioners who are association-vetted as lower risk due to verified qualifications and adherence to professional standards.
Yes. If you’ve changed your name, you must provide ANTA with a copy of the official legal document confirming the change (e.g. marriage certificate or change of name certificate).
This documentation is required before your updated name can be approved in our system. Please email a copy to info@anta.com.au
Access to the ANTA Member Portal is available to current Full and Student Members only.
To log in, simply click the yellow ‘Member Portal’ button at the top of the ANTA website and enter your member credentials.
To cancel your ANTA membership, you must notify us in writing. Please email info@anta.com.au stating that you no longer wish to be a member.
You may continue to receive ANTA communications for up to 48 hours after your request is processed.
Please note: Membership fees are non-refundable upon cancellation.
No. ANTA only requires members to complete the full First Aid course every three years to maintain membership. The current required course is HLTAID011 – Provide First Aid.
We send reminders via email and SMS as your renewal date approaches. You can also view upcoming due dates in your ANTA Member Portal.
To be eligible for ANTA membership, you must either be currently enrolled in or have completed a course that is recognised by ANTA. You can view the list of recognised courses on our website.
If you are studying a course that is not currently ANTA-recognised, you may wish to speak with your course coordinator and suggest they contact ANTA to learn more about the course assessment process. If the course is approved by ANTA’s Academic Board, you may then become eligible to apply for membership.
For a course to be recognised by ANTA, the education provider must submit a formal request for course assessment. If approved, the course will be listed as ANTA-recognised and available to all students enrolled in that program.
In limited circumstances, ANTA may consider an individual assessment of a graduate’s qualification – provided the applicant can supply all required course documentation and a valid reason why the college is unable to submit the application on their behalf.
Where possible, we strongly encourage you to ask your college to complete ANTA’s Course Assessment Form. This not only supports your individual eligibility but ensures the course becomes accredited for all current and future students.
Note: Due to the strict criteria required to meet both industry and health fund standards, ANTA does not generally recommend students seek course recognition independently.
The Course Assessment Form is available on our website under the Study tab.
If you have completed your natural therapy training in an ANTA-Recognised modality overseas and hold a Diploma, Advanced Diploma, or Degree, you may be eligible for ANTA membership.
To apply, your qualification must first be assessed for Australian equivalency. The Department of Education and Vetassess provide services for evaluating overseas qualifications against the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
Once you receive your assessment outcome, please email a copy to info@anta.com.au to proceed with your membership application.
The ANTA membership team typically takes up to 10 business days to assess an application. Assessment begins once payment is received.
You will receive a confirmation email within 24-48 hours acknowledging that your application has been received.
Upon approval, you will be notified via email with important information, followed by your Member Welcome Pack sent to your provided postal address.
ANTA memberships are renewed annually. Membership fees are due by 31st March each year to maintain your active status.Â
ANTA sends email reminders to all current members ahead of their membership expiry to help you stay up to date.
Yes. Upon joining ANTA, members receive their Membership and Accreditation certificates. Each year thereafter, members will receive a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) certificate and an updated Membership Certificate, both accessible through the ANTA Member Portal.
Yes. If you are an existing member but not actively practising, you can contact the ANTA Administration Office to request a Restricted Membership or a Leave of Absence. Our team will explain the options and associated fees to help you choose the best fit.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the ongoing enhancement or acquisition of knowledge and skills within accredited modalities, helping practitioners deliver a higher standard of healthcare to their patients.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the ongoing enhancement or acquisition of knowledge and skills within accredited modalities, helping practitioners deliver a higher standard of healthcare to their patients.
You are required to submit 20 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points/hours each calendar year, from 1st January to 31st December. Note: One (1) CPD point equals one (1) hour of education.
ANTA accepts a wide range of CPD activities, including:
For detailed examples and guidelines, please log in to the Member Portal and view the CPD Guidelines under the ‘CPD Activity’ section.
CPD points must be recorded in your ANTA Member Portal under the CPD Activity section. Please note that ANTA does not store CPD certificates; it is your responsibility to keep copies of certificates or other proof of completed CPD activities in case of an audit.
CPD is a requirement of both ANTA membership and health fund recognition. If a member fails to complete their CPD in accordance with ANTA’s Code of Professional Ethics that member may have their association membership suspended until they have met the requirements, and if they are also a health fund provider their provider numbers will be cancelled, and rebates will not be available for clients wanting to claim.
ANTA offers practitioners access to our Member Portal where you can log your CPD activity which can then be exported into a table for members to print and keep for their own records.
Information required to complete CPD Activity:
If a certificate was received for a CPD applicable event/course, the number of points able to be used will be noted on the certificate. That certificate must be kept by the practitioner in the event of an audit.
Please log into the Member Portal to view the CPD Guidelines which lists examples of acceptable CPD activities. This can be found under ‘CPD Activity’ in the Member Portal.
Not anymore. New guidelines were released by health funds in 2016 which removed CPR and first aid training from acceptable CPD activities. It is a requirement of ANTA membership and health funds to have current first aid training (HLTAID011) to have an active clinic and get provider recognition. This training cannot count towards CPD points/hours.
Yes. A condition of ANTA membership regardless which membership option, CPD is required to be completed each calendar year to a minimum of 20 CPD points/hours.
No. The requirement remains 20 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points/hours per calendar year, regardless of how many modalities you are registered in.
Yes. If you begin practising at a new clinic and are a health fund provider, you must apply for new provider numbers for that location. This process can take up to 4 weeks.
If you stop practising at a clinic, ANTA is contractually required to notify the relevant health funds to cancel your provider numbers for that location.
To update your clinic details, log in to the ANTA Member Portal and complete the relevant form at the bottom of the Personal Details page (e.g. Add a New Clinic, Close a Clinic).
Yes. If you begin practising at a new clinic and are a health fund provider, you must apply for new provider numbers for that location. This process can take up to 4 weeks.
If you stop practising at a clinic, ANTA is contractually required to notify the relevant health funds to cancel your provider numbers for that location.
To update your clinic details, log in to the ANTA Member Portal and complete the relevant form at the bottom of the Personal Details page (e.g. Add a New Clinic, Close a Clinic).
To renew your Professional Indemnity Insurance, contact your insurance provider directly. Once renewed, you can either upload your Certificate of Currency via the ANTA Member Portal or email a copy to info@anta.com.au to ensure your records are up to date.
ANTA may be waiting on you to supply additional information which is required before the clinic details can be sent to the health funds. Additionally, if we have received all information it can take up to 4 weeks for health funds to issue your provider numbers.
No. ANTA does not recognise undergraduate courses delivered substantially by Online, Distance, or External modes. Health funds also do not accept these qualifications for provider registration.
Health fund information is included in your Member Welcome Pack. For the most up-to-date version, log in to the ANTA Member Portal and access the Health Fund Information section.
ANTA is unable to arrange HICAPS for your clinic as HICAPS deals with the billing system of your clinic. You will need to contact HICAPS directly to arrange setup.
To finalise your HICAPS application, you will need to provide a copy of your Medibank provider confirmation letter.
To remain compliant, health funds require:
A current Professional Indemnity Insurance policy with the appropriate limit for your modality
A valid First Aid Certificate (HLTAID011)
A current Working with Children Check or Police Check
Completion of 20 CPD points/hours annually
Up-to-date ANTA membership
Your provider number may be cancelled for any of the following reasons:
Lapsed Professional Indemnity Insurance
Insufficient insurance coverage
Expired First Aid certification
Expired Police Check or Working with Children Check
Unpaid ANTA membership fees
Incomplete CPD requirements
To reinstate your provider number, you will need to identify and resolve the issue. ANTA’s Health Fund Team will then submit a reinstatement request, which may take several weeks to process.
Your provider numbers will be cancelled and cannot be reinstated until ANTA receives updated documentation.
This may include your current First Aid Certificate, Certificate of Currency, or Police/Working with Children Check.
Please note: reinstatement may take several weeks.
ANTA only receives and provides provider numbers for AHM, Bupa, and Medibank, as these are location-specific.
For other health funds, provider numbers are listed in the Health Fund Information section of the Member Portal and were also included in your Member Welcome Pack.
No. Not all health funds accept mobile clinic services.
For a list of participating funds and specific guidelines, log in to the ANTA Member Portal and access the Health Fund Information section.
When issuing a manual receipt to a client, you must include the following details:
Your full name (as registered with ANTA)
Your clinic address (as registered with ANTA)
Your clinic phone number
Your ANTA Membership number
If you are using ANTA-provided receipt books, you must have a stamp made with these details clearly printed, as handwritten information is not accepted by health funds (you may handwrite the provider number for the relevant health fund on the receipt).
Note: AHM and Medibank will only accept electronically issued or printed invoices/receipts for manual claims.
ANTA offers a range of effective advertising options designed to connect you with practitioners, students, and industry stakeholders through our trusted digital platforms.
For further information on advertising please view the Advertising with ANTA page or contact the marketing team – marketing@anta.com.au.
ANTA offers a range of effective advertising options designed to connect you with practitioners, students, and industry stakeholders through our trusted digital platforms.
For further information on advertising please view the Advertising with ANTA page or contact the marketing team – marketing@anta.com.au.
Bromelain is within the scope of practice for a Clinical Nutritionist. Students studying nutrition are trained in its usage, and nutritional products with Bromelain are registered (AUST R) or listed (AUST L) by the TGA in Australia. Most complementary medicine practitioners will not import/recommend goods from overseas (without AUST R or AUST L) considering safety, conformity to the Australian standard and potential legal liability in the event of a claim.
Bromelain is within the scope of practice for a Clinical Nutritionist. Students studying nutrition are trained in its usage, and nutritional products with Bromelain are registered (AUST R) or listed (AUST L) by the TGA in Australia. Most complementary medicine practitioners will not import/recommend goods from overseas (without AUST R or AUST L) considering safety, conformity to the Australian standard and potential legal liability in the event of a claim.
ANTA does not recommend conducting virtual consultations prior to a face-to-face consultation, due to the importance of being able to sense and measure the patient’s demeanour and vital signs, although we do not have any concerns in regard to follow up virtual consultations for the same issue.
Practitioners also need to be aware of their Professional Indemnity insurance liability cover, as it may vary depending on the modality and the insurance provider. General Professional Indemnity insurance policies will not cover overseas consultations, and your insurer would have the final say on virtual consultations. You may wish to check with your insurance provider to confirm coverage specific to your policy.
We recommend that ANTA practitioners undertake any virtual or overseas consultations with caution and would also like to remind you that Health Funds will not recognise virtual consultations for rebates to your clients.
Unfortunately, ANTA does not supply client consent forms. A practitioner can design their own form, however as these forms do not stand up in court if there is a complaint by the client, they cannot be used in that circumstance, in which case, it may be prudent to get legal advice.
There are various dry needling courses being advertised. Some are good, and some are not so good! As a guideline, ANTA recommends that a dry needling course should be approximately 80 hours duration and delivered face-to-face with supervised clinical training delivered by a qualified trainer. ANTA advertises approved Dry Needling courses on our website.
In recent times there have been several incidents involving dry needling where patients have suffered some serious events e.g. punctured lungs. This has resulted in Professional Indemnity insurance companies facing substantial claims/payouts. If insurance companies make substantial payouts related to dry needling this leads to higher premiums for dry needling insurance cover and/or insurance companies deciding not to cover dry needling unless an appropriate dry needling course is completed.
With most dry needling courses, it is assumed that the students have previously completed a natural therapy course that includes anatomy and physiology, and that the student has the pre-requisite training to undertake dry needling at a professional level.
All practitioners are required to practice within the scope of their training (National Code of Conduct). Practitioners must not practice outside the scope of their training and this also applies to dry needling.
ANTA recommends that practitioners consult with their own accountant for making this decision, as we are not legally able to advise.
Click on this link to find more information on GST free services for Natural Therapy practitioners.
ANTA recommends that members do not dispose of client files as the statute of limitations does not apply to clients wishing to make a claim against a practitioner. That means that a client can make a claim against a practitioner at any time in the future e.g. 7 years, 10 years, 20 years etc and client records are valuable legal documents if a claim is made. Without client records it is very difficult to provide evidence of treatments, medications, etc. in the event of a claim.
Client records can be kept electronically and/or backed up on a USB stick and do not necessarily need to be kept in hard copy.
The health profession is governed by National Privacy Principals (link provided below), and the Privacy Act. The standards for storing, maintaining, and disposing of client personal/medical information can be found within these documents.
National Privacy Principals
https://www.oic.qld.gov.au/about/privacy/the-privacy-principles/national-privacy-principles
Privacy Act 1988
http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/consol_act/pa1988108/
If a client has requested their file/details to be deleted, you are legally required to keep them as they are part of your business, and the possibility of the client making a claim against you in the future. You can give the client a copy if they wish, ensuring that they put the request in writing to you.
The label should show the ingredients, dosage and other relevant information including the client’s name. The label should not include any claims about the product that cannot be verified or proven.
The requirement for all advertising which includes testimonials, websites, etc. is that it must be truthful, not misleading and must be able to be substantiated (i.e. evidence is available to verify claims made). This is covered under consumer law.
Whilst patients provide testimonials with the best intentions, many make statements in their testimonials that are not always strictly correct and may not be able to be substantiated.
If you were to use testimonials which did not comply with the law you could be exposed to investigation and penalties under consumer law.
As a result of consumer law that requires all advertising to be truthful, not misleading and must be able to be substantiated, we do not recommend members use testimonials as client, when providing testimonials, are generally not aware of the legal requirements under consumer law.
ANTA does not ban members from participation in multi-level marketing, however, under ANTA’s Code of Professional Ethics and the National Code of Conduct, the first obligation of any practitioner is to ensure they recognise and uphold their responsibilities to the patient, colleagues, the profession and society. ANTA members are required to abide by the ANTA Code of Professional Ethics and the National Code of Conduct in their state (all are available in the ANTA Member Portal). The ANTA Code of Professional Ethics requires members to ensure they safeguard clinical independence and professional integrity from third parties (i.e. multilevel marketing companies). Members must not enter into a contract with an organisation that may conflict with professional integrity, clinical independence or primary obligation to the patient. Members can enter into multi-level marketing arrangements provided they abide by the ANTA Code of Professional Ethics and the National Code of Conduct.
You also need to be aware that recommending that clients obtain substances and medicines from international suppliers, that are not approved for distribution in Australia (TGA accredited medications), would compromise your standing as a professional as your Professional Indemnity insurance does not cover items outside Australian Regulations (this is commonly promoted by international MLM companies to obtain drugs only approved in USA).
In accordance with the National Code of Conduct which covers natural therapists and the ANTA Code of Professional Ethics, practitioners must practice within the scope of their training.
If a practitioner is not trained in techniques/therapies, e.g. Chelation, IV Vitamin therapy or live blood analysis, they must not practice or use these techniques/therapies. Use of techniques/therapies by practitioners which are outside the scope of their training is a breach of law and carries significant penalties.
ANTA has provided a Business Assistance section aimed at empowering our members and visitors alike with relevant and timely business information.Â
Practitioners allowing other practitioners or unqualified practitioners at their clinic to use their provider numbers is a major concern. Any unethical/fraudulent behaviour needs to reported using the following steps. (Please note that allegations of unethical or fraudulent behaviour are taken very seriously, and any such complaint must be conducted in a transparent format for all parties involved):
Practitioners allowing other practitioners or unqualified practitioners at their clinic to use their provider numbers is a major concern. Any unethical/fraudulent behaviour needs to reported using the following steps. (Please note that allegations of unethical or fraudulent behaviour are taken very seriously, and any such complaint must be conducted in a transparent format for all parties involved):
If your concern relates to an ANTA member, you may submit a complaint directly to ANTA. Alternatively, complaints can be made to the appropriate Health Complaints Commissioner or regulatory body in your state or territory via the links below.
