New registrations

Who can register with the NDSS?

You can register if you:

• live in Australia or
• are visiting from a country with which Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement on an applicable visa
• have been confirmed as having any type of diabetes by a doctor, endocrinologist, diabetes educator or registered nurse practitioner; or
• have some other serious medical condition requiring regular monitoring of blood glucose levels; and
• hold (or are eligible to hold) a Medicare card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs card.

You are not eligible to register if you have pre-diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance.

People with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes or defined categories of ‘other’ diabetes may apply to be registered through the NDSS. ‘Other’ diabetes includes diabetes relating to:

• genetic defects of beta cell function (eg MODY 1,2,3,4,5,6);
• genetic defects in insulin action;
• diseases of the exocrine pancreas (eg neoplasia, cancer of the pancreas, cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis);
• endocrinopathies (eg Cushing’s);
• drug or chemical induced (eg Vacor, Nicotinic Acid, Glucocorticoids, Thiazides);
• infections (eg congenital rubella, Coxsackie, CMV);
• uncommon forms of immune-mediated diabetes; or
• other genetic syndromes sometimes associated with diabetes.

For more information see ‘Other’ diabetes eligible for NDSS registration.

Visitors to Australia

If you are a visitor to Australia from a country with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement, you may be entitled to temporary registration to the NDSS.

These countries include Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

However, visitors on a student visa from Finland, Malta, Norway and the Republic of Ireland are not eligible.

For more information, visit the Human Services website.

How to register

To register with the NDSS, you need to:

• complete this NDSS registration form
• if you are under 15 years old or are an adult receiving continuing care, have your primary guardian or carer complete the ‘Guardian or carer’ section of the registration form
• have the registration form certified by a registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or credentialled diabetes educator
• keep a copy of the registration form for your records
• email to  (preferred option), or
• by the methods described in the form.

After your registration is approved you will receive:

• a Welcome SMS message containing your NDSS registration number
• a Welcome email containing your NDSS registration number, information on where to get products and where to find other useful information (including your local diabetes organisation)
• an information pack in the post, containing your NDSS registration card, information booklet (NDSS starter pack) and information from your local diabetes organisation.

If you need to access NDSS products while you are waiting for your registration card, you can present your certified registration form and your Medicare card to any NDSS Access Point (usually your local pharmacy) to access products available through the NDSS at subsidised prices.