VCAT’s fees are set by the Victorian Government.

We charge fees in 3 categories:

• concession rate
• standard rate
• corporate rate.

When you make an application tell us what your fee category is and provide proof of your status. The fee rate category applies to any fees payable throughout your case. You must apply separately for each case you want to bring to VCAT.

When you automatically pay no fees

You automatically don’t need to pay any fees if you are:

• represented by:
  • Victoria Legal Aid
  • a community legal centre
  • a provider under the Tenancy Assistance Advocacy program
  • a recognised provider who has deemed you eligible through a means test.
• in a prison or other public institution – you must provide evidence of your status such as your Criminal Record Number
• under 18 years of age – you must provide a copy of your birth certificate, passport, learner's permit or other proof of age
• a protected person or an affected family member who is the applicant in a residential tenancies case arising from family violence
• a victim of crime seeking review of a Victims of Crime Financial Assistance Scheme decision.

You must provide a letter from the organisation that represents you with your application.

Who pays the concession rate

If you hold an eligible card, you're automatically entitled to a fee reduction (concession rate). When you apply, you must provide us with a coloured copy of the front and back of your card.

You can pay the concession rate if you hold:

• an Australian Government Health Care Card
• a Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card
• a Department of Veterans' Affairs Gold Card - you need to be eligible for treatment under Part V of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

We don't accept Gold Card's held by a veteran's dependants, other than a widow or widower.

Concessions and fee relief

Who pays the standard rate

People and businesses who pay the standard rate include:

• individuals
• sole trader businesses
• businesses set up as a partnership
• businesses with a turnover of less than $300,000 in the last financial year
• not-for-profit organisations.

If your company wants to apply as a standard fee payer, you need to provide a statutory declaration with your application that proves your turnover is less than $300,000.

Who pays the corporate rate

Businesses with a turnover of $300,000 or more in the last full financial year pay the corporate rate.

For example, if you apply in April 2025, use the turnover from the 2023/2024 financial year.

Schools and government organisations are part of this fee category.

If your financial circumstances change

Your fee category might change if:

• your financial circumstances change – for example, if you get a concession card
• you change your application to apply as a different person – for example, if you want to apply under your business name and not as an individual.

Tell us in writing about these changes. Make sure you include a copy of any relevant documents to prove this.

Contact us

We can help you understand what the form is asking. If you need to help to fill in the VCAT application form, contact us.

We can:

• ask you questions about what you want
• explain what the questions mean
• explain what documents you need
• explain the process.

We can’t give you legal advice. This means we can’t:

• tell you what to write
• give you advice on how to present your case
• give you advice on how to win the case.

If you do choose to get legal advice, you’ll need to pay their fees (if any).

If you want to talk about what you should do, you can access free or low-cost legal advice or find a private lawyer.

If you make an application using an online form, you pay your application fee online using a credit card when you submit your application. We accept only Mastercard or Visa.

If you apply using a PDF form, can pay:

• by phone
• in person
• by post.

You must organise this within 30 days of submitting your application.

By phone

Call us to pay with a credit card.

Contact us

In person

Pay in person at one of our venues.

Visit us

Our Melbourne venue accepts cash, credit card, or money order made out to the ‘Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’.  

You can also pay by credit card at our other venues in Bundoora, Frankston and Oakleigh. We cannot accept payments by cash or money order at these venues. 

All of our venues do not accept cheques.

By post

When you pay by post, either:

• download and fill out the Credit card payment form
• make out a money order to the ‘Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’.

Send your payment to:

GPO Box 5408
Melbourne VIC 3001 

We do not accept cheques. 

If you apply with other people (as a group application), only one application fee is payable.

The person, business or organisation who falls under the highest fee category is the one who must pay the fee. That fee covers everyone in the group.

For example, if the group includes a business who falls under the corporate fee category and a person who falls under the concession fee category, the higher fee applies.

Find out what the application fee is for your case type

VCAT cannot give legal advice. If you do choose to get legal advice, you will need to pay any costs. 

If you want to talk about what you should do, you can access free or low-cost legal advice or find a private lawyer.
  
If you want a lawyer or other professional representative to speak on your behalf at VCAT, let the other party know in writing before the hearing and ask permission when the hearing starts. You will need to explain why. 

For some case types you have an automatic right to representation.

If the claim is for goods and services under $15,000, we generally don’t allow a lawyer or other professional representative to speak for you at VCAT. 

If you do choose to get legal advice, you’ll need to pay any costs. 

Read more about legal and professional representation