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How to pay VCAT fees
Understand concession cards, fee relief and how to pay fees.
What are the different fee categories?
VCAT’s fees are set by the Victorian Government.
We charge fees at VCAT in three categories:
- standard
- corporate
- concession (Health Care Card).
When you automatically pay no fees
You don’t have to pay fees if you are:
- represented by Victoria Legal Aid or a community legal centre
- under 18 years of age
- in a prison or other public institution
- a protected person or affected family member in a residential tenancies case.
Who pays the ‘standard’ fee 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 $200,000 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 $200,000.
Who pays the ‘corporate’ rate?
Businesses with a turnover of more than $200,000 in the last full financial year pay the corporate fee rate.
For example, if you apply in April 2021, use the turnover from the 2019/2020 financial year.
Schools and government organisations are part of this fee category.
Who pays the ‘concession’ rate?
VCAT fees are lower if you have a Health Care Card issued by the Federal Government. This is the only card we accept for concession fees.
If you have another type of concession card, you don’t get a concession rate, but you may be eligible for fee relief. This means your fees could be waived, reduced or postponed.
Learn more about concessions and fee relief
If you don’t fit the standard fee payer or a concession fee payer categories, you are automatically categorised as a corporate fee payer (for example, a school or a government department or agency.)
When you make an application tell us what type of fee payer you are and provide proof of your status.
The fee payer level applies to any fees payable throughout your case. You must apply separately for each case you want to bring to VCAT.
If your financial circumstances or applicant type changes, your fees may change too.
Your fee payer type may change if:
- your financial circumstances change. For example, if you get a Health Care 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.
What concession card can I use?
VCAT fees are lower if you hold a current Health Care Card issued by the Federal Government. This is the only card we accept for concession fees.
Provide a colour copy, front and back, of your Health Care Card when you apply.
You aren’t automatically entitled to concession fees if you have a Pensioner Concession Card, Seniors Health Card, student concession card or other type of concession card. You can apply to have fees waived or reduced if paying them will cause you financial hardship. This is called an application for fee relief.
Apply for fee relief using a concession card.
See also: What can I do if I can’t pay the fees?
What can I do if I can’t pay the fees?
You automatically don’t need to pay any fees if you meet certain criteria.
For everyone else, if you believe paying VCAT fees would cause you financial hardship, you can apply for fee relief at the same time you apply to VCAT.
If we agree, this means we may:
- waive the fee
- reduce the amount you have to pay
- postpone the amount you have to pay.
Any individual can apply for fee relief, including people who don’t have a concession card, but you must meet eligibility criteria. We’ll ask you to give us a summary of your personal financial situation to support your application.
You only need to apply once. Our decision applies to all VCAT fees you’re asked to pay in your case.
How do I pay my VCAT application fee?
If you make an application using an online form, you pay the VCAT 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 you can pay by phone, in person, or by post. You must organise this within 30 days of submitting your application.
Online
When you submit a VCAT application online, the forms ask you to pay with a credit card.
Choose your case type to find the right online application form.
By phone
Call 1300 01 8228 to pay with a credit card (9am – 4.30pm).
In person
Pay in person at 55 King Street, Melbourne between 9am – 4.30pm with a bank cheque, solicitor firm cheque or money order made out to the ‘Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’. We don’t accept personal cheques.
You can also pay by credit card at our other locations in Bundoora, Frankston and Oakleigh. We cannot accept payments by cash, cheque or money order at these three venues.
By post
When you pay by post:
- download and fill out the credit card payment form, or
- make out a bank cheque, solicitor firm cheque or money order to the ‘Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’. We don’t accept personal cheques.
Send your payment to GPO Box 5408, Melbourne VIC 3001
How do I pay my VCAT hearing fee?
We tell you in writing if you must pay hearing fees. This includes what the fee per day is, if your hearing will take more than one day.
You must pay before the hearing. If you don’t, your hearing may be postponed (adjourned).
If your hearing is estimated to go for several days and it is not a Planning or Environment and Resources case, we recommend you pay for the following hearing day only. This is so you can avoid overpaying.
You can pay VCAT hearing fees online, by phone, in person or by post.
If you pay using a credit card, we accept only Mastercard or Visa.
Online
You can pay hearing fees online with a credit card from 4.30pm the day before your hearing.
Pay hearing fees for all other cases
Planning or Environment and Resources cases
We have changed the way hearing fees are paid online.
If you need to pay a hearing fee, we will send you an email with the fee you must pay and a link to the online payment system.
If your matter requires more than one hearing day, the fee will be the total amount for all hearing days.
By phone
Call 1300 01 8228 to pay with a credit card (9am - 4.30pm).
In person
Pay in person at 55 King Street, Melbourne between 9am - 4.30pm with a bank cheque, solicitor firm cheque or money order made out to the 'Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal'. We don't accept personal cheques.
By post
When you pay by post:
- download and fill out the credit card payment form, or
- make out a bank cheque, solicitor firm cheque or money order to the 'Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal'. We don’t accept personal cheques.
Send your payment to GPO Box 5408, Melbourne VIC 3001
Can I get a refund?
You can apply for a refund if you have:
- paid a fee more than once
- paid a higher fee than you should have
- withdrawn your application soon after you applied.
If you withdraw, you may not get your application fee refunded. For example, if we have progressed your application and are ready for a mediation or hearing.
You can't ask for a refund because you don't get the outcome you want.
Planning or Environment and Resources hearings
If your hearing finishes early, there's no need to request a refund. We'll refund the balance of hearing fees you paid as soon as we can.
What fees apply when I make an application as part of a group?
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’ category, the higher fee applies.
What hearing fees apply when there is more than one party who makes an application or claim in my case?
Whenever you put in an application, you may be required to pay a hearing fee. This includes when you make a counterclaim. If there is more than one party that makes an application or claim related to the same case, the hearing fees are shared between those parties.
This means you only need to pay a portion of the full hearing fee for your fee category type. The portion you pay depends on how many parties make a claim.
For example, if there are three parties who make an application:
- a corporate fee payer - who pays one third of the corporate fee
- a standard fee payer - who pays one third of the standard fee; and
- a concession fee payer - who pays one third of the concession fee.
What other fees could I be charged?
We provide services that support you to prepare for and come to VCAT.
These include when you want to:
- ask us to issue a summons to witness or produce documents
- view a VCAT file when you’re not a party in a VCAT case
- photocopy anything while at VCAT
- use video conferencing for a mediation, compulsory conference or hearing
- view the VCAT register
- become a party and take part in the case (make your own application)
- make an application to ask for costs from another party after we’ve finalised your case
- make an application for a rehearing of your case after we’ve made a decision (reopen an order)
- transfer a case from the Magistrates’ Court to VCAT
- make an application to stop somebody doing something immediately (injunction)
- in planning cases, submit a statement of grounds
- issue a warrant to evict a renter from a residential property.