Prepare your initial ESOS or ELICOS application

To prepare to become an Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) or English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) provider, you need to: 

• understand the requirements for registration
• undertake business planning and choose your training products
• develop your organisation’s policies, procedures, systems and tools so you are ready to become a quality education and training provider
• gain access to all the required resources
• prepare your application form
• prepare evidence to submit with your application. 

Initial registration guides 

We recommend using our guides to initial ESOS and ELICOS registration when preparing your application. 

• Guide to initial ESOS registration
• Guide to initial ELICOS registration 

These guides explain: 

• eligibility requirements
• provider responsibilities and obligations
• registration requirements, including:
  • compliance with the relevant regulatory and legislative requirements
  • resourcing requirements
  • required supporting evidence
• information about our application forms
• how we assess applications for initial registration.  

From 5 December 2025, applicants will only be accepted for ESOS registration from most prospective VET providers excluding TAFEs that have been delivering VET to domestic students in Australia for at least two years. Refer to the Department of Education’s Fact Sheet for more information.

Application forms 

There are 3 different types of initial registration application form: 

• Initial RTO registration – use this form to become a registered training organisation (RTO) that delivers VET courses for domestic students (Australian citizens, permanent residents and temporary visitors who are not on student visas)
• Initial ESOS registration - use this form to become a provider that delivers VET courses to overseas students (students in Australia on a student visa). This includes existing RTOs who want to become ESOS Providers
• Initial ELICOS registration - use this form to become an ESOS provider who delivers ELICOS. 

The table below describes which forms are required for different types of applications: 

Evidence requirements

All ESOS or ELICOS registration applications must be accompanied by: 

• completed initial ESOS or ELICOS registration application form/s
• a signed Principal Executive Officer (PEO) statutory declaration
• fit and proper person declaration forms for:
  • The CEO or PEO
  • executive officers
  • high managerial agents
  • any person/s who exercises a degree of control or influence over the management or direction of the registered training organisation.
• a financial viability risk assessment
• comprehensive evidence to demonstrate commitment and capability to become a quality provider. More comprehensive information about the required supporting evidence for different types of applications can be found in our initial registration application guides.