Manage your ARBV registration

Access the ARBV Portal

Use the portal to:

renew your individual registration or company/partnership approval
change your registration status
make changes to a company or partnership registration
revoke a suspended registration
update your contact details.

For information about applying for individual registration, company or partnership approval for the first time, visit registering as an architect.

How to access the ARBV Portal

ARBV Portal Guide

PDF 1.45 MB

Change your registration class – for architects

If your circumstances change, you may need to change your class of registration from practising to non-practising, or vice versa.

If you change your class of registration to non-practising and remain in the non-practising class for more than 2 years, you will be required to provide additional information when you apply to go back to the practising class and you may need to complete a further assessment. You will also be required to pay an assessment fee.

Change of class assessment

The change of class assessment draws from the performance criteria (PCs) in the National Standard of Competency for Architects (the NSCA). The focus of the questions is on PCs 1, 5 and 9.

Architects should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the regulatory framework. This includes an understanding of:

the Architects Act and the Architects Regulations, including the Victorian Architects Code of Professional Conduct, with specific reference to relevant legislative provisions and clauses of the Code that underpin professional obligations.

Architects should also be able to:

provide details on the type and scale of projects they were involved in while in the practising class
demonstrate their understanding of procurement methods, in particular those that relate to their work experience
demonstrate their knowledge of relevant building codes, standards, technical specifications and guidelines
articulate the importance of client architect agreements and the relationship the agreements have with procurement methods.

If responses to the assessment are not adequate, an interview may be required.

When submitting a change of class application to go back to the practising class, please ensure that you also update your employment information, which includes making sure you are covered by appropriate professional indemnity insurance.

Change of Class to Practising applications that are incomplete cannot be progressed until the employment and professional indemnity insurance information has been provided. This information can be provided via your individual profile in the ARBV Portal.

Non-practising architects

Think carefully before deciding to change your registration to a non-practising architect. Even if you only undertake a small number of projects each year or work for free, you must hold the correct registration.

Architects (non-practising) must not provide architectural services, even when working for an approved company or partnership.

To change your class of registration, log in to the ARBV Portal and select the relevant option on your dashboard.

Obtain proof of your registration

If you need to provide evidence of your registration to third parties, you can access proof of your registration via the ARBV Portal.

This is available for Architects (practising), Architects (non-practising), Companies and Partnerships.

If you need to obtain more extensive proof of your registration, you can request a certified extract of the register, which includes details of your registration history.

If you need a certified extract of the register, send an email to registrar@arbv.vic.gov.au. This may take up to 10 business days to be provided and includes the history of your registration.

Update your contact details

To update details such as your phone number and postal address, log in to the relevant profile in the ARBV Portal. Hover over the name of the profile you have logged into, select the 'Profile' menu item and select 'Edit' to make changes.

If you are an individual architect and need to change your name, email registrar@arbv.vic.gov.au with this request. You will need to provide an official document that confirms your name change.

Companies and partnerships that need to update their name on the register need to submit the relevant application via the ARBV Portal. See information about this above.

All registrants (i.e. individuals, companies and partnerships) who need to change the email address associated with their ARBV profile, please email registrar@arbv.vic.gov.au with this request.

Renew, change or cancel your registration

To maintain your registration, you may be required to pay an annual renewal fee. Architects (practising), companies and partnerships must pay an annual renewal fee. Architects (non-practising) do not need to pay an annual renewal fee.

Annual renewal fees are due before 1 July each year. Your registration is valid from the time it is granted by the ARBV to 30 June in the same financial year. The ARBV will send renewal notices to registrants when the renewal period begins each year.

If you don't pay your annual renewal fees, the ARBV may suspend your registration as an architect and/or your approval as a company or partnership.

Find out more about registration fees.

Renew your registration on the ARBV Portal

How to renew your registration

ARBV Registration Renewal Guide
PDF 424.57 KB

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If your individual registration, or company or partnership approval, has been suspended, you can revoke the suspension via the ARBV Portal. When you are logged in to the relevant profile in the portal, click on the “Revocation of Suspension” tile and follow the process.
Individual architects
When submitting a revocation application to go back to the practising class, please ensure that you also update your employment information, which includes making sure you are covered by appropriate professional indemnity insurance. Revocation applications that are incomplete cannot be progressed until the employment and professional indemnity insurance information has been provided. This information can be provided via your individual profile in the ARBV Portal. Please also note that you will need to pay the annual registration fee to revoke your registration to the practising class, as well as an additional revocation fee.
When submitting a revocation application to go back to the non-practising class, current employment information and professional indemnity insurance cover is not required. The annual registration fee is also not required when revoking your registration to the non-practising class. However, you will need to pay the revocation fee.
Companies or partnerships
Companies and partnerships can only be revoked back to being active entities. Please ensure that you provide the appropriate professional indemnity insurance as part of your application. Please also note that you will need to pay the annual registration fee to revoke your registration, as well as an additional revocation fee.
You can make changes to the director(s) or partner(s) of an approved company or partnership, on the ARBV Portal. When logged in to the company or partnership profile in question, choose the 'Change Organisation Details' tile from your dashboard and then the relevant option.
When completing the application, you will be required to complete the statutory declaration below and upload it to the application. The statutory declaration needs to be signed by either the incoming director(s) (if you are adding or replacing director(s)) or by an existing/remaining director (if you are removing director(s)). Statutory declarations must be signed by an authorised statutory declaration witness.
Statutory declaration - companies

ARBV Statutory declaration - change director
PDF 213.66 KB

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ARBV Statutory declaration - change director
Word 90 KB

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Statutory declaration - partnerships

ARBV Statutory declaration - change partner
PDF 213.66 KB

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ARBV Statutory declaration - change partner
Word 86.5 KB

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As part of your application for companies, you will also need to obtain and provide a full ASIC current company extract. Please note that you will need to pay for this document – visit the ASIC website for more information.
If you wish to change the name of the company or partnership, you can do so via the ARBV Portal. When logged in to the company or partnership profile in question, choose the 'Change Organisation Details' tile from your dashboard and then the relevant option.
When completing the application, you will be required to upload a document from ASIC that confirms the name change of the company or partnership.
If you are registered as an architect (practising), you can change your class of registration to non-practising. Find information above on changing your class of registration.
If you are an architectural company or partnership, you can cancel your approval if you stop trading or providing architectural services in Victoria. To cancel your approval, log into the company or partnership profile via the ARBV Portal. When logged in to the company or partnership profile in question, choose the 'Change Organisation Details' tile from your dashboard and then the relevant option. As part of your application, you will need to:
- upload ASIC documentation that shows that the company is no longer registered, or
- if the company is still registered with ASIC at the time you submit the application to cancel the approval, upload a letter on company letterhead signed by all directors explaining why you are cancelling the company approval (e.g. that you are no longer providing architectural services in Victoria)
- partnerships should upload a letter on partnership letterhead signed by all partners explaining why you are cancelling the partnership approval (e.g. that you are no longer providing architectural services in Victoria).

Updated 17 April 2024