Free rapid antigen tests to support vulnerable communities

The free rapid antigen tests (RATs) are available to:

• people with disability, immunocompromised people, and their carers
• eligible Commonwealth Concession Card holders in NSW:
  • Pensioner Concession card
  • Commonwealth Seniors Health Care card
  • Health Care Card (including Low Income Health Care card) 
  • Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold, White or Orange cards.

Get them from your NDIS or DCJ contracted service provider

If you are an eligible priority client RATs are available:

• through organisations contracted by the Department of Communties and Justice (DCJ) to provide services to priority clients
• if you’re registered for NDIS, RATs are available through your NDIS disability provider, if that provider is a not-for-profit charity or non-government organisation. 

If your provider requires an additional supply of RATs, they can get more information from the Department of Communities and Justice coronavirus website.

Get them from your neighbourhood or community centre

If you’re a Commonwealth Concession Card holder, or you are not getting RATs through your DCJ contracted provider, or NDIS provider, you can get free RATs by going to any one of 200 neighbourhood and community centres across the state.

To find one, check your suburb in this A-Z list.

PDF and Excel versions are also available.

You can find out more about the centres by searching for them at Service Seeker.

How do I get them?

Either you or your carer can go to the nearest neighbourhood or community centre to collect them. 

People with disability or immunocompromised, or your carer need to self-declare your disability or that you‘re immunocompromised. There’s no need to provide your name or personal details.

Commonwealth Concession Card holders need to show your concession card.

How many can I have?

For people with disability or immunocompromised, this may vary depending on your need, but we recommend you collect up to 1 month’s supply, based on 2 RATs per week. That’s a total of 8 RATs per person per month. 

If you have multiple carers coming into your home, you may require more RATs so that all your carers can test themselves before visiting you.

Concession Card holders can access 10 Rapid Antigen Tests over 3 months up until 31 October 2022.

Why are these kits free?

The NSW Government is committed to protecting those most in need in our community by providing RATs to vulnerable people.

You can read more in Ministers Coure and Maclaren-Jones media release.