APEC Architect Criteria

APEC Architect Criteria

An APEC Architect is a registered or licensed architect in a participating economy, whose name is enrolled on a section of the APEC Architect Register maintained by that economy. The criteria for admission to an APEC Architect Register has been agreed between the member economies.

Host economies may choose to adopt special requirements for the recognition of APEC Architects for practice in their economies, but any such requirements must be fully transparent.

Eligibility

To be an Australian APEC Architect, applicants must:

  • be registered in their home economy (i.e. in a State/Territory of Australia)
  • have completed a minimum period of seven years professional practice after initial registration as an architect in any participating economy.
  • have undertaken at least three years of the seven year period as an architect:
      • with sole professional responsibility for the design,documentation and contract administration of buildings of moderate complexity; and/or
      • in collaboration with other architects, as an architect in charge of and professionally responsible for a significant aspect of the design, documentation and/or contract administration of complex buildings.
  • provide two written references, one of which must be from an architect registered in Australia. Referees must be familiar with your work over the last seven years, either as a supervisor, an associate or a client

Architects deemed by the Monitoring Committee in a particular economy (in Australia this is the Board of the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia) to have fulfilled these requirements are eligible for registration as an APEC Architect.

To retain their registration, APEC Architects must comply with obligations imposed by their home economies for maintaining professional competence and observing codes of professional conduct.

Supplementary Assessment for APEC Architects from other economies

Australia requires that APEC Architects from other economies, where Australia has a recognition agreement under the APEC Architecture Agreement (Japan, Singapore & Canada), wishing to practice in Australia must undertake an AACA  interview. Successful completion of the interview is required before applying for registration as an architect with the State or Territory Architects Registration Board where they intend to practice. Please refer to the APEC Supplementary Assessment Guide for more information. 

Key Documents

Australian Candidates

Candidates from Other Economies 

Lodgement

Please follow the link below and create an account to begin your application.

Application Fees 

  • Australian APEC Architect  – Initial Registration: AUD $1,555
  • Australian APEC Architect  – Annual Renewal Fee: AUD $370
  • APEC Architect from Other Economies: AUD $4,145

A card transaction surcharge applies to all payments (1.49% for Australian cards and 2.9% for international cards).

Application Process

Once submitted, applications will be considered by the Australian APEC Architect Monitoring Committee and applicants will be advised of the result in writing. This process take approximately 8 – 10 weeks.

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Architects Accreditation Council of Australia
Gadigal Country
Suite 3, Level 5, 75 Castlereagh Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000

Located on Gadigal Country, the AACA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.