Number Porting Australia: Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Number porting in Australia is the process of transferring your existing phone number from one telecommunications provider to another, keeping the number intact. Australian number porting is governed by the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 2025 and registered industry codes covering local, mobile and inbound number portability. This guide covers the complete porting process: what category your port falls into, the realistic timelines for each, what paperwork you need, why ports get rejected, how to stay reachable during the cutover, and what your rights are if a provider drags their feet. By the end you will know exactly what to do, what to watch for, and what you are legally entitled to.

What Is Number Porting? (Plain English)

A CSP holds and issues the number to you, while you have rights to use it while the associated service is active, including the right to port it where the number is portable. Number porting is simply the process of exercising that right: transferring your number to a new carrier while keeping the same digits. For a comparison of current options, see our guide to the best phone system for small business in Australia.The number you have been using for years can usually be ported if it remains active, is a portable number type and the gaining provider accepts it. The process is routine. The industry has documented, standardised technical processes for number porting.What trips people up is not the technology. It is paperwork errors, account detail mismatches, and choosing a provider that does not communicate clearly about what is happening. This guide covers all of it.

Cat A vs Cat C Porting: Which One Applies to You?

Category A and Category C are the principal processes for local geographic-number ports. Mobile and 13/1300/1800 numbers use separate portability processes, and the Local Number Portability Code also retains a limited Category D process. Which category your port falls into determines the timeline and the complexity of the process. A single geographic number associated with a Simple Telephone Service will normally use Category A; ask the gaining provider to confirm the category of an ISP-bundled service. Blocks of complex geographic numbers and complex ISDN arrangements commonly use Category C. A 13, 1300 or 1800 number follows the separate inbound-number portability process. When in doubt, ask your new provider to confirm the category before you start.

Step-by-Step: How to Port Your Business Number

Here is the complete process, in order. Do not skip steps. Errors in the information submitted can result in a port rejection.

Step 1: Confirm Your Number Is Eligible to Port

Only active portable numbers can be ported. A minimum contract term does not make an active number ineligible, although early termination charges may still apply. Confirm any provider-specific pending-order restriction with the gaining provider.The fastest way to confirm: contact your new provider and give them the number. Ask the gaining provider to assess portability and confirm the applicable validation process and timeframe.

Step 2: Gather Your Account Details from the Losing Carrier

The Customer Authorisation should contain accurate customer details, but inter-carrier validation depends on the applicable port process; for Cat A, the request carries the telephone number, Service Account Number, category and authorisation date. You need:- Account holder name: provide accurate customer details. The exact fields used for carrier validation vary by port type; for a standard local (Cat A) port, the key inter-carrier fields are typically the phone number, service account number and service address, so an exact business-name match matters less than getting the service account number and number right. - Service address: the address registered on the account, not your current business address if these differ. - Account number or service ID: shown on your invoice. For NBN-bundled services, this is often the broadband account number rather than the phone number itself. - The phone number being ported: written in full with area code. - Any PIN or account password if your carrier uses one for verification. If you are unsure of any detail, call your current provider and confirm before submitting.

Step 3: Submit the Porting Authority Form to Your New Provider

Your new provider must obtain Customer Authorisation for the port, giving them permission to request the number transfer on your behalf. It may be captured on paper, electronically, through a web page or as a recorded voice authorisation, it does not have to be a specific one-page paper form, but it must be completed accurately.The new provider uses the Customer Authorisation to initiate the applicable electronic inter-carrier porting transactions. The authorisation itself is retained and may be supplied if requested for a dispute or verification. The losing carrier has a defined window to either approve the port or raise a valid objection. They cannot simply refuse.

Step 4: Wait for Confirmation and Agree on a Cutover Time

After the PA is submitted, your new provider should give you a scheduled cutover date and time. For Category A ports, this is typically within 8 to 15 business days (regulated service levels: 80% within 8 business days, 98% within 15). For Category C ports, allow 15 to 20 business days.You should receive written confirmation of the cutover time. Choose a low-traffic time offered by the provider. Standard LNP operating hours are 8 am to 5 pm on business days; ask whether an after-hours cutover is available. The technical cutover window is typically under 2 hours, during which inbound calls may not connect reliably.

Step 5: Cutover Day

On the agreed cutover day, the number transfers from the losing carrier to the gaining carrier in the LNP system. During this window:- Have a mobile number ready to receive any calls that cannot connect during the transition. Put a brief message on your voicemail or auto-attendant explaining that your number is being transferred and giving an alternative contact. - Your VOIP phones may need to re-register with the new provider after the port completes. Your new provider will advise on this. - If you are using a cloud phone system system, your provider will typically handle the technical cutover on the platform side.

Step 6: Test and Confirm

Once the new provider confirms the port is complete, test inbound calls from a mobile (not from the ported number itself). Test outbound calls. Test voicemail. If you have a 1300 number overlaid on the ported geographic number, test the 1300 routing separately.Notify your new provider immediately if anything is not working. Do not wait. Report any post-port fault immediately and follow the provider’s troubleshooting and escalation process; do not assume a routing problem will resolve by itself.

Realistic Porting Timelines with Buffer

The industry timelines are targets, not guarantees. Here is what to actually plan for: If you have a hard deadline (a lease expiry requiring a business move, a promotional campaign with a published number), start the porting process well in advance. Allow at least 15 business days for a simple local-number port and additional contingency for rejection or external delay; for a complex port, use the provider’s confirmed schedule and allow further buffer.

Why Ports Get Rejected (and How to Fix Them)

A port rejection is not the end. It is a delay. Many rejections can be corrected, but whether and how quickly they can be resolved depends on the rejection reason. When a port is rejected, your new provider should tell you the reason code. If they cannot tell you why the rejection occurred, that is a service quality issue with the new provider, not the porting system.

Porting 1300 and 1800 Numbers

Porting a 1300 or 1800 number is a different process from porting a geographic number. 13, 1300 and 1800 numbers are local-rate or freephone numbers and use the inbound-number portability process. Some are separately registered as smartnumbers with enhanced rights of use.Key differences for 1300/1800 porting:- Your rights depend on whether the number is an ordinary issued 1300/1800 number or a registered Smartnumber for which you hold Enhanced Rights of Use (EROU). In either case, a provider change is normally initiated by the gaining provider through the standard porting process, not something you do yourself through a portal. - Confirm with your new provider what they need from you to initiate the transfer, and if the number is a registered Smartnumber, confirm your EROU status through The Numbering System. - The underlying routing (where the 1300 number forwards to) also needs to be updated with the new provider. Expect this to add time. - This is not a Cat A/Cat C port -- ACMA's Inbound Number Portability Code requires the losing carrier to respond within 2 business days, and the technical cutover itself is fast once approved (95% within 2 hours, 99.9% within 16 hours). End to end, once account verification and routing setup are included, allow several business days to two weeks for a standard 1300 transfer, and up to 4 weeks for complex routing arrangements. - Confirm with your new provider that they support 1300/1800 number hosting before you start. Not all business phone companies offer 1300/1800 management.For more on 1300 numbers, see our full guide to 1300 numbers for Australian businesses.

Staying Reachable During the Port

The cutover window for a simple port is typically under 2 hours. For most businesses, this is manageable. Here is how to minimise disruption:**Before the port:** Set up call forwarding on your existing service to a mobile number during the planned cutover window. Most ISP phone services and VOIP services allow this through the account portal. If the old service supports it, call forwarding may reduce disruption before cutover, but confirm with both providers whether it will remain effective during the transition.**On your new system, before cutover:** Have your new VOIP service provisioned and tested with a temporary number before the port completes. This means your PBX configuration, call flows, IVR, voicemail, and ring groups are all set up and working before your main number lands on the system. You are not configuring under pressure on cutover day.**Parallel running:** For continuity-critical services, ask both providers what transition options they support, such as pre-cutover forwarding or temporary numbers; any parallel-running arrangement is provider- and service-dependent. Not all providers offer this, but it is worth asking.**Notify key contacts:** If you are making a major infrastructure change at the same time as porting (e.g. also moving premises), notify key clients or suppliers in advance. For most businesses, a simple port with a prepared new system is completely invisible to callers.

The Green Port Moment: Breaking Free from Your ISP

For many Australian businesses, number porting is not just a logistics exercise. It is the moment you escape a phone system you did not choose and never fully understood.As the NBN rolled out, some customers’ landline services moved from PSTN to VoIP, including through a phone port on an ISP-supplied modem. Although the phone could continue working much as before, the underlying setup, equipment requirements, call handling and availability of SIP credentials varied by provider and plan.Number porting is how you break that arrangement. You take your number to a dedicated business phone company. You gain control of your call routing, your IVR, your voicemail, your ring groups, and your call reporting. The ISP ATA becomes irrelevant. The green port becomes a dormant socket.Depending on the provider, plan and configuration, relying on an ISP-supplied ATA may mean missing calls when features such as concurrent calling, after-hours handling or hold functionality are unavailable. Porting is not a technical exercise. It is a business decision. See our guide to VOIP vs traditional phone systems in Australia for the full business case.

For businesses switching to VoIP for the first time who want to understand the full porting picture -- which number types are portable, what information to gather, and what to expect on the day of the switch -- see our guide: Can I Keep My Phone Number When Switching to VoIP in Australia?

Your Rights Under Australian Law: What ACMA and TIO Say

Australian telecommunications law gives you clear rights around number porting. Understanding them protects you if a losing carrier behaves badly.

ACMA Numbering Plan Rights

Under the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 2025, providers and carriers involved in supplying a portable service must enable customers to exercise their portability rights. They cannot refuse a valid port request. They must facilitate valid ports in accordance with the applicable customer-authorisation, identity-check and service-validation requirements.The ACMA's Local Number Portability framework requires that porting transactions be completed within defined timeframes. Providers who consistently fail to meet these obligations can face regulatory action. If you believe your current provider is deliberately obstructing a valid port, you have escalation paths available.2026 update -- Scams Prevention Framework: The Australian Telecommunications Alliance has confirmed industry support for the government's Scams Prevention Framework, which imposes new obligations on carriers including stronger identity verification requirements. Mobile number porting already requires identity pre-verification steps, and the Framework broadly raises the bar on carrier identity checks, so treat stronger verification on porting authority requests as a likely direction rather than a confirmed specific new porting-authority requirement, confirm current requirements with your carrier -- where a fraudster transfers your business number to a new carrier without your consent. If your number is ported without your authorisation, escalate immediately to your provider and then to the TIO. Port-out fraud can be reversed, but speed matters: the sooner you report it, the faster the number is returned.

Your Rights If a Provider Blocks or Delays Your Port

If a provider is blocking, delaying, or failing to process your port:1. Raise a formal complaint with your current provider first. This creates a paper trail. Ask for a written response. 2. If unresolved, escalate to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) at tio.com.au. The TIO can investigate and direct providers to complete valid port requests. Filing a TIO complaint is free. 3. The TIO has authority to require providers to complete the port and may also award compensation for demonstrable losses caused by the delay. 4. For systemic issues, the ACMA accepts complaints about provider compliance with the Numbering Plan at acma.gov.au.

What Happens to Your Number if You Leave Without Porting?

If you cancel your current service without porting your number, the number is released back to the carrier and eventually returned to the numbering pool. You lose the right to that number. There is no guaranteed recovery path.ACMA says a disconnected number is generally placed in quarantine for 6 to 12 months before it can be reissued. Some providers may allow you to reclaim a recently released number, but this is not guaranteed and is at the carrier's discretion.The answer is simple: always port before you cancel. Never cancel first.

Porting Costs: What You Should Pay

Porting fees vary by provider and port type, with higher fees potentially applying to some local number ports. Check your new provider's pricing documentation before committing.The losing carrier may charge a service disconnection fee or early termination fee if you are within a minimum contract period. This is separate from the porting process itself and depends on your contract terms. Check your contract for:- Minimum term and remaining duration - Early termination fee structure (flat fee vs remaining months pro-rated) - Whether porting triggers the ETF or only full cancellation doesFor 1300/1800 number transfers, some carriers charge a transfer administration fee that varies by provider. Your new provider should advise on this upfront.For a full picture of VOIP business costs, see our guide to business phone systems in Australia.

Common Mistakes: What Most Businesses Get Wrong

These three mistakes can cause porting delays. All are avoidable.

Mistake 1: Cancelling the Old Service Before the Port Completes

This is the most consequential mistake in number porting. If you contact your current provider and cancel your service, the number is released. Once released, it cannot be ported because it no longer belongs to you. The new provider has nothing to pull across.The correct sequence is: port first, confirm completion, then cancel. Do not assume the entire account or bundled services will close automatically. After the port is confirmed, ask the losing provider which services remain active and close only those you no longer need. If they do not, contact them after confirmation to close the account.

Mistake 2: Submitting Account Details Without Verifying Them

The gaining provider validates the Customer Authorisation, while the losing carrier validates the inter-carrier request against the criteria in the applicable portability code; not every field on the authorisation is an exact-match rejection field. Businesses often have accounts set up years ago under slightly different names, old addresses, or billing contacts who have since left.Spend five minutes on the phone with your current provider before submitting. Ask them to confirm the exact account holder name, service address, and account number on file. That call can save a week.

Mistake 3: Not Having the New System Ready Before the Port

Some businesses initiate the port and then scramble to configure the new phone system once the port completes. This means the number lands on an unprepared system: no IVR, no call routing, no voicemail configured. Calls ring to nowhere or route incorrectly.Your new VOIP system should be fully configured and tested on a temporary number before the port is submitted. When the port completes, the number simply points to an already-working system. No rush, no scramble. See our full NBN VOIP setup guide for the system configuration steps.

Your Next Steps: Pre-Port Checklist

Use this checklist before submitting your porting authority form:[ ] Confirm your number is eligible to port (ask your new provider to check the LNP database) [ ] Identify whether your port is Category A or Category C [ ] Retrieve exact account details from your current provider: account holder name, service address, account number [ ] Choose a new business phone company and set up your service with a temporary number [ ] Configure and test your PBX, IVR, call routing, voicemail, and ring groups on the temporary number [ ] Complete the Porting Authority form with verified account details [ ] Agree on a cutover date and time during a low-traffic period [ ] Set up call forwarding on your old service to a mobile for the cutover window [ ] Brief your team on the cutover window and backup contact number [ ] After port completion: test inbound calls, outbound calls, and voicemail [ ] After port confirmation: cancel old service (do not cancel before)If you are not sure which business phone company to move to or want a recommendation matched to your business size and call volume, our team can help. See the Get a Recommendation page.

Porting requests are rejected more often than most businesses expect. Rejections can result from an invalid Service Account Number, service-status issues, pending orders or requests, or use of the wrong port category. Our guide covers every number porting rejection reason in Australia and how to fix each one.

Businesses being forced off Telstra VoIP services need to understand their number porting rights before choosing a new provider. Our guide to the Telstra VoIP shutdown covers porting timelines, what happens to your 13/1300/1800 numbers, and how to migrate without losing your business numbers.

Your right to port a number is protected under ACMA rules, a provider cannot withhold porting to keep you as a customer. For a broader overview of your rights under Australian Consumer Law when dealing with telco contracts, see Australian Consumer Law and Telco Contracts.

Before contacting your new provider to start a port, check your number type and porting category with our Number Porting Checker. It identifies whether your number is a standard geographic, mobile, 13/1300/1800, or data service, each follows a different porting pathway and timeline.

Not sure what actually happens once you decide to switch? Read our plain-English guide to what happens when you change business phone provider, you don’t need to be technical to follow it.

Will I lose my number during the port?

No. The number does not disappear during the port. There is a cutover window, typically under 2 hours for a Category A port, during which calls may not connect reliably. Outside that window, your number is active on either the old or the new system. The risk is not losing the number permanently. It is a brief period of reduced reachability during the cutover, which can be managed with call forwarding to a mobile.

How long does number porting take in Australia?

Category A ports (simple single-number transfers) are regulated to complete 80% within 8 business days and 98% within 15 -- so plan for 8 to 15 business days, not the faster figures some providers quote informally. Category C ports (complex local-number services requiring manual coordination) are regulated to 80% within 15 business days, 90% within 20, and 99% within 30; consumer/SME Cat C ports generally complete under 20 business days. 1300/1800 transfers are a separate process entirely (not Cat A/C) and typically take several business days to two weeks. For planning purposes, add a buffer for rejection: first-attempt rejections due to account detail mismatches are common and each one restarts the timeline.

Can my current provider refuse to release my number?

No. Under the ACMA's Telecommunications Numbering Plan, providers are required to support number porting and cannot refuse a valid port request. They can reject a port for legitimate technical reasons (account detail mismatch, number not on account), but they cannot simply refuse to cooperate. If a provider is deliberately obstructing a valid port, you can escalate to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) at tio.com.au. Most providers become significantly more cooperative once a TIO complaint reference is raised.

Does porting cost anything?

Porting fees vary by provider and number type. Check the gaining provider’s published charges and your existing contract for any separate early-termination or disconnection fees. Some providers charge nothing at all. The more significant cost to watch for is any early termination fee from your current provider if you are within a minimum contract period. Check your contract for ETF terms before initiating the port. Fees for 13/1300/1800 transfers vary by provider; obtain the current charge from the gaining provider before proceeding.

Can I port a 1300 or 1800 number to a new provider?

Yes, but the process is different from geographic number porting. 1300 and 1800 numbers use the separate Inbound Number Portability process. If the number is a purchased Smartnumber, its holder has Enhanced Rights of Use; otherwise the customer has the ordinary rights of use associated with the active service. ACMA's Inbound Number Portability Code requires the losing carrier to respond within 2 business days, and the technical cutover itself completes within hours once approved. In practice, allow several business days to two weeks end to end once account verification and routing setup are included. Confirm with your new provider that they support 1300/1800 hosting before starting.

What happens if I cancel my service before porting?

The number is released back to the carrier and eventually returned to the numbering pool. Once released, the number cannot be ported because it no longer belongs to you. In rare cases, if the release was very recent, the carrier may be able to reclaim the number, but this is not guaranteed. Never cancel your service before the port is confirmed complete.

Do I need to be at my premises on cutover day?

Not necessarily, but someone who can test calls and liaise with your new provider should be available. The cutover is handled remotely between carriers. What you need to do on cutover day is: confirm the cutover has completed (your provider will notify you), test an inbound call from a mobile, test an outbound call, and confirm voicemail is working. This takes about 10 minutes. If you have a cloud phone system with a remote management portal, you do not need physical access to any hardware.

Can I port my number if I am moving to a different state?

Sometimes, with real caveats. Geographic numbers carry area codes that indicate a state (02 for NSW/ACT, 03 for VIC/TAS, etc.). Some providers allow you to keep a geographic number like a Sydney 02 number and use it after moving to Melbourne, but this depends on the specific provider supporting out-of-area use, and it can limit your ability to port that number again later. Confirm with your new provider before assuming this works. Calls to an out-of-area geographic number may be charged as if the service were in the number’s original zone, depending on the caller’s provider and plan. Many businesses that move interstate opt to either keep the original area code for continuity or add a local geographic number in the new state alongside the existing number.

Related reading:

• Category A vs Category C porting
• porting timelines explained
• 1300 number rules

Every porting situation is different. A mobile number port usually takes about three hours; the applicable service levels are 90% within three hours and 99% within two business days. An individual local-number port is generally completed within 8 to 15 business days, while a complex local-number port can take up to 30 business days, subject to the code’s exceptions. An inbound 1300 number has a separate process. Tell us your number type and current provider and we'll tell you what to expect. We reply personally. Not a bot, not a form letter.