Frequently asked questions

The procedure for enrolling as a candidate surveyor can be found under Pathway to registration.

A person is entitled to be enrolled as a candidate surveyor if the person is:

1. enrolled in a course of studies leading towards a recognised qualification, or
   
2. the holder of a recognised qualification.
   

To gain a Certificate of Competency a candidate surveyor will need to:

• complete a minimum of 104 weeks practical experience, including 52 weeks of cadastral experience. A candidate surveyor must submit a Practical experience obtained form (PDF 72.6 KB) every 12 months or when changing employers.
  
• sit the five prescribed exams.

The Board holds their meetings in February, May, July, September and November annually. The Surveyor General may approve applications outside of the scheduled Board meetings on one occasion between each meeting. Applicants should expect up to 6 weeks until the outcome of their application is considered.

For the current annual candidate surveyor enrolment fee see “BOSSI Fees”.

For information regarding certification of documents please refer to “BOSSI Certification Fact Sheet”

First time candidate applicants can submit prior experience up to 12 months from the date of application. This experience needs to be supplied with the application or the experience will not be accepted.

The procedure for becoming a registered surveyor is via either:

• Certificate of Competency which can be found in Pathway to registration or;
• Letter of Accreditation which can be found in overseas assessment and /or interstate accreditation information.

A person wishing to be registered, will need to have gained a four-year degree in Surveying or equivalent and a Certificate of Competency. For a list of current Australian and New Zealand qualifications see "Recognised qualifications".

For details of the process for assessment of overseas qualifications please see "Overseas assessment".

A person wishing to find out if a surveyor is registered, they may either contact the Board of Surveying and Spatial Information or search the electronic register.

The Board is able to investigate complaints. For more information, see “BOSSI Complaint Policy 2024”.

No.

The Board of Surveying and Spatial Information is not responsible for setting the rate of fees.

The Surveying and Spatial Information Act 2002 No 83 and Surveying and Spatial Information Regulation 2024 are available at the NSW Legislation site.

For details please see ‘What is a land survey?’

The Board of Surveying and Spatial Information maintains records on surveyors from 1929 to the present. Historical information on past surveyors, prior to 1929 may be obtained through the Institution of Surveyors NSW.

Yes, a surveyor can be a registered in multiple jurisdictions.

The Board has no specifications as to who can be a director of surveying firm.

Yes. The NSW Board has a reciprocating arrangement with all states and territories of Australia and New Zealand. The arrangement allows for surveyors registered in those states and territories to apply for registration in New South Wales via a letter of accreditation. For further information visit the website of the Council of Reciprocating Boards of Australia and New Zealand.

For a simple explanation of land ownership, ownership boundaries and what a land surveyor does see the ICSM publication Fundamentals of Land Ownership, Land Boundaries and Surveying.