FIFO certificates: the full checklist
Every ticket an Australian fly-in fly-out mining job actually asks for — sorted into what every site needs, what only coal needs, and what is role-specific — with 2026 prices, validity, and which state requires which. Written to stop you paying A$3,000 for a haul-truck ticket before you have the A$100 card that gets you through the gate.
“FIFO certificate” is not one thing. The phrase covers at least four different systems — construction inductions, state coal-mining law, national high-risk-work licensing, and each employer's own site induction — that overlap, expire on different clocks, and are described inconsistently in job ads. This page untangles them.
What certificates do I need for FIFO?
Every state: a White Card, a manual C-class driver licence, a pre-employment medical with drug and alcohol screen, and a national police check. Queensland coal adds the Standard 11 generic induction; NSW coal adds its generic induction plus the Coal Board Medical. First aid, Working at Heights and Confined Space are the cheap extras that get an entry-level application shortlisted. Role-specific tickets (HRW licences, plant, trades) come after that.
How much do FIFO certificates cost?
A self-funded entry-level set is about A$700-1,500: White Card A$100-150, first aid A$100-150, Working at Heights A$150-250, Confined Space A$200-300, police check A$50, plus Standard 11 (A$300-450) or the Coal Board Medical (A$300-400) if you are heading for coal. Site inductions and the pre-employment medical are normally paid by the employer after a conditional offer.
Is Standard 11 required in Western Australia?
No. Standard 11 is a Queensland coal-mining requirement. WA mines run their own site inductions and do not recognise or require it, even though it is often copied into WA job ads. Do not pay for it unless you are actually targeting Queensland coal.
CertVault tells you when each ticket is due — 60 days ahead, for every cert you hold. Free for workers.
Track my mining tickets free →Core checklist — every state, every site
Get these first. Without them no application progresses, regardless of role or state.
General construction induction. Asked for by nearly every mine site because shutdown and maintenance work is construction work. Online in WA/QLD/NSW takes about 4-6 hours; face-to-face in some states.
Driver licence (manual C-class)
Non-negotiable for almost all site roles: light vehicles on site are manual utes. A provisional licence is often rejected; a 4WD course (RIIVEH305) is a bonus for exploration and field roles.
Pre-employment medical + drug & alcohol screen
Fitness-for-work assessment: hearing, vision, spirometry, musculoskeletal, BMI, urine drug screen. Employers book this after a conditional offer. Failing the drug screen ends the process.
National police check
Requested by most operators and camp operators. Order online through an ACIC-accredited provider; results in 1-3 days.
First aid HLTAID011 (Provide First Aid)
Not always mandatory but appears on most ads and is a cheap differentiator. Sites need a ratio of first-aiders per crew.
Inductions and medicals — where the state matters
This is where most of the confusion (and wasted money) lives. Coal mining in Queensland and NSW is regulated under its own Acts with their own inductions and medicals; metalliferous mining in WA, SA and the NT is not.
Standard 11 - Generic Induction (RIIMCU)
Surface (RIIMCU301) or Underground (RIIMCU302) coal-mine induction under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act. Required BEFORE you set foot on a QLD coal mine. Not a WA requirement despite what the ads say.
NSW Generic Induction (RIIMCU) + Coal Board Medical
The NSW equivalents. The Coal Board Medical (Order 43) is administered by Coal Services NSW and is a separate, deeper medical than a standard pre-employment one.
Site-specific induction
Every mine runs its own induction (BHP, Rio, FMG all have their own). Delivered after hiring, often online modules plus a day on site. Cannot be pre-purchased - do not pay a third party for one.
MSIC (Maritime Security Identification Card)
Needed for port-side roles (iron-ore export wharves, Dampier, Port Hedland, Hay Point). Includes an AusCheck background check; allow 4-8 weeks.
The Standard 11 trap
Private RTOs advertise Standard 11 heavily to WA job-seekers because it is a A$400 course with strong search demand. It is a Queensland coal-mining induction and carries no weight at a Pilbara iron-ore site. Buy it only if you are applying to Bowen Basin or other QLD coal operations.
Role-specific tickets — buy only what the job asks for
Ordered from “cheap and broadly useful” to “expensive and only worth it with a job lined up”.
Working at Heights (RIIWHS204)
Harness use, anchor points, rescue. Required for any role touching fixed plant, conveyors or scaffolding.
Confined Space Entry (RIIWHS202 / MSMPER200)
Tanks, vessels, crusher chambers. Often bundled with Gas Test Atmospheres (MSMWHS217) as a one-day "CS + gas test" course.
High Risk Work licences (LF, WP, DG, RB, CN)
Forklift, EWP over 11 m, dogging, basic rigging, non-slewing crane. Issued by the state regulator (WorkSafe WA, WHSQ, SafeWork NSW) after RTO assessment. Fully portable across states and industries.
Haul truck / dump truck (RIIMPO338)
The classic entry ticket - and the one most often oversold. Most operators train truck operators in-house and give preference to their own trainees; an external ticket without site hours has limited value. A dozer/loader/excavator ticket (RIIMPO) is the same story.
Cert II / III in Surface Extraction or Mining (RII20120 / RII30120)
Bundles the induction units plus plant operation. Worth it via a subsidised TAFE pathway; rarely worth full price from a private RTO.
Trade licence / Cert III (electrical, fitting, boilermaking)
Tradespeople are the highest-demand FIFO group. Electricians need the state electrical licence plus, for underground coal, the relevant Electrical Engineering Manager scheme paperwork.
FIFO certificates by state
The minimum entry set for each of the main FIFO regions. Role-specific tickets stack on top.
Western Australia (iron ore, gold, nickel, lithium)
- White Card
- Manual C-class licence
- Pre-employment medical + D&A
- Police check
- Site induction (employer)
- No Standard 11, no Coal Board Medical
- MSIC for Pilbara port roles
Queensland (Bowen Basin coal, Mount Isa base metals)
- Standard 11 (RIIMCU) - mandatory for coal
- Coal Mine Workers Health Scheme assessment (coal, 5 yrs)
- White Card
- Manual licence
- Police check
- Site induction (employer)
New South Wales (Hunter Valley, Illawarra coal)
- NSW Generic Induction (RIIMCU)
- Coal Board Medical (Order 43, 3 yrs)
- White Card
- Manual licence
- Police check
- Underground: additional UG induction + self-rescuer training
South Australia / Northern Territory (copper, uranium, gold, gas)
- White Card
- Manual licence
- Pre-employment medical + D&A
- Police check
- Site induction (employer)
- Uranium sites: radiation-worker induction (employer)
What order to get them in
- White Card, first aid, police check — under A$300 total, all doable in a week, and they appear on every ad. Do these before applying anywhere.
- Pick a state, then the state-specific induction. WA: nothing extra. QLD coal: Standard 11. NSW coal: generic induction plus book the Coal Board Medical.
- Working at Heights and Confined Space — a two-day, ~A$450 pair that makes you usable on shutdowns, which is where most first FIFO swings come from.
- One HRW licence relevant to your target role — forklift or EWP for utility/TA roles, dogging for rigging crews. Portable for 5 years anywhere in Australia.
- Stop. Do not buy a haul-truck ticket, a Cert II, or a second induction until an employer asks for it. The medical and site induction come after the conditional offer and are on them.
Once you hold the set, the problem inverts: six or seven documents on five different renewal cycles, several of which a recruiter will ask to see as PDFs at 9pm the night before a swing. A free CertVault profile stores them all, alerts you 60 days before each one expires, and gives you one link to send.
Jobs that ask for FIFO tickets
Live listings from employer career sites, refreshed daily. Browse by role or region.
Mining & FIFO jobs →
Current mining & fifo openings worldwide.
Australia jobs →
Offshore and marine roles in Australia.
Mechanical Fitter / Technician jobs →
Current mechanical fitter / technician openings worldwide.
Scaffolder jobs →
Current scaffolder openings worldwide.
All openings: CertVault job board
Frequently asked questions
What certificates do I need to work FIFO with no experience?↓
Is the Standard 11 induction required in Western Australia?↓
How much do FIFO certificates cost in total?↓
How long do mining tickets last?↓
Do I need a White Card for a mine site?↓
What is a Coal Board Medical?↓
Which High Risk Work licences are most in demand for FIFO?↓
Do FIFO employers pay for certificates?↓
Related guides
White Card
The first ticket on this list — how to get it, state by state, and when it lapses.
BOSIET
Going offshore instead of onshore? The oil & gas equivalent of this checklist starts here.
Mining industry guide
How CertVault handles mining credentials, rosters and site compliance.
Mining & FIFO jobs
Live fly-in fly-out and mine-site vacancies from employer career feeds.
Seven tickets, five renewal clocks, one profile
CertVault stores every mining ticket, medical and licence, alerts you 60 days before each expires, and gives recruiters one verified link. Free forever for workers.
Based on publicly available state-regulator, Coal Services NSW, Resources Safety & Health Queensland and RTO documentation as of August 2026. Prices are typical ranges; verify with the training provider and your employer.