Cosmetic surgery timeline
Enter the consultation dates to see the earliest booking, deposit and procedure dates under the Medical Board of Australia rules for cosmetic surgery and procedures.
Work out the earliest dates
Dates follow the Medical Board of Australia guideline in force since 1 July 2023.
Must be a later consultation than the first.
Enter both dates to see the timeline.
Earliest dates under the guideline, not appointment availability. A surgeon may decline or delay a procedure.
The rules the timeline applies
- Guideline 2.1
- Every patient seeking cosmetic surgery needs a referral, preferably from their usual GP, from a doctor who works independently of the surgeon and does not perform cosmetic surgery or procedures.
- Guideline 3.1 to 3.4
- At least two consultations before surgery. At least one is in person with the surgeon who will operate; the other can be in person or by video.
- Guideline 3.5 to 3.7
- Consent cannot be signed at the first consultation, or before an in-person consultation with the surgeon.
- Guideline 3.8
- A cooling-off period of at least seven days after two consultations and signed consent, before the surgery can be booked or a deposit paid.
- Guideline 4.4
- Under 18: evaluation by an independent psychologist, psychiatrist or GP before any cosmetic surgery.
- Guideline 4.5
- Under 18: a cooling-off period of at least three months between consent and surgery.
- Non-surgical 4.5 and 4.6
- Under 18, non-surgical procedures: at least seven days between consent and the procedure, and no money payable before then other than initial consultations.
Cosmetic surgery means cutting beneath the skin, for example breast augmentation, abdominoplasty, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, face lifts and liposuction. Injectables, thread lifts, laser treatments, chemical peels and hair transplants are non-surgical procedures under the guideline.