Policy paper

A fairer approach to awarding QTS to overseas teachers

Updated 10 January 2024

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

The Department for Education (DfE) is developing a fairer approach to awarding qualified teacher status (QTS).

A professional recognition service, called Apply for qualified teacher status in England, sets consistent standards so the qualifications and experience of overseas teachers can be fairly assessed.

What QTS means for teaching in England

If your application for QTS is successful, your qualifications and experience will be recognised as meeting the same standard as QTS, and you will be awarded QTS.

Although having QTS means schools in England are more likely to employ you, the service cannot:

• award you a teaching job
• help with your visa

Teachers in England are employed by individual schools, not DfE.

Teach in England if you trained outside the UK explains how to apply for a teaching job and visa.

Check your eligibility to apply for QTS using the service

If you have a teaching qualification from any of the following countries or regions, you can apply for QTS in England, if you meet the requirements:

• Australia
• Canada
• the EEA
• Gibraltar
• Guernsey
• Hong Kong
• Jersey
• New Zealand
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Switzerland
• Ukraine
• the USA

Applicants with a subject specialism in languages, mathematics or science and a qualification to teach 11- to 16-year-olds from the following countries can also use the service to apply for QTS, if they meet the requirements:

• Ghana
• India
• Jamaica
• Nigeria
• Singapore
• South Africa

These countries have been selected initially because our research shows:

• teachers from these countries already have a substantial presence in the UK as valued members of the teaching workforce
• there is an established interest in teaching in England in these countries
• we have strong educational ties with these countries

The body responsible for awarding QTS will continue to be the Teaching Regulation Agency.

DfE intends to expand the service so teachers from around the world can use it to check their eligibility and apply for QTS.

Future changes to eligible subject specialisms or countries will be published on this page.

Requirements you’ll need to meet

We will award overseas teachers QTS based on an assessment of each individual’s qualifications and experience against strict requirements. These requirements are mandatory and must be met in full exactly as set out here.

To be awarded QTS as a non-UK teacher, you must:

• have a bachelor’s degree of the same academic standard as a UK undergraduate degree, as verified by UK ENIC, the UK national agency for international qualifications and skills
• have completed teacher training that meets the standard of a level 6 qualification and is of at least the same length as an English initial teacher training course – for example, a Bachelor of Education or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education
• have completed a course with content that is practically and pedagogically focused
• be qualified and suitable to teach children aged between 5 and 16
• have at least one school year (9 months) of experience employed as a teacher in any country after qualifying, including school holidays but not including time taken out for any other reason
• have the professional status needed to be a teacher in the country where you qualified, and not be subject to any conditions or restrictions on your practice

English language proficiency

You must also meet a certain standard of English language proficiency. This means you must be able to show one of the following. You have:

• been born in, hold citizenship of or have studied at undergraduate level (or higher) in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Guernsey, Jersey or one of the exempt countries or territories
• been taught in English at undergraduate level (or higher) – you will need to provide evidence that English has been the medium of instruction of your degree
• sat a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) B2 level English language test at a secure English language test provider and met a CEFR B2 level of English proficiency

You can check approved providers, tests and scores for secure English language tests before applying.

Additional requirements for teaching qualifications

If you are a teacher with a qualification from Ghana, India, Jamaica, Nigeria, Singapore, or South Africa, you must also have one of the following:

• a teaching qualification that meets the standard of a level 6 qualification qualifying you to teach children aged 11 to 16 in mathematics, languages or science

• a teaching qualification that meets the standard of a level 6 qualification qualifying you to teach children aged 11 to 16, and a bachelor’s degree made up of at least 50% mathematics, science or a language (excluding English) taught in English state schools, for example:

  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Latin
  • Mandarin
  • Russian
  • Spanish

Documents required 

You will be guided through the documents you need to submit as part of the application. The documents you provide will be reviewed by an assessor.

Apply for QTS in England

Non-UK teachers can use the apply for QTS in in England service, if they meet the requirements set out on this page.

Many teachers will not meet the requirements for QTS. If you’re not eligible, you may be able to find an alternative route to QTS which better suits your circumstances.

Overseas teachers who no longer meet the criteria for QTS

Some overseas teachers who were previously eligible to apply to the Teaching Regulation Agency for QTS may no longer meet the requirements for training and experience.

Our research indicates that previously eligible teachers who lack the necessary training and experience may struggle in English schools. We believe it is fairer for both schools and teachers to set consistent criteria for all applicants for QTS.

Additional support for overseas teachers

Once awarded QTS, overseas teachers who come to England with less than 2 school years’ experience must complete statutory induction and undertake development support based on the early career framework.

International qualified teacher status (iQTS)

Apply for qualified teacher status in England complements international qualified teacher status (iQTS).

iQTS is suitable for aspiring or inexperienced teachers who are located outside of England and wish to train abroad to English standards with a DfE-accredited teacher training provider. iQTS is recognised by the UK government as meeting the same standards as English qualified teacher status, and if successfully completed, leads to QTS.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales

Exceptions apply to the devolved nations. Teachers who trained and qualified in Scotland and Northern Ireland will not need to demonstrate the same criteria as teachers using the apply for QTS in England service. They will only need to supply evidence of their teaching qualification to the Teaching Regulation Agency. Teachers who qualified in Wales will continue to hold QTS automatically.

There are separate processes for teachers from overseas who wish to work in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales.

Contact us

For any additional QTS queries, email teach.inengland@education.gov.uk.

For help with an application, if you’re eligible for QTS, email qts.enquiries@education.gov.uk.