UK QTS: Full list of countries whose teachers can apply as Nigeria loses eligibility

The United Kingdom, UK has changed the eligibility rules for overseas-trained teachers seeking to obtain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England, removing Nigeria, Ghana and India from the countries whose teachers can use the direct application service.

The Department for Education (DfE) said the change took effect on September 9, 2026, meaning teachers who trained in Nigeria, Ghana or India can no longer use the Apply for QTS in England service.

The department said countries must have a national regulator capable of confirming a teacher’s professional standing and must be able to provide references that meet its verification requirements.

According to the DfE, India does not have a national regulator that can confirm professional standing.

It also said more than 70 per cent of applications from teachers in Ghana and Nigeria included work-history references using public email addresses, such as Gmail or Hotmail, rather than official school email domains.

The department said the new requirements are intended to ensure that information submitted by overseas teachers can be properly verified.

Full list: Countries whose teachers can still apply for QTS in England

Teachers with recognised teaching qualifications from the following countries and regions can still use the QTS application service, provided they meet all the required criteria:

1. Australia
2. Canada
3. European Economic Area (EEA)
4. Guernsey
5. Hong Kong
6. Jersey
7. New Zealand
8. Switzerland
9. Ukraine
10. United States of America (USA)

The DfE says applicants from these countries must still satisfy the mandatory requirements for QTS, including qualification, professional standing, teaching experience and English-language requirements.

Three countries with additional conditions

Teachers who qualified in Jamaica, Singapore or South Africa can also apply if they are working in a valid teaching role in England and meet the other requirements.

The countries are:

11. Jamaica
12. Singapore
13. South Africa

Teachers from these three countries who are not currently working in a valid teaching role in England may still qualify, but they must meet additional requirements.

They must generally demonstrate a subject specialism in mathematics, science or languages and be qualified to teach children aged 11 to 16.

What about Nigerian teachers?

Teachers who trained in Nigeria are no longer eligible to use the direct Apply for QTS in England service from September 9, 2026.

However, the change does not mean Nigerian teachers are permanently barred from teaching in England.

The UK government says overseas-trained teachers who are not eligible for the direct QTS service can explore alternative routes into teaching. These include assessment-only QTS, teacher training in England and international qualified teacher status (iQTS), depending on an applicant’s qualifications and circumstances.

Nigerian teachers may also be able to work in England under certain rules without immediately holding QTS. The UK government says qualified teachers from outside the UK can teach for up to four years without QTS in many schools, subject to the applicable requirements and exemptions.