The United Kingdom has removed teachers trained in Nigeria, Ghana and India from the eligibility list for its streamlined route to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England.
The change took effect on September 9, 2026, following an update to the eligibility requirements for the Apply for QTS in England service.
Under the revised rules, teachers who completed their training in Nigeria, Ghana or India can no longer use the service to obtain QTS in England.
The UK Department for Education said the changes were introduced as part of efforts to ensure that overseas teachers applying for professional recognition meet the required standards and that their qualifications and employment histories can be properly verified.
According to the department, an eligible country must have a national regulator capable of confirming a teacher’s professional standing and must be able to provide references that meet the required standards.
For Nigeria and Ghana, the department said more than 70 percent of applications include work-history references using public email addresses, including Gmail and Hotmail, rather than official school email domains. It said this creates additional work for assessors who need to verify information supplied by applicants.
The department said it must be confident that information provided by applicants is genuine to ensure that teachers awarded QTS have the necessary skills and experience to teach in English schools. (GOV.UK)
The decision also affects India, although the reason cited for the country differs. The UK said India does not have a national regulator that can confirm teachers’ professional standing.
Teachers trained in other countries and regions can continue to apply through the service if they meet the relevant requirements. These include having a recognised teaching qualification, appropriate professional status, a qualifying bachelor’s degree and at least one school year of teaching experience after qualification. (GOV.UK)
The eligible countries currently include Australia, Canada, countries within the European Economic Area, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Jersey, New Zealand, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United States.
Teachers trained in Jamaica, Singapore and South Africa may also qualify under specific conditions, including requirements relating to their teaching role in England and, in some cases, their subject specialisation. (GOV.UK)
The UK government said teachers who are no longer eligible for the QTS application service can explore alternative routes into teaching in England.
The change does not mean Nigerian-trained teachers are automatically prohibited from teaching in England. Rather, they can no longer use this particular overseas-trained teacher application route to obtain QTS.
The revised rules form part of the UK’s broader process for assessing overseas teaching qualifications, professional standing and teaching experience before granting Qualified Teacher Status. (GOV.UK)
