UK Removes Nigeria, Ghana From Qualified Teacher Status Route

Teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana can no longer apply directly for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England under the UK’s overseas-trained teacher route.

The change, which took effect on September 9, 2026, was announced by the UK Department for Education (DfE), which also removed India from the list of countries eligible for the direct QTS application service.

The department said the revised eligibility requirements are aimed at ensuring that the qualifications, professional standing and employment history of overseas-trained teachers can be properly verified.

According to the DfE, countries seeking to remain eligible must have a national regulator capable of confirming teachers’ professional status and provide authenticated employment references.

The department said Nigeria and Ghana failed to meet the reference-verification requirement. It noted that more than 70 per cent of applications from teachers in the two countries included employment references using public email services such as Gmail or Hotmail instead of official school email addresses.

The DfE said this made it more difficult for assessors to verify applicants’ employment histories and required additional time and resources.

However, the new rules do not completely prevent Nigerian and Ghanaian teachers from working in England.

The UK government says teachers who cannot use the direct QTS route may pursue alternative options, including assessment-only QTS, teacher training in England, or International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS), depending on their circumstances.

Under the direct route, where available, applicants are required to meet conditions including holding a valid passport, a degree equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, professional recognition as a teacher in their country of training, completion of mandatory induction requirements and at least nine months of post-qualification teaching experience.

Applicants must also provide employment references that can be verified through official school-domain email addresses.

The UK government currently lists South Africa among the African countries whose teachers remain eligible to apply through the direct QTS route, subject to the applicable requirements.

QTS is an important professional qualification for teachers seeking employment in England and is required in many schools, although it is not legally mandatory for every type of school.

UK government guidance also states that overseas-qualified teachers may be allowed to teach in England for up to four years without QTS under certain conditions.

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