Teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana can no longer use the UK’s direct application service for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England, following changes introduced by the UK Department for Education.
The new rule took effect on September 9, 2026, with the department saying it had updated the countries eligible to use the “Apply for QTS in England” service. (GOV.UK)
The Department for Education said one concern involved the way work-history references were submitted by applicants from Nigeria and Ghana.
According to the department, more than 70 per cent of applications from teachers trained in the two countries contained work-history references using public email services such as Gmail or Hotmail instead of official school email domains.
The department said this created additional work for assessors who had to spend more time verifying the information provided by applicants. (GOV.UK)
Under the updated requirements, eligible applicants must provide references capable of confirming their teaching experience, with the email address using the school’s official domain.
The UK government also said a country must have a national regulator capable of confirming a teacher’s professional standing for its teachers to remain eligible for the direct QTS recognition route. India was also removed from the list because it does not have a national regulator that can confirm professional standing. (GOV.UK)
QTS is a professional teaching status recognised in England and is a legal requirement for teaching in many schools. However, the UK government says teachers trained outside the UK may have other routes available if they cannot use the direct recognition service. (Apply for QTS in England)
Before the latest change, Nigeria and Ghana had been among the countries whose teachers could use the service after the UK expanded eligibility for overseas-trained teachers in 2023. (GOV.UK)
For teachers who are eligible to use the QTS service, the requirements include a valid passport, an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, recognition as a professional teacher in the country where they trained, completion of required induction processes and at least nine months of teaching experience after becoming qualified.
Applicants must also provide references that can verify their employment history. (Apply for QTS in England)
The Department for Education says it assesses 90 per cent of applications within 12 months, although cases requiring additional verification can take longer. (GOV.UK)
The change does not mean Nigerian and Ghanaian teachers are permanently barred from teaching in England. The UK government provides alternative routes for overseas-trained teachers who do not qualify for the direct QTS recognition service. (GOV.UK)
Source: UK Department for Education
