The United Kingdom has removed Nigeria and Ghana from the list of countries whose overseas-trained teachers are eligible to apply directly for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England.
According to the UK Department for Education (DfE), the delisting took effect on September 9, 2026. The department said overseas teaching qualifications and experience are assessed against specific requirements to ensure teachers awarded QTS meet the standards required to teach in England.
It said countries eligible for the direct application route must have a national regulator capable of confirming a teacher’s professional standing and providing authenticated references.
However, the DfE said Nigeria and Ghana no longer meet its reference verification requirements, noting that more than 70 per cent of applications from teachers in both countries included work history references using public email addresses, such as Gmail or Hotmail, instead of official school-domain addresses.
India Also Removed From Direct QTS Route
India was also removed from the list because it does not have a national regulator capable of confirming teachers’ professional standing. While South Africa remains the only African country on the current list of countries eligible for the direct QTS application route.
The DfE said the requirements are intended to ensure that information provided by applicants is genuine and that overseas teachers awarded QTS have the skills and experience required to teach in schools across England.
To apply for QTS under the direct route, teachers are required to have a valid passport, an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, professional recognition as a teacher in their country of training and the required induction for full registration.
Applicants must also demonstrate at least nine months of teaching experience after qualifying, with references confirming their work history through an official school-domain email address.
The department noted that teachers in England are employed by individual schools, meaning some schools may consider applicants through alternative qualification routes, although QTS remains a preferred qualification for many schools.
By Musekir Faisat OmolaraÂ
