UK Removes Nigeria From QTS Route for Overseas Teachers

The United Kingdom has removed Nigeria, Ghana and India from the list of countries whose trained teachers can apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England through its direct overseas-trained teacher application service.

The change took effect on September 9, 2026, according to updated guidance from the UK Department for Education (DfE).

QTS is an important professional status for teachers in England and is commonly required for teaching in many schools. Under the new rules, teachers trained in Nigeria can no longer use the standard “Apply for QTS in England” service.

The DfE said the eligibility requirements were changed to ensure that countries included in the scheme have a national regulator capable of confirming a teacher’s professional standing and can provide references that meet its verification requirements.

For Nigeria and Ghana, the department said more than 70 per cent of applications included work-history references using public email addresses such as Gmail or Hotmail rather than official school email domains. The DfE said this created difficulties when verifying information supplied by applicants.

India was also removed from the list. The department said India does not have a national regulator that can confirm professional standing in line with the requirements of the service.

However, the development does not mean Nigerian teachers are banned from teaching in England or can never obtain QTS.

The UK government lists alternative routes, including assessment-only QTS, teacher training in England and International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS). The appropriate option depends on a teacher’s qualifications, experience and circumstances.

Experienced overseas teachers may also qualify for the assessment-only route, which allows eligible candidates to demonstrate that they already meet the required teaching standards rather than completing a traditional teacher-training programme.

There is also a temporary route allowing some qualified teachers from outside the UK to teach in England for up to four years without QTS, subject to the relevant conditions.

For Nigerian teachers who planned to use the direct QTS application route, the process has therefore changed significantly. But the removal of Nigeria from the direct application list does not close every pathway into teaching in England.

The key change is that Nigerian-trained teachers now need to explore an alternative recognised route rather than applying through the previously available direct overseas QTS service.