UK blocks Nigerian teachers from fast-track qualification route, gives reason

• The UK has removed Nigeria, Ghana and India from its overseas Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) application service.

• The change took effect on September 9, 2026, meaning Nigerian-trained teachers can no longer use the fast-track route.

• The UK said many Nigerian and Ghanaian applications contained employment references sent from Gmail or Hotmail addresses, making verification more difficult.

• Nigerian teachers can still explore other pathways to teach in England, as schools are free to recruit through alternative routes.

For many Nigerian teachers hoping to move to England, there's another hurdle to deal with.

The United Kingdom's Department for Education (DfE) has officially removed Nigeria from the list of countries whose teachers can apply through its Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) application service.

The new rule took effect on September 9, 2026, according to updated guidance released by the UK government.

QTS is the professional qualification that allows teachers to work in most state schools in England. Until now, eligible teachers from Nigeria could apply through a dedicated overseas application route.

But that is no longer the case.

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According to the Department for Education, Nigeria, Ghana and India are no longer eligible to use the "Apply for QTS in England" service.

Explaining the decision, the department said the eligibility rules were reviewed to ensure participating countries have systems that make it easier to verify a teacher's qualifications and professional history.

For India, the reason was straightforward.

"India does not have a national regulator that can confirm professional standing."

For Nigeria and Ghana, however, the issue was linked to employment references submitted during applications.

The department said:

"Our data shows that more than 70% of applications from teachers in Ghana and Nigeria include work history references that use public email addresses, such as Gmail or Hotmail, rather than a school's official email domain."

According to the UK government, this creates extra work for officials trying to confirm whether applicants' information is genuine.

It added that assessors spend "additional time and resources trying to verify information provided in applications."

The department also stressed that it must be certain overseas teachers awarded QTS have the qualifications, experience and professional standing required to teach in English schools.

The latest figures released by the Department for Education for the 2024/2025 academic year paint a difficult picture for applicants from Nigeria.

Nigeria recorded:

• 1,076 QTS applications

• 364 successful approvals

• 599 declined applications

Ghana had similar figures:

• 1,067 applications

• 196 approvals

• 749 declined applications

The high number of unsuccessful applications was one of the factors behind the updated policy.

The removal does not mean Nigerian teachers can never work in England.

Instead, they can no longer use the streamlined overseas QTS application service.

The Department for Education said:

"Teachers who are not eligible to apply for QTS in England service can explore other routes into teaching."

Since teachers in England are employed directly by individual schools—not by the Department for Education, schools may still recruit overseas teachers through other recognised pathways, depending on their qualifications and immigration status.

Following Nigeria and Ghana's removal, South Africa is now the only African country still eligible for the QTS application service.

Other countries and regions that remain on the list include:

• Australia

• Canada

• European Economic Area (EEA) countries

• Guernsey

• Hong Kong

• Jersey

• New Zealand

• Switzerland

• Ukraine

• United States

Teachers from Jamaica, Singapore and South Africa can also apply, although some must meet extra subject and age-specific teaching requirements.

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Before the latest change, overseas-trained teachers applying for QTS were expected to have:

• A valid passport.

• A degree equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree.

• Professional recognition as a qualified teacher in their home country.

• Completion of any mandatory teacher induction required in their country.

• At least nine months of teaching experience after qualifying.

• Employment references using a school's official email domain rather than personal email accounts.

With Nigeria now removed from the eligibility list, applicants will need to consider other routes if they still hope to teach in England.