Get an international relocation payment (IRP)

Applications for the international relocation payment (IRP) are open

Before you apply, you must read the guidance on this page to check you are eligible for the IRP. Applications are open until 31 March 2025.

Apply for the international relocation payment.


Changes to eligibility and payment

Trainees who train to teach in the 2024 to 2025 academic year are no longer eligible for the IRP. This applies to all trainees who started courses from 1 July 2024 onwards. Trainees in languages or physics may still be eligible to get a bursary or apply for a scholarship worth up to £31,000.

What the IRP is for

If you are a teacher considering moving to England to teach languages or physics, you could be eligible for an international relocation payment (IRP) from the UK government worth up to £10,000.

The IRP is designed to cover some of the costs of moving to England, including:

  • the costs of visas

  • the immigration health surcharge

  • other relocation expenses

If you are eligible, you will receive a maximum IRP of £10,000, in 2 instalments of £5,000 spread over 2 years. If you received the IRP payment for the 2023 to 2024 academic year you cannot receive the IRP again. The IRP is available whether you teach full-time or part-time.

The IRP is a 2 year trial to support non-UK citizens who want to teach in England. 2024 to 2025 is the second year of the trial.

Find out more about teaching in England if you trained outside the UK

Check your eligibility

To be eligible for the maximum IRP of £10,000, you must meet all the eligibility requirements when you apply for both the first and second instalments.

You will not be able to use eligibility for the IRP in your visa application as proof that you have enough money to support yourself.

Eligibility requirements for IRP instalment 1 (£5,000)

Teaching subject and school

You must be:

  • employed by and working in a state secondary school in England
  • on a contract of employment lasting at least 1 year

Your contract of employment must begin between 1 March 2024 and 1 May 2025. State schools are schools funded by the UK government. Secondary schools teach children aged 11 to 16 years old or 11 to 18 years old. Schools for pupils aged 16 to 18 years old only are not eligible. Schools for pupils aged 5 to 18 years old are eligible, but you must teach the secondary age range (11 to 16 years old or 11 to 18 years old).

Check the type and age range of the school where you’ll be teaching to see if it meets our eligibility criteria. You can also find out about the different types of state school in England.

In your role in a school in England, you must be working as one of the following:

  • a physics teacher

  • a general or combined science teacher – you must teach the physics element of these subjects

  • a language teacher – any language taught in an English state school is eligible, except English

If you are employed to teach more than one subject, then physics, general or combined science or a language or languages must make up at least 50% of your time in the classroom. Your school can tell you how much of your time is allocated to teaching eligible subjects.

You will not be eligible if you are teaching English, unless it is combined with an eligible subject.

Examples of eligible teaching jobs include:

  • 50% modern foreign languages (for example, French, Spanish or German) and 50% another subject (for example, history)

  • 50% modern foreign languages (for example, French, Spanish or German) and 50% English language

  • 50% physics and 50% maths

  • 50% general or combined science (must include the physics element) and 50% maths

Examples of eligible languages commonly taught in English state secondary schools include:

  • Ancient languages (such as Latin)
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Mandarin
  • Russian
  • Spanish

Teaching English is not classed as an eligible subject for the IRP.

You will not be eligible if you are:

  • employed by a recruitment agency – an agency can find you a job in a school, but your contract must be with the school and your salary must be paid directly to you by the school, not by the recruitment agency

  • teaching in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland

  • a UK citizen, including citizens of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

  • an Irish citizen

If you are unsure about meeting any of the eligibility requirements, email international.relocationpayment@education.gov.uk for advice before planning your move.

Type of visa

You will need to come to England on a visa listed in this section to be eligible for the IRP. You must have applied for your visa from outside the UK.

Most teachers will need a Skilled Worker visa. Eligible visas are:

For the following Ukrainian and Afghan visas, you can apply for your visa from within or from outside the UK:

You will not be eligible for the IRP if you come to the UK on a dependent visa linked to your partner or parent’s visa.

Date of arrival

You must not have spent more than 90 days in the UK in the 12 months prior to the start of your teaching job.

You must not move to the UK more than 3 months before you start your teaching job.

If you are unsure about meeting any of the eligibility requirements, email international.relocationpayment@education.gov.uk for advice before planning your move.

Time spent in the UK

You will not be eligible for the first instalment of the IRP if you have spent more than 90 days in the UK in the 12 months prior to starting your teaching job, even if you return home before taking up your post (see example 1).

You will be eligible for the first instalment of the IRP if:

  • you have spent short periods of time staying in the UK more than 3 months before the start of your job, where these periods of time do not add up to more than 90 days in total (see example 2)

  • you have spent more than 90 days in the UK at any time before the 12 months preceding the start of your teaching job (see example 3)

Example 1

You arrive in the UK in September 2023 on a Student visa for a course of study at a UK university. You complete your course and return home in July 2024. You return to the UK to take up an eligible teaching job in September 2024.

You will not be eligible for the IRP, because you have spent more than 90 days in the UK in the 12 months preceding the start of your teaching job.

Example 2

You travel to attend an interview for an eligible teaching job in the UK under a Standard Visitor visa in May 2024. The visit lasts 2 days and you return home, and learn you have been successful in your application. The role begins in September 2024. You apply for a Skilled Worker visa in June 2024, 3 months before your job begins. You move to the UK in July 2024.

You will be eligible for the first instalment of IRP, because you have spent less than 90 days in the UK in the previous 12 months and have moved to the UK less than 3 months before the start of your teaching job.

Example 3

You study in the UK on a Student visa for 3 years from September 2019 to July 2022, before returning home. You apply for an eligible teaching job in England starting in September 2024. You apply for a Skilled Worker visa in June 2024, 3 months before the start of your job. You move to the UK in July 2024.

You will be eligible for the first instalment of IRP because you have spent less than 90 days in the UK in the previous 12 months and have moved to the UK less than 3 months before the start of your job.

Eligibility requirements for IRP instalment 2 (£5,000)

To get the second instalment of the IRP, you must meet all the eligibility requirements set out in this section.

Teaching subject and school

To be eligible for the second instalment of the IRP, you must:

  • have worked as a teacher for the previous year (3 consecutive terms)

  • be contracted to work as a teacher for at least another year

  • be teaching in a subject and school which meets the requirements for the first instalment, as detailed on this page

  • have successfully applied for and received the first instalment of the IRP

Your term time employment must be continuous, unless you take time off work for statutory leave, such as parental leave or sick leave.

The Department for Education (DfE) will review time taken off for any other reason on a case-by-case basis.

You can move between eligible schools and remain eligible for the second instalment (see example 1).

You can start midway through the academic year and as long as you complete 3 full terms, you will remain eligible for the second instalment (see example 2).

Any term time employment gaps will make you ineligible for the second instalment (see example 3).

Example 1

You start your first eligible teaching job in England in September 2024 and successfully apply for the first instalment of the IRP. You work a full academic year of 3 terms, leaving the school in July 2025.

You successfully apply for a new IRP eligible teaching job on a one-year contract starting in September 2025. You visit family outside the UK for the summer holidays and return to England to take up your teaching job and apply for the second instalment of the IRP.

You are eligible for the second instalment of the IRP because you have been continuously employed as a teacher in eligible schools.

Example 2

You start your first teaching job in England in January 2025 and successfully apply for the first instalment of the IRP, working for the rest of that academic year of 2 terms.

You decide to stay on at the school and return after the summer holidays in September 2025. Your contract is extended for a further year, and you apply for the second instalment of the IRP after the end of your third term of employment in January 2025.

You are eligible for the second instalment of the IRP because you have been continuously employed as a teacher and have a contract for further 12 months.

Example 3

You start a teaching job in England in January 2025 and successfully apply for the first instalment of the IRP in your first term.

You continue to work at the school for a total of 3 terms, leaving in December 2025. However, you do not find a new teaching job until March 2026. Because there is a gap (December 2025 to March 2026) between your 2 jobs that is not covered by any statutory leave, you will not be eligible for the second instalment of the IRP because you have not been in continuous employment as a teacher.

Type of visa

To be eligible for the second instalment of the IRP, you must remain on an eligible visa throughout your employment in England. You can change your visa, as long as any new visa appears on the list of eligible visas on this page (example 1). You will not need to apply for any new visa from outside the UK. If your new visa is not listed on this page, you will not be eligible for the second instalment (see example 2).

Example 1

You arrive in the UK in September 2024 on a Youth Mobility Scheme visa. You are employed as a teacher on a contract lasting 1 academic year, and successfully apply for the first instalment of the IRP.

At the end of the academic year, your school offers to make your contract permanent and sponsor you for a Skilled Worker visa for 3 years. As your Youth Mobility Scheme visa is only valid for 2 years, and you are planning to work as a teacher in England for longer than this, you agree to switch your visa.

You apply for the second instalment of the IRP in September 2025. You remain eligible because the Youth Mobility Scheme visa and the Skilled Worker visa are on the list of eligible visas on this page.

Example 2

You arrive in the UK in September 2024 on a Youth Mobility Scheme visa. You are employed as a teacher on a contract lasting 2 academic years and successfully apply for the first instalment of the IRP.

Early in 2025, your partner moves to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa lasting 3 years. You visit family outside the UK during the summer holidays. As your Youth Mobility Scheme visa is limited to 2 years, you decide to apply to join your partner as a dependant on their visa instead. You return to the UK to continue your employment in September 2025 on a dependant visa.

You are not eligible for the second instalment of the IRP as the dependant visa does not appear on the list of eligible visas on this page.

How to apply for the IRP

Applications for the IRP are open until 31 March 2025.

Apply for the international relocation payment.

Before you apply for the first and second instalments of the IRP, you’ll need to check you meet the eligibility requirements.

If you start your teaching job between 1 March 2024 and 28 February 2025 you must apply between 30 September 2024 and 31 March 2025 to remain eligible.

If you are eligible, you should receive the money following successful completion of our eligibility checks.

Future application windows for IRPs

Applications will open again from 30 September 2025 to end of March 2026.

If you start your teaching job between 1 April 2025 and 31 May 2025, you can apply when applications re-open in September 2025.

If you start your teaching job in March 2025, you can either apply before applications close at the end of March 2025 or when they open again in September 2025.  

You can apply for IRP instalment 2 once you have completed 3 full terms teaching.

DfE cannot process late applications for the IRP. If you do not apply during the correct time period, DfE will not process your application.

DfE eligibility requirements for IRP instalments

First instalment of the IRP

DfE will check you meet the eligibility requirements for the first instalment of IRP by validating your application with:

If your eligibility checks are successful, you will get the first instalment of £5,000.

Second instalment of the IRP

At the start of your second year of employment as a teacher, you will need to apply for the second instalment of the IRP.

To get the second instalment of the IRP, you will need to have:

  • made a successful claim for the first instalment

  • completed 3 consecutive terms of employment as a teacher

Applications for the second instalment are open from September 2025 to March 2026.

The Department for Education will validate your application with UK Visas and Immigration and the school or schools where you have worked since applying for the first instalment of the IRP. If you meet the eligibility requirements for the second instalment set out on this page, you should receive the second instalment of £5,000 following successful completion of our eligibility checks.

Receiving the IRP payments

You can only apply for your first instalment of the IRP when you start your teaching job. This is because eligibility requirement checks can only be completed after you’ve arrived in England.

You can apply for the second IRP instalment once you have completed 3 consecutive terms of employment as a teacher which will be from September 2025 at the earliest. You’ll be paid the first and second instalments of the IRP after your eligibility checks are completed. We cannot guarantee an exact payment date.

To be paid the IRP, you must have a UK bank account (this can be digital). The IRP cannot be paid into a building society account.

You must also have a UK National Insurance number. You can apply for this once you arrive in England, as long as your visa gives you the right to work and you have a confirmed job.

You will not have to provide any evidence of the relocation costs you have incurred.

If your details, such as your address, change after you have applied, let us know as soon as possible to avoid any delay to your payment.

DfE can withhold the first and or second instalments of the IRP if you no longer meet eligibility requirements or we discover an error.

DfE can take back any IRP payments that have been made to an ineligible applicant.

You cannot reapply for the IRP in following years if you leave the UK and then return. This applies even if you previously only received the first instalment.

Tax and the IRP

DfE will pay the UK tax owed on the IRP to ensure you receive the full £10,000, as long as your overall earnings do not exceed £50,270 in the year you receive the IRP. You may have to pay higher rate of UK Income Tax on any earnings which take you over £50,270.

Protect yourself from fraud

You do not need to pay an agent or any other third party to complete your application. Any agency or person contacting you offering to apply for the international relocation payment on your behalf is likely to be fraudulent. Avoid and report internet scams and phishing.

Other types of financial support from the UK government

Teachers who meet the eligibility requirements can also apply for other targeted incentive payments which support recruitment and retention in priority subjects.

Contact us

For help with the IRP, email international.relocationpayment@education.gov.uk.

Do not send us a CV or enquiries about teaching jobs. DfE does not employ teachers.