Teach in England if you trained outside the UK

Teaching in England offers exciting opportunities, including:

You will need English qualified teacher status (QTS) to teach in most schools in England. QTS is a professional teaching qualification that teachers in England gain at the end of their training.

You will also need a high standard of written and spoken English to teach in England.

Ukraine citizens: moving to the UK

Check what you need to do before you travel and after you arrive if you are moving to the UK from Ukraine.

If you do not have qualified teacher status

If you do not have QTS, schools will want to see alternative evidence of your teaching and academic qualifications.

To check your qualifications meet the required standard in England you will need a statement of comparability from the UK European Network of Information Centres (UK ENIC).

If you are a qualified teacher from outside the UK, you can work as a teacher in England for up to 4 years without QTS. After that, you will need QTS to teach in many schools in England.

Find out about the different routes to QTS for non-UK citizens

Visas for non-UK teachers

To teach in England, you will need a Skilled Worker visa or immigration status allowing you to work in the UK.

If you need a Skilled Worker visa, you will need to apply for teaching jobs that offer visa sponsorship. If you are offered a job, you can then apply for your visa.

Learn more about visas for non-UK teachers

Applying for teaching jobs in England

You must apply to individual schools, not the Department for Education (DfE). DfE does not appoint teachers and does not offer teaching jobs.

Search for teaching jobs with visa sponsorship

Safeguarding checks

If a school offers you a job, you will have to pass safeguarding and criminal records checks. These confirm you are a safe and suitable person to work with children.

You can prepare for these checks by getting a letter from the organisation which regulates teachers in the country where you qualified, confirming your professional status as a teacher.

Financial support

You may be eligible for a levelling up premium payment if you teach chemistry, computing, maths or physics

Teach in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland

To find out about teaching in other areas of the UK, visit the:

Get help

If you have general questions about the information on this page, you can email us at teach.inengland@education.gov.uk. DfE does not employ teachers directly. Do not send us your CV, as we will not be able to help you find a teaching job.