You can apply to train to teach in England if you:
- live outside the UK
- live in the UK but are a non-UK citizen
Before you apply, you must check your eligibility to train to teach in England.
If you are unsure about your qualifications or eligibility, you can get help and support online or over the phone.
Qualifying to teach in England
You will need qualified teacher status (QTS) to teach in most schools in England.
If you do not want to come to England to study, you can gain international qualified teacher status (iQTS) where you live or work, with no need to visit the UK. If you get iQTS, you automatically get QTS as well.
If you are already a qualified teacher, find out how you can teach in England if you completed your teacher training outside the UK.
Fees and financial support
Fee-paying teacher training courses
A fee-paying teacher training course means you pay tuition fees for your training. Tuition fees are set by providers and cost £15,000 on average per year.
You may be able to get financial support for fee-paying courses, depending on your immigration status and the subject you train to teach.
If you want to train to teach languages or physics, you could be eligible for a bursary or scholarship worth up to £31,000.
If you are not training to teach these subjects, any financial support you get will depend on your immigration status or the visa you are on.
Salaried teacher training courses
A salaried teacher training course means you are paid to work in a school while you train to teach. Some salaried courses also have tuition fees.
Salaried teacher training courses are limited in number and very competitive. You will also need a visa or immigration status allowing you to work in the UK.
Apply for a postgraduate teacher training course
You can search for postgraduate teacher training courses that lead to qualified teacher status (QTS).
Postgraduate teacher training usually takes 9 months full-time, or 18 to 24 months part-time. Most teacher training courses start in September, with a small number of courses starting on other dates throughout the year.
Find guidance on applying for teacher training courses
Apply for your visa
If you do not have the right to study or work in the UK, you will need a visa. Your visa will need to be sponsored by a course provider.
Before you apply for your visa, you must have a confirmed offer of a training place on a course offering Student or Skilled Worker visa sponsorship.
Find out more about applying for a visa to train to teach in England
Train to teach in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
To find out about teaching in other areas of the UK, visit the:
Non-UK citizens who trained to teach in England share their experiences
Read the transcript for the ‘Why train to teach in England?’ video.
Get help
You may be eligible for personalised support from a teacher training adviser. They can help with your application to a training provider or school.
To check if you are eligible for an adviser, you can call us on +44 800 389 2500. Calls will be charged at your country’s standard rate. Or you can contact us using the live chat service at the bottom of this page.
If you have general questions about the information on this page, you can email us at teach.inengland@education.gov.uk.