The United Kingdom has removed Nigeria and Ghana from the list of countries whose teachers are eligible to apply directly for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England.
The UK Department for Education said the decision was linked to difficulties verifying work-history references submitted by teachers from the two countries.
According to the department, more than 70 per cent of applications from Nigerian and Ghanaian teachers contained work references using public email services such as Gmail and Hotmail instead of official school email domains.
It said the practice had resulted in assessors spending additional time and resources verifying information provided by applicants.
The change took effect on September 9, 2026.
Nigeria and Ghana were among the countries added to the UK’s direct QTS eligibility list in 2023. India has also been removed from the list because it does not have a national regulator capable of confirming the professional standing of teachers.
South Africa is currently the only African country remaining on the list of eligible countries.
The UK department said countries must have a national regulator capable of confirming teachers’ professional standing and providing authenticated references to remain eligible for the direct QTS route.
It added that the requirements are designed to ensure that teachers awarded QTS possess the necessary skills and experience to teach in England.
Teachers seeking QTS are required to have a valid passport, an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree and recognition as a professional teacher in the country where they trained.
Applicants must also have completed all mandatory induction requirements for full teacher registration in their country of qualification and have at least nine months of teaching experience after becoming qualified.
Their work experience must be supported by references that can be verified through an email address using the school’s official domain.
Teachers from countries no longer eligible for the direct application route can explore alternative pathways to obtaining permission to teach in England.