To teach in England requires your TRCN CERTIFICATE and UK QTS combination.
See the clear relationship between your TRCN certificate and UK QTS from application requirements to conversion from TRCN to QTS and other eligible options.
Key summary:
- Nigeria has been an eligible country for the UK’s QTS application since 1 February 2023.
- UK DfE uses your TRCN Letter of Professional Standing (LoPS) to verify your teacher status in Nigeria.
- NCE holders are not eligible for QTS as the DfE requires a degree. But alternative routes exist.
- Teachers of Maths, Sciences, and modern foreign languages have an advantage.
- You can teach in England for up to 4 years without QTS.
- QTS (like, TRCN) is a status, not a job offer or visa.
What is UK QTS?
QTS is short for “Qualified Teacher Status”, which is the legal permit to teach in England, UK.
Issued by the UK Department for Education (DfE), it is the standard most UK schools use to assess candidates for teaching roles.
You can still teach in England without QTS for up to 4 years, but you can’t continue afterwards.
QTS is only for England.
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each have their separate teacher registration systems.
Does TRCN certificate qualify for direct UK QTS?
No. Your TRCN certificate alone does not get you QTS.
But it is a crucial part of your QTS application as the UK DfE will require proof that you’re a professional teacher, certified in Nigeria.
And the Letter of Professional Standing (LoPS) from TRCN is how you prove it.
Only TRCN can send this letter to DfE on your behalf to confirm you’re a registered teacher with no conditions, restrictions or sanctions on your practice in Nigeria.
You can’t send the LoPS yourself.
TRCN must send it directly to DfE.
And this is where your certificate and TRCN LICENSE come in.
Your certificate must be verifiable and license current before applying to convert TRCN to QTS.
What’s TRCN Letter of Professional Standing (LoPS)?
The LoPS is an official document sent by TRCN to UK’s DfE confirming that you’re a registered teacher in Nigeria with no sanctions, suspensions or restrictions on your professional practice.
The DfE’s process for this works as follows:
- You apply for QTS online and provide your TRCN registration details.
- If your application passes the initial assessment, the DfE instructs you to request a LoPS from TRCN.
- You contact TRCN at LoPS@trcn.gov.ng and request the letter, providing your TRCN registration number and the reference number generated by your QTS application.
- TRCN will require you to pay a processing fee before issuing the letter.
- TRCN sends the LoPS directly to the DfE at ApplyQTS.Verification@education.gov.uk.
- The LoPS must be dated within 3 months of your QTS application date and must reach DfE within 90 days.
This makes follow-up essential.
Once you’ve requested the LoPS from TRCN, keep regular contact with both TRCN and the DfE to ensure the document reaches its destination within the deadline.
How to get QTS for Nigerian teachers
According to UK Department for Education, there are 4 ways for overseas-trained teachers to get UK QTS.
Your best route depends on your qualification, subject and teaching experience.
1. Apply for QTS in England
This is the main online route for Nigerian teachers who meet all the requirements.
Since 1 February 2023, Nigeria has been listed as one whose qualified teachers can use UK DfE’s professional service online to apply for QTS.
But you must meet the requirements below to use this route.
- Hold a bachelor’s degree equivalent to UK degree, as verified by UK ENIC.
- Hold a teaching qualification (PGDE or degree in education) equivalent to at least UK Level 6.
- Be qualified to teach children aged 5 to 16.
- Have at least 9-12 months of teaching experience as TRCN-certified.
- Hold a valid professional status as a teacher in Nigeria (active TRCN licence).
- Have no conditions, restrictions or sanctions on your teaching practice.
- Meet the English language proficiency requirement.
English Language Proficiency
You exempt from the English language proficiency test if your degree was taught in English.
As proof, you’ll need a Medium of Instruction (MOI) letter from your university confirming that English was the language of instruction.
But if your degree was not taught in English, you must sit an approved English language test like IELTS, TOEFL, and others.
Your qualification must also be in Maths, Science (Physics, Chemistry or Biology), or modern foreign languages.
If your subject is outside the above areas, consider Route 2.
2. Assessment-only QTS
This is available to teachers with bachelor’s degree and at least 2 years of teaching experience but who do not meet the criteria for Route 1.
Assessment-only route requires no teacher training again.
Instead, you demonstrate this through an in-person assessment at your workplace by an examiner from an approved UK teacher training provider.
And guess what?
You don’t need to travel to England to be assessed.
The examiner comes to your workplace, wherever in the world you’re teaching.
To be eligible for assessment only QTS, you need:
- a minimum of 2 years of teaching experience.
- a bachelor’s degree equivalent to UK degree (verified by UK ENIC).
- O’Level credit in English and Maths.
- For primary school teaching (children aged 3 to 11), O’Level credit in a science subject (Physics, Chemistry or Biology).
Fees for assessment-only QTS range from £1,500 to £4,000.
But quite higher if you’re outside the UK.
Confirm the fee directly with your chosen approved assessment-only provider.
3. Teacher Training in England (PGCE)
You can apply to complete a teacher training program in England, like a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), which leads to QTS.
This route is a 1-year, full-time training in England, which means you must relocate.
Fees range from £9,250 to about £32,000 depending on your immigration status and the training provider.
PGCE route is best if you don’t already have a teaching qualification or your existing ones are below the UK Level 6 standard, like NCE or TC II.
4. International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS)
The iQTS is entirely online by approved English teacher training providers.
You complete the training here in Nigeria, while teaching in a local school as practice.
When you complete iQTS, you automatically receive QTS without any further application or assessment.
iQTS application needs no teaching experience.
And you can apply whether in Nigeria or not, as long as you’re living outside the UK.
This route cost runs into several thousand pounds (vary by provider), but it avoids the need to travel to UK for training.
Comparing all the routes
| Routes | Best For |
| Digital Application Travel: NO Experience: 1 YEAR | Maths, Science, or foreign language teachers |
| Assessment-Only Travel: NO Experience: 2 YEARS | Teachers with experience but outside Route 1 subjects |
| PGCE in England Travel: YES Experience: NONE | Teachers without teaching qualification |
| iQTS Travel: NO Experience: NONE | Teachers without teaching qualification |
What next after getting QTS?
QTS is a professional status, not a job offer or a visa.
After receiving QTS, you need to apply for teaching jobs in England and arrange your visa separately.
Teaching jobs in England are listed on the DfE’s Teaching Vacancies service.
Teachers sponsor their own visas.
But a small number of schools have licences that allow them to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for overseas teachers.
You’ll need to secure both a job offer and a Certificate of Sponsorship before applying for a UK Skilled Worker visa.
When you start your first teaching role in England, you’ll be required to complete an Early Career Teacher (ECT) induction, formerly NQT.
This is a two-year supported period of professional practice, separate from QTS itself.
Things many get wrong about TRCN certificate and UK QTS
❌ Assuming NCE qualifies you for the digital service route
The DfE requires a bachelor’s degree equivalent to UK Level 6 qualification, and NCE is a Level 5.
If you hold only an NCE, your best routes are iQTS (if you have no teaching qualification) or assessment-only (if you have 2+ years of teaching experience with a degree in any field).
❌ Letting TRCN licence expire before applying
The LoPS confirms your current professional standing.
If your TRCN licence has expired, TRCN cannot issue a clean LoPS, and your QTS application will stall.
RENEW YOUR TRCN LICENCE before starting the QTS process.
❌ Confusing QTS with visa or job offer
QTS alone doesn’t give you the right to work in England.
You still need a visa (usually a Skilled Worker visa) and a job offer from a UK school that can provide a Certificate of Sponsorship.
❌ Sending the LoPS yourself
The DfE requires the LoPS to come directly from TRCN to the DfE verification team at: ApplyQTS.Verification@education.gov.uk
If you attempt to send it yourself, it won’t be accepted.
❌ Missing the 90-day deadline
TRCN’s processing time for the LoPS can take between 2 – 6 weeks depending on their workload.
Start the process as soon as DfE instructs you to, and follow up with both TRCN and the DfE to ensure the document arrives within the 90-day window.
Frequently asked questions
Contact your university’s academic office and request a letter confirming that your degree was taught in English language. Your department or alumni office can point you to the right office.
No. Each has its own separate registration process for overseas teachers. Scotland uses General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), Wales uses the Education Workforce Council (EWC), and Northern Ireland the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI).
You can request a Statement of Comparability from UK ENIC at enic.org.uk. This document confirms how your Nigerian qualification compares to UK standards. It is often required when you apply for QTS through the assessment-only route or teacher training program.
Conclusion
Whether you’re preparing to apply for QTS or planning your move to UK, having a valid and current TRCN certificate and licence is non-negotiable.
Without it, TRCN can’t issue the Letter of Professional Standing that UK DfE requires to complete your QTS application.
- If you haven’t registered, see HOW TO REGISTER FOR TRCN now
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