Register to teach
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Teacher education
Conduct and suitability
For education providers
To confirm your identity and run a criminal record check, applicants must provide a commencement of identity document. For most overseas applicants, this will be your visa for entry to Australia.
Applicants from overseas should apply for registration once they have arrived in Australia.
If your visa pathway requires VIT registration, please contact VIT to discuss your options.
Overseas qualifications for teacher registration will be assessed as part of your application for registration, along with your suitability to teach.
Before applying, you can read about the qualification requirements for overseas teachers and review the VIT Qualifications Policy to understand whether your qualification(s) are likely to be equivalent to Victorian qualifications.
The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) assess all overseas early childhood teacher qualifications for equivalence.
Before applying for registration you must obtain an ACECQA Certificate of Equivalence and Outcome Letter (Early childhood qualification assessment | ACECQA) to submit alongside your qualification documents.
Each country has different criminal record checking processes. The VIT only accepts checks that are outlined on the Department of Home Affairs website.
To find an accepted overseas criminal record check go to the Offices and locations page on the Department of Home Affairs website and find the relevant country in the Find an office search. Navigate to the Police check heading and select Details and View more… to view instructions on how to apply for an accepted check.
Please note that your overseas criminal record check must cover the entire period of residence in the country.
Effective communication in English is central to the provision of quality teaching outcomes as well as to support teachers communicate with students, parents and colleagues.
If an applicant for teacher registration has completed any of their qualification outside of Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada or the Republic of Ireland, they are required to complete an approved English language competency test.
The English language test results must be uploaded to your application before you are able to submit it to VIT for assessment.
To undertake the duties of a teacher in Victoria, you are required to have attained relevant qualifications to become registered.
Those who wish to teach in a school setting must hold an approved initial teacher education (ITE) qualification or equivalent.
Those who wish to teach in an early childhood setting must hold an early childhood education qualification approved or recognised by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
If the school has been unable to find a registered teacher to fill the role, you may be eligible for a grant of permission to teach (PTT). Permission to teach is initially requested by a school – please speak to them directly.
If approved, you will only be able to teach the specified subject(s) at the specified school you have been approved to teach. Please note: this registration type is temporary and you are required to enrol in, and complete, an approved teaching qualification.
In your application, in place of the criminal record check, please attach evidence that you have requested the check (such as a receipt) alongside a statutory declaration advising
If you are currently residing overseas, your police check must be issued within seven (7) days* of your application being submitted.
If your police check arrived outside of the seven day threshold, you may provide a signed statutory declaration (alongside the police check) advising the following
*if your check arrived more than 14 days after your application has been submitted, please contact VIT to discuss your options.
All applicants and registered teachers must adhere to VIT’s rigorous screening process, including overseas criminal record checks and continual suitability assessments (such as weekly State police checks, annual self-declarations and a five yearly nationally coordinated criminal history check).
The VIT cannot accept applications for teacher registration for individuals who do not reside in Australia for the period they are seeking registration for.
If you’re currently based overseas, VIT is unable to monitor your continual suitability, and therefore cannot accept your application for teacher registration. In limited circumstances applicants may be able to apply from a country outside Australia no more than 3 months prior to arrival.
To be eligible for teacher or early childhood teacher registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), a person must produce evidence of their ability to effectively communicate in English. English language competency (ELC) is essential for the provision of high quality of teaching, and supports teachers to communicate clearly with students, parents and colleagues.
If an applicant for teacher registration has completed any of their initial teacher education (ITE) or early childhood (EC) program studies outside of Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada or the Republic of Ireland, they are required to complete an English language competency test.
The VIT will accept ELC test results that are no more than two (2) years from the date listed on the certificate. The 2 year validity period is based on the fact that language proficiency can change over time. The purpose of an ELC test is to assess an individual's English language skills at a specific point in time.
Language skills are not static, and can improve or decline over time based on how frequently a person uses the language. By setting a two-year validity period, VIT's ELC requirements aim to provide a current and accurate reflection of an individual's language proficiency.