Interstate or overseas teachers

Applicants from overseas can create a MyVIT account and apply online once they have arrived in Australia.

In limited circumstances applicants may be able to apply from a country outside Australia no more than 3 months prior to arrival. To apply within 3 months of arrival, an applicant will need to provide one of the following 

• an offer of employment in a Victorian school or EC service;  
• an offer of employment with a Victorian teaching agency; or
• evidence that registration is required for the visa pathway they are following. 

Please note: submissions greater than 3 months from arrival in Australia will result in an application being closed without any further consideration. 

Applicants who have completed their initial teacher education (ITE) or early childhood (EC) education studies in a country outside of Australia or New Zealand may apply for provisional or full registration.

Overseas applicants with appropriate qualifications will be eligible to apply for immediate full registration if

• they have completed at least 80 days of teaching in an Australian or New Zealand school or early childhood service in the past five (5) years, and
• have held full registration in Australia or New Zealand within the past five (5) years.

If an overseas applicant with appropriate qualifications does not meet the immediate full registration requirements, they will be eligible to apply for provisional registration.

Overseas qualifications

All overseas applicants – regardless of the registration category they apply for – are required to provide evidence of their overseas qualifications so VIT can undertake an assessment to ensure equivalency to an approved initial teacher education (ITE) or early childhood teacher (ECT) program.

The documentation provided must include an academic transcript, evidence of completion (e.g. testamur) and evidence of supervised teaching practice. Supervised teaching practice must be detailed on an official letter from the university, confirming

• the number of supervised teaching practice (sometimes referred to as student teaching) days completed (must be 45 days minimum), 
• the setting - primary or secondary school, early childhood service – where the supervised teaching practice days were completed, and
• the age range of the students taught during the supervised teaching practice.

Supervised teaching practice must be completed in a school or early childhood setting under the supervision of a qualified teacher and university education staff, and be formally assessed by the university. Neither university-based teaching practice activities undertaken with fellow students and university staff, nor unsupervised unqualified teaching will be considered.

Teaching qualifications must be focussed on early childhood, primary and/or secondary school education.

Important information

Employment-based teaching qualifications that do not result in a formal academic award, final academic transcript and statement of compulsory supervised teaching practice issued by the higher education institution awarding the teaching qualification are not recognised in Australia, as they are not equivalent to Australian teaching qualifications.

This may include a Graduate Teacher Program, School Centred Training and some Postgraduate Certificates in Education (PGCE) from the United Kingdom.

Accreditation to teach is different to an academic qualification, and will not contribute to the qualifications required for teacher registration in Victoria. 

This includes, but is not limited to, Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) from the United Kingdom, standalone Teacher Licensure from The United Staes of America and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) certificates from the Philippines.

Applicants who hold current teacher registration in another Australian state or territory or in New Zealand can apply for registration in Victoria under mutual recognition. 

To be eligible for mutual recognition, applicants must     

• have financially current, practising registration in another Australian state or territory or in New Zealand
• not be the subject of disciplinary proceedings in Australia or New Zealand (including any preliminary investigations or action that might lead to disciplinary proceedings)
• not have their registration cancelled or currently suspended in Australia or New Zealand as a result of disciplinary action
• not be otherwise personally prohibited from teaching in Australia or New Zealand 
• not be subject to any special conditions as a result of criminal, civil or disciplinary proceedings in Australia or New Zealand, and
• outline any special conditions they are subject to.

If the teacher holds provisional registration interstate or in New Zealand they may be eligible to obtain provisional registration via mutual recognition.

If they hold full registration interstate or in New Zealand they may be eligible to obtain immediate full registration via mutual recognition.

If they hold an alternative authorisation to teach, such as permission to teach or conditional registration, they are not eligible for mutual recognition.

How to apply under mutual recognition

Teachers who wish to apply for registration in Victoria under mutual recognition must first create a MyVIT account and then navigate to the ‘apply for registration tile, and complete the application modules – including confirming the jurisdiction they are currently registered in.

During the application process, the teacher will be required to give VIT permission to verify their interstate or New Zealand registration. This is done via a templated statutory declaration.

• Statutory declaration (to be used by teachers registered in another Australian state or territory)
• Trans-Tasman statutory declaration (to be used by teachers registered in New Zealand)

Teachers must also provide evidence of current registration (such as a registration card or certificate). New Zealand teachers will also need to provide their current practising certificate.

Visit the How to register page to find out more about registering to teach in Victoria. You can also find out more about the registration timeline on the How long does it take to register page.

Watch our video - How to apply for registration if you're currently registered in another state in Australia or New Zealand.