Overseas Teachers Applying for Registration

All teachers who have completed their teacher education programme overseas must fill in the TC0 application form.  You must hold a practising certificate, or authorisation from the New Zealand Teachers Council to be employed in a teaching position.

Requirements for Registration as a Teacher in New Zealand

In order to gain teacher registration in New Zealand you must demonstrate that you are:

  1. of good character and fit to be a teacher; and
  2. satisfactorily trained to teach; and
  3. you are or are likely to be a satisfactory teacher; and
  4. you have a police vet satisfactory to the Council

Detailed information about these requirements can be found in the Requirements for Registration pages of this website.

Application Procedure 

There are two pathways that a TC0 application can be considered under - these are known as Track 1 or Track 2.

All teachers who have completed their teacher education programme overseas (with the exception of some States in Australia) must provide the following supporting documentation with their application:

  • A International Qualifications Assessment report from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).  This report states whether your teaching qualification/s are comparable to a recognised New Zealand teaching qualification.  The information on the report helps to determine whether an application will be considered under the Track 1 or Track 2 pathway.
  • An overseas police clearance from any country outside of New Zealand in which you have lived for 12 months or more within the last 10 years
  • Evidence that you meet the Teachers Council's language proficiency requirements

A description of the applicable fees and expected timeframes for these procedures can be found here.

Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition

A teacher who holds registration in one of the following Australian States may be eligible to apply for registration in New Zealand under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement (TTMRA): Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territories, Queensland, Victoria, or Tasmania.