Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) fast-track registration process

On behalf of the Teaching Council, we wish to extend a warm welcome as you embark on your exciting journey into the teaching profession. With more than 4,000 schools and close to a million students, the contribution of the teaching profession to the civic and social life of society in Ireland is profound. When you join the Register of Teachers, you will be part of one of the largest professional registers in Ireland. 

The Teaching Council is the regulator of the teaching profession in Ireland. Our role is to protect the public by promoting and regulating professional standards in teaching.   

We do this through the statutory registration of teachers, ensuring a highly qualified teaching profession, whose members meet and uphold high standards of professional competence and conduct.  

The Teaching Council ensure all teachers are qualified and vetted before being admitted to the register  

Teaching is a profession based on the core values of respect, care, integrity and trust. The Teaching Council ensure that all registered teachers uphold these values through the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers.   

This ensures public trust in the teaching profession.  

In this video ​​we will cover: 

• The Role of the Teaching Council and Registration Requirements 
• The 6 Steps in the Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) fast-track registration process
• The NQT Fast track Registration Closing Date
• Registration with conditions
• Renewing your registration
• How to contact the Teaching Council 

 The Role of the Teaching Council and Registration Requirements   

The Council’s Registration Regulations outline the requirements for registration, which can be viewed on our website. According to the Schedule of the Regulations, the Council registers teachers under five distinct routes: Primary, Post-Primary, Further Education, Other and Student Teacher. 

You must register with the Teaching Council to be eligible for employment as a teacher in Ireland and receive a state-funded salary.

The 6 Steps in the Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) fast-track registration process 

The Teaching Council offers a priority registration process to Newly Qualified Teachers (NQT’s) – called the NQT fast-track registration process. This process is open to graduates of Teaching Council accredited primary and post-primary initial teacher education (ITE) programmes. 

Please note that if you are already registered with the Teaching Council under Route 3 – Further Education or Route 5- Student Teacher, you will still need to apply through this process to update your registration to your qualified route of registration. You will not need to complete the vetting process; therefore, you should begin the NQT registration process at Step 2-Consent.  

Step 1 – Apply for Vetting 

The Teaching Council plays an important role in safeguarding children and vulnerable persons. 

The Council ensures that all registered teachers undergo a fit and proper person assessment, which includes vetting through the National Vetting Bureau.  

This protects the public and ensures high levels of trust in the teaching profession.   

The first step for graduates not already registered with the Council is to apply for vetting – this must be done through the Teaching Council. Vetting through another organisation, such as a school or GAA club is not acceptable.  

​​​Stage 1 of the Vetting Process 

Your programme provider will make a link available to you.  

Upload one proof of identity document which must be a current driving licence or passport. No other forms of ID are acceptable. 

Upload one proof of address document which must be dated within six months. The proof of address document can be a utility bill, such as gas, electricity or, broadband, a bank or credit card statement, college registration correspondence or a document from a government agency.  

For further information, please read our ‘Proof of ID and Address Policy’, which is available on our website. 

Once you submit your vetting application, we will review it. If accepted, we will forward your application to the National Vetting Bureau, advancing it to stage 2. 

Stage 2 of the vetting process is managed by the National Vetting Bureau (NVB).  

​​​Once Stage 1 is complete, the NVB will email you a link to their online e-Vetting application form.  

You must complete the NVB form by listing all the addresses where you have lived from birth to present including all addresses of where you resided outside of the Republic of Ireland. 

If you have resided outside of the Republic of Ireland, you may also be required to provide police clearance documentation from these countries. If this applies to you, please send an email to vetting@teachingcouncil.ie to state where you lived and the dates you lived there.   

After submitting your application to the NVB, they will conduct searches and send a vetting disclosure to the Teaching Council. Once received, we will notify you by email when it is available in your My Registration account. 

Step 2 – Consent 

The second step in NQT registration is consenting to your course provider transferring your details and final results to the Teaching Council. Your provider will contact you in your final year to request this. Act promptly, as without consent, you cannot access the fast-track registration process. 

Step 3 – Fit and Proper Person Character Reference 

As part of the registration process, the Council carries out a fit and proper person assessment to ensure that you are a fit and proper person to be admitted onto the Register of Teachers. 

As part of this assessment, your course provider has been requested to provide a character reference for all students. This will happen automatically, and you do not need to do anything. If your course provider declines to provide a character reference for you, they will notify you and the Teaching Council so that alternative arrangements can be considered.   

 Step 4 – Invitation to Register  

When we receive your details and results from your course provider, we will send you an email inviting you to apply for registration with the Teaching Council. This email will contain instructions on how to submit your NQT application. 

 Step 5 – Documentation you need to submit with your NQT application 

The documentation you will need to submit with your application will vary depending on the type of ITE programme you are completing. Please navigate through the video to find the section relevant to you. 

I am a graduate from an undergraduate Bachelor of Education primary programme  

You do not need to upload any additional documentation with your online NQT application. 

I am a graduate from a primary Professional Master of Education programme, 

You must upload official transcripts for each year of your undergraduate qualification.  

I am a graduate from an undergraduate Bachelor of Education post-primary programme 

If you are applying to be a teacher of a curricular language, including Gaeilge, you must provide evidence of both achieving linguistic competence of at least a B2.2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in the language and an immersive educational experience in the language.    

Further information regarding evidence required for linguistic competence and the immersive educational experience in the relevant language can be found on our website. 

I am a graduate from a post-primary Professional Master of Education programme 

In the first year of your PME program, you will recall being invited to apply for PME verification to confirm your post-primary subjects meet the Council’s registration requirements. 

If you applied, you received an email with the outcome, stating whether you fully meet the requirements or if shortfalls were identified. Any shortfall must be addressed before your NQT registration can be finalised. 

If you did not apply, verification will occur during registration. You must submit official transcripts for each year of your undergraduate program. To register, you must fully meet the requirements for at least one curricular subject. 

Step 6 – Finalising of your NQT ​​Registration 

Once your application and all required documents are received, your application will be processed in an average of 4 weeks. Once processed, you will receive an email confirming your registration has been finalised and a link to download your certificate of registration. 

If you are already registered, you will receive an email confirming your registration has been updated to your qualified route of registration, for example, Route 1 – Primary or Route 2 – Post-primary and a link to your updated certificate of registration. 

NQT Fast track Registration Closing Date 

The NQT fast track application process closes at the end of September so please ensure you submit your NQT registration application on time. If you miss the timeline for availing of the NQT registration process, you may apply via the standard registration process by completing the REG-01 online application form. This process may take up to 6 weeks from receipt of all required documentation.   

If you are completing repeat exams and going through Autumn Exam Boards, you will not be able to avail of the NQT fast-track registration process. On receipt of your results, you must apply via the standard registration process by completing the REG-01 online application form.  

Registration with Conditions 

Droichead is the Council’s integrated professional induction process for NQTs. All NQTs are registered with the condition of Droichead and have three years from the date of registration to complete the process. Droichead is based on teaching the Irish State curriculum within recognised schools in the Republic of Ireland and is a state funded induction process. Therefore, it is not possible to complete Droichead outside of the Republic of Ireland.  

The Council operates an extension policy for registered teachers that encounter extenuating circumstances which prevents them from completing their registration conditions within the three-year period granted. Therefore, you may apply for an extension if you are unable to complete the Droichead process within the specified period. Extensions are granted at the discretion of the Council. 

Completing Induction outside of the Republic of Ireland  

If you intend to travel outside of the Republic of Ireland to work as a teacher and complete a state recognised induction process in that country, please visit our website for our overseas induction assessment criteria. You are advised to check the criteria before you commence any state recognised induction process outside of the Republic of Ireland.  

If you intend to travel straight away, you may be wondering whether you should register with us now or when you return home. While this is a personal decision and there is no requirement to register immediately, you should be aware that if you are planning to teach outside of the Republic of Ireland, you will most likely be required to show evidence that you are a registered teacher in the Republic of Ireland. 

Renewing your Registration  

You must renew your registration each year. Your renewal date is the anniversary of your join date. You apply to renew your registration via your My Registration account. 

It is important to keep your contact details up to date through your My Registration account to receive important registration communications which are sent via email and SMS.   

If you do not renew your registration, you will be removed from the register.  Once removed you will not receive a salary from the Department of Education or Education and Training Boards. 

How to contact the Teaching Council 

If you have any queries, please contact us at the details below.