In our recently made registration regulations (October 2025), there is a provision which we call the Timebound Provision. This allows teachers who qualified in another country but have not completed the necessary induction there, to register with the Teaching Council (in certain limited circumstances) and to complete induction here in the Republic of Ireland. This option is only available for applications received on or before 30 December 2027. Anyone wishing to avail of this must complete their programme of study and submit a complete application before this date. They must also meet the eligibility requirements below. You should carefully read and consider the eligibility requirements and the frequently asked questions below.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to apply for registration under the Timebound Provision, you must meet two eligibility requirements:
1. Evidence of Registration
You must have a qualification which entitles you to teach in the country of award, save for the fact that you have not completed induction there. This evidence of eligibility should be provided by the relevant teacher registration body or Ministry of Education in the country where you qualified.
For example: If you qualified as a teacher in England, you must have evidence of being awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).
If you do not meet this eligibility requirement, you should not proceed with an application.
If you provide evidence of registration, your application will proceed and be assessed to determine if you meet the second requirement.
2. Teacher Education Qualification
You must have completed a teacher education qualification outside the Republic of Ireland (ROI).
Primary (4-12) – You must have a primary initial teacher education qualification awarded by a provider from outside of the ROI, which is assessed by the Teaching Council as equivalent to Irish standards, with the exception of the Irish Language Requirement (ILR). The ILR will be applied as a condition of your registration.
Or
Post-primary (12-18)- You must have a post-primary initial teacher education qualification awarded by a provider outside of the ROI, which is assessed by the Teaching Council as equivalent to Irish standards, except for the History and Structure of the Irish Education System requirement (H&S) and meet the curricular subject requirements for at least one post-primary subject. The H&S will be applied as a condition of your registration.
You must have studied one of the curricular subjects. Please see the list of approved Curricular Subjects Requirements. It is expected that you will meet the curricular subject requirements for at least one post-primary subject. If there are minor shortfalls in the curricular subject requirements, there may be conditions attached to your registration to address this.
It is important to note that when we refer above to your teacher education qualification needing to be equivalent to the Irish standards, we mean fully equivalent with no shortfalls save for those referred to above (ILR for primary and H&S for post-primary).
If you do not meet the above two eligibility requirements above, your application will be deemed ineligible and outside of the scope of the Timebound Provision.
Please note that if you are deemed not eligible for registration under the Timebound Provision, you should complete induction or the required post qualification training in the country in which you obtained your teacher education qualification and reapply through the standard process to register with the Teaching Council.
Registration Condition(s)
Teachers who are eligible to register with the Teaching Council under the Timebound Provision will be registered with the following registration conditions:
- Primary Teachers: Irish Language Requirement
- Post-primary Teachers: History and Structure of the Irish education System
- All Teachers: Droichead, the Council’s professional induction process
How to apply
- Apply online: Log in or create an account on My Registration
- Queries: Email tbp@teachingcouncil.ie
Applications will be accepted from 9am on Wednesday, 22 October 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
I qualified as a teacher outside of the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and have evidence of registration from the relevant teacher registration body. I did not, however, complete the statutory period of induction required in the country in which I qualified. Can I apply for registration?
The Teaching Council will accept applications from primary and post-primary teachers who have qualified outside of the ROI but who have not completed the required period of induction in the country in which they qualified. Applications are made in accordance with the Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations 2025. You must also meet certain qualification requirements to be eligible to apply.
What is Qualified Teacher Status?
If you obtained your teacher education qualification in England, your application cannot be processed without evidence that the qualification entitles you to Qualified Teacher Status. This evidence can be obtained from the Department for Education in England. Further information on Qualified Teacher Status can be found here.
Will I have to complete induction in Ireland?
Yes, you will be registered with the condition of the completion of induction.
Droichead is the Teaching Council’s Integrated Professional Induction Framework in the Republic of Ireland.
How will I address the condition of the ILR?
The Irish Language Requirement (ILR) can be completed via an Aptitude test (Scrudú le hAghaidh Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge) or via an Adaptation Period (Oiriúnú le hAghaidh Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge). More information on these pathways is available here.
How do I address the History and Structure of the Irish Education System requirement?
The History and Structure of the Irish Education System (H&S) examination is organised online three times a year by the Teaching Council. The exam is intended to assess whether applicants have a knowledge and understanding of the history and structure of education in the Republic of Ireland, particularly second level education, since the foundation of the State in 1922. Applicants should have an understanding of key issues relating to the control and management of post-primary schools and of curriculum and assessment at post-primary level. Further information on the History and Structure of the Irish Education System examination is available here.
What curricular subject requirements must I meet for Post-primary (Route 2) registration?
You must have studied one of the curricular subjects. Please see the list of approved Curricular Subjects Requirements. It is expected that you will meet the curricular subject requirements for at least one post-primary subject. If there are minor shortfalls in the curricular subject requirements, there may be conditions attached to your registration to address this.
I qualified as a teacher outside of the Republic of Ireland and also completed the statutory period of induction required in the country in which I qualified. How do I apply for registration?
Applicants who qualified outside of the Republic of Ireland and completed the statutory period of induction must apply via the standard application process accessible via the application portal.
What type of qualifications have the Teaching Council previously assessed as of an equivalent standard to accredited Initial Teacher Education Qualifications in Ireland?
We have previously carried out assessments of applications involving different types of qualifications to determine if they meet the eligibility requirements for registration under the Timebound Provision. Based on these assessments, the Council has found that traditional College / University-based programmes, for example Postgraduate Certificates in Education, are the most closely aligned with initial teacher education qualifications in Ireland and were most likely to meet the eligibility requirements under the Timebound Provision. On the basis of applications assessed previously, we have found that alternative certification models such as international variations of traditional College/University-based programmes were less likely to meet the eligibility requirements and more likely to be deemed outside the scope of the Timebound Provision.
Do I need to have completed my Teacher Education Qualification before 31 December 2027, to register under the timebound provision?
Yes. Applicants must have completed their initial teacher education qualification and submitted their application for registration on or before 30 December 2027. The deadline for applications is 23.59 on that date.
If shortfalls are identified in my Initial Teacher Education qualification, can I address these through an aptitude test or adaptation period?
No. To be eligible for registration under the Timebound Provision you must have completed a teacher education qualification outside of the ROI that is of a fully equivalent standard to an Irish teacher education qualification. This means that no shortfalls should be identified between your teacher education qualification and that of the Irish standard (save for the ILR for primary teachers and H&S for post primary teachers).