Registration requirements
There are two main requirements for registration with the Teaching Council
- Qualifications
- Evidence of character – including vetting (mandatory)
Qualified in the Republic of Ireland
- If you qualified in the Republic of Ireland and are a new graduate in the current academic year you should apply under the Newly Qualified Teacher process. This process is open during the summer months and closes at the end of September each year. Details of this process can be found on our Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) fast-track registration for primary and post-primary page.
- If you qualified in the Republic of Ireland and are not a new graduate in the current academic year/or if you are a Newly Qualified Teacher and are registering outside of the NQT fast-track timeline you should apply as follows.
How to apply
Apply for registration online using My Registration. You can save your application and return to it later. You have three months from the date you start your application to complete and submit it.
If your application is not completed after three months, it will be deleted.
Everyone who works with children and vulnerable people is legally required to be vetted by the National Vetting Bureau. If you are a teacher, the Teaching Council administers vetting for you and assesses the vetting disclosure (result) to establish if a teacher can be registered.
Please read our vetting page.
Before you start an application online, please have the following information to hand:
- Photos or scans of academic transcript(s) of results for each year of your qualification(s). The final year transcript must include your overall result.
- Photos or scans of acceptable proof of ID and proof of address.
- Employment contact details.
- Employment history.
- Completed Fit and Proper Person assessment form.
What qualifications you need to register as a primary teacher
In order to be a primary school teacher (Junior Infants to Sixth Class) in the Republic of Ireland, you must meet the following requirements.
- Hold a recognised Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree
Or
- Hold both:
- A recognised Graduate/Higher Diploma in Education (primary) and
- A primary degree at Level 8 or a qualification at Level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications which has a credit weighting of at least 180 ECTS credits.
Find a list of providers of approved programmes of initial teacher education.
Whichever entry route you choose, you must have achieved prescribed examination results at Leaving Certificate or Northern Ireland GCSE/GCE A Level examinations.
Further information on how to qualify as a primary teacher in the Republic of Ireland is on the website of the Department of Education.
This qualification process is in line with: