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Recognition of Interstate and NZ Registration

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Recognition of Interstate and NZ Registration

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Registration to teach in Tasmania is required to be employed in teaching roles in Tasmanian schools and colleges. 

If you currently hold teacher registration elsewhere in Australia or in New Zealand, you may be eligible to apply for registration to teach in Tasmania under the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 or the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997. 

Mutual recognition provisions only apply if Tasmania has an equivalent category of teacher registration (full or provisional registration for the school sector) to the one currently held. The Board recognises full and provisional registration for the school sector from these regulatory authorities: 

  • Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand 
  • Teacher Registration Board of the Northern Territory 
  • Teachers Registration Board of South Australia 
  • Queensland College of Teachers 
  • Teachers Registration Board of Western Australia
  • Australian Capital Territory Teacher Quality Institute 
  • Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT)* 
  • New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA)** 

*VIT has two separate registers: early childhood teachers and registered teachers. Please contact us  before  you apply for registration if you are registered with VIT as an early childhood teacher. 

**NESA accreditation for working with children ages birth to five years and  preschool only allows you to work with children in these age groups. NESA has confirmed this type of accreditation  does not  enable you to teach in a school setting. Please contact us  before  you apply for registration if you hold NESA accreditation for these age groups. 

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You cannot legally teach in a Tasmanian school or college until you receive formal notification from the Board that your teacher registration has been recognised.

  • To apply for registration to teach in Tasmania under mutual recognition, you must hold current registration in another Australian or New Zealand jurisdiction
  • You can teach in Tasmania once you are notified by the Board that you have “deemed registration”
  • You must continue to maintain your registration elsewhere until you are notified that “substantive registration” in Tasmania is granted

Status of mutual recognition for teachers in Tasmania

The Australian Government and most state and territory governments have agreed to introduce a uniform scheme for Automatic Deemed Registration (ADR) of occupational registrations into the existing Automatic Mutual Recognition scheme. However, a three-year exemption (from the ADR scheme) applies in Tasmania for teacher registration and several other occupational registrations. Longer exemptions apply in some other jurisdictions. Teachers from elsewhere in Australia and New Zealand can continue to apply for registration to teach in Tasmania under the existing mutual recognition provisions.

Please contact us if you would like further information or clarification of what this news may mean for you and your teacher registration. Detailed information regarding automatic mutual recognition in Tasmania for all occupational licenses is also available on the Department of Treasury and Finance Tasmania website.

Applying for registration under mutual recognition

To apply for registration to teach in Tasmania under mutual recognition, you must complete the online application process. Please see our page on applying for registration. 

Please note
Your registration must be current at the time you apply for registration to teach in Tasmania under mutual recognition.  

When can I apply?

We recommend that you read all Board policies relating to registration before you apply, including our:

  • Applying for Registration Policy
  • Mutual Recognition Policy
  • Fees and Payments Policy

The ideal time to submit your application is from 1 December the year before you plan to start teaching in Tasmania, as you are not required to pay in advance unless you plan to start part-way through a teaching year.

Applications can be submitted/accepted at any time by specifying the year you would like to start.

How long will my application take?

Deemed registration
Deemed registration generally takes between two and working seven days from when you complete the application process and we have verified your identity. Completing the application process includes:

  • submitting your online application
  • providing current details of Tasmanian Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP)
  • providing the Board with correctly certified copies of your documentary evidence
  • payment of associated fees.

You cannot legally be employed to teach in Tasmania until you receive formal notification from the Board that you hold deemed registration.


Substantive registration
Substantive registration is generally granted within one month of deeming, provided there are no issues of concern. However, occasionally the process takes longer due to factors outside of our control, including receipt of evidence from your home jurisdiction. The Board has a total of six months to verify your details and make a determination to grant (with or without conditions) or refuse substantive registration.

You can continue to teach in Tasmania on a deemed basis until you receive notification that you have been granted substantive registration, or your application is rejected. If you are refused substantive registration you must cease teaching in Tasmania immediately.