Overseas Teachers: Official Paperwork Required to Teach in the UK

Interested in Teaching Overseas: Why Not Come to Teach in the UK?

These are the Documents You’ll Need to Obtain Before Leaving Home

So you’ve made the plunge and decided to go abroad and have settled on coming to teach in the UK – congratulations! But before you can experience the thrills of getting lost on the tube, enjoying brunch at a London market, and exploring Europe on your weekends, there is the little matter of getting all of your paperwork sorted out before boarding the plane.

Never fear – Prospero Teaching is here with a handy check list of all the essential documents you’ll need in order to enjoy yourself and teach in the UK!

Visa

This will definitely be the first thing to check out, because without valid entry to the UK your plans will quickly hit a brick wall. Most teachers from Australia, New Zealand or Canada make their way to the UK via one of the following ways:

• If one or both of your parents were born in the UK, you may be eligible for a UK passport. Similarly, if one or both of your parents were born in a country that is now a member of the EU, you may be eligible for a passport from that country and therefore entry to the UK https://www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport
• If one or more of your grandparents were born in the UK, you may be eligible for an Ancestry visa, which enables you to live and work in the UK for up to 5 years https://www.gov.uk/ancestry-visa
• If you are under the age of 31 you may be eligible for a Tier 5 Youth Mobility visa, which enables you to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years https://www.gov.uk/tier-5-youth-mobility
• If you have a spouse who is a UK citizen you may be eligible for a ‘family of a settled person’ visa which enables you to live and work in the UK for up to 2 and a half years https://www.gov.uk/remain-in-uk-family/overview

If none of these options fit you could consider obtaining sponsorship from a school for a Tier 2 Visa. For more information, check out https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-general/overview.

Passport

Make sure your passport is current and still valid, with plenty of time left before its expiry date.  If it is less than a year until your passport’s expiry date, you should renew it before moving overseas.

UK Police Check (DBS)

I know what you’re thinking – “But I’ve never been to the UK, so why would I need a police check?” A DBS is a vital document that you’ll need before you can even think about teaching in the UK.  In fact, some schools will turn you away if you arrive at their door without your DBS in your hand. But don’t worry – the application form is simple and Prospero will ensure your DBS is completed before you arrive in the UK.

Overseas Police Checks

You’ll also need a police check from your home country, and a police check from any other country you’ve lived in for 6 months or more within the past 5 years. Prospero is happy to point you in the right direction, no matter where you’ve lived.

So now that you’ve got your visa, passport and police checks sorted, it’s time to get on the plane and begin your adventure in the UK!