Types of registration

Provisional registration

Provisional registration means a teacher has met the Graduate stage of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (the Standards).

Who is granted provisional registration?

People granted provisional registration include:

  • recent teacher education graduates
  • teachers with experience not in an Australian school; or not recent experience.
Extending provisional registration

Provisional registration lasts for two years.

If you are not ready for full registration at that time, continued annual fee payments will extend your provisional registration period to four years.

If you are still not eligible for full registration after four years, you will need to reapply for provisional registration.

Reapplying after four years of provisional registration

About three months before your registration ends, you can reapply through your myQCT account.

If you think you will be ready for full registration before your provisional registration ends, start that process early. Talk to your principal, deputy principal, or approved mentor about your report and timing. See Provisional to full for more information about moving to full registration.

If you are unsure you will complete the provisional-to-full application process in time, you should reapply for provisional registration.

Full registration

In general, full registration is granted following a period of provisional registration.

Who is granted full registration?

To be granted full registration, you usually:

  • have completed one year of full-time classroom practice in Australia, or the part-time equivalent
  • successfully meet the Proficient stage of the Standards

See the Full registration fact sheet [PDF 859KB] for more information.

Maintaining full registration

Full registration is valid for five years from the date the QCT grants it. However, the total registration period is reduced by any time held under provisional registration before being granted full registration. For example, if you were provisionally registered for two years, your initial full registration period would be three years. At the end of the five-year period, you must renew your registration.

To maintain your registration, you must pay an annual fee and keep up with your professional development.

Early childhood teachers (ECTs)

On 17 September 2026, the Queensland Government introduced the Education Legislation (Registration of Early Childhood Teachers) Amendment Bill 2026 to Parliament.

Currently, the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) regulates teachers working in schools, and registration requirements are based on the qualifications needed to teach in school settings.

If passed, the Bill would:

  • allow early childhood teachers (ECTs) with an ACECQA-approved ECT qualification to apply for QCT registration
  • require qualified ECTs working in centre-based early childhood education and care services to hold QCT registration by 1 July 2028.

The proposed changes apply only to early childhood teachers. Other educators working in early childhood education and care services would not need QCT registration.

The Bill is currently being considered by the Education, Arts and Communities Committee. The committee is due to report to Parliament on 6 November 2026, after which the Queensland Government will have three months to respond to any recommendations.

To learn more about the proposed changes and read answers to frequently asked questions, visit the Department of Education. You can also follow the committee's inquiry online.

Last updated:
21 October 2026