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All teachers must:
- be registered
- have a practising certificate or have been issued a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT)
- meet the Standards for the Teaching Profession
- meet the Code of Professional Responsibility.
Code of Professional Responsibility#
The Code of Professional Responsibility (the Code) sets out the standards of competence and conduct expected of everyone who teaches in New Zealand. The Code applies to all certified teachers and to holders of Limited Authorities to Teach (LAT).
The Code describes the professional commitments teachers make to learners, whānau | families, colleagues, and society. It supports safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environments and reinforces the trust placed in the profession.
The Secretary for Education is responsible for maintaining the Code and ensuring awareness of it. The Teaching Council applies the Code in regulatory practice, with the Code forming the basis for Teaching Council investigations into concerns about conduct. Breaches of the Code can lead to regulatory action. In cases of serious misconduct this can include suspension or cancellation of a practising certificate.
The Code was originally set by the Teaching Council's predecessor (the Education Council) and will remain in force until the Secretary for Education makes changes.
Information about the Teaching Council’s conduct and competence processes and how to make a report or complaint about a teacher’s conduct is on their website.
Teacher registration and practising certificates#
Entry to the teaching profession#
To enter the teaching profession, candidates must register with the Teaching Council. Registration confirms that a person meets the professional and ethical expectations required to be a teacher in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Applicants must meet professional, character, and language competency requirements. Registration does not expire unless a teacher deregisters or it is cancelled.
Since 2015 registration alone does not allow someone to teach. A teacher must also hold a current practising certificate.
Information about how to register to teach is on the Teaching Council website.
Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand
Limited authority to teach
A limited authority to teach (LAT) allows a person without a teaching qualification to teach in specific roles. These roles typically require specialist skills or address teacher shortages. Examples of specialist skills include music, languages, or guidance counselling.
A LAT:
- applies to a specific role
- is temporary and does not lead to permanent employment (except in charter schools)
- is not registration or a practising certificate.
The Teaching Council has information about how to apply for a LAT.
Practising certificates#
A practising certificate allows a registered teacher to teach legally in New Zealand. Certificates are valid for 3 years and must be renewed.
To be issued with a practising certificate, teachers must show they meet key professional requirements, including:
- the teaching standards
- having satisfactory recent teaching experience
- engaging in ongoing professional learning
- being fit to teach.
Types of practising certificates#
There are different types of practising certificates:
- Provisional Practising Certificate for beginning teachers from New Zealand and all overseas trained teachers.
- Full Practising Certificate (Category 1) for experienced teachers endorsed as meeting the teaching standards.
- Full Practising Certificate (Category 2) for experienced teachers whose roles do not allow endorsement against all the teaching standards.
The Teaching Council has information about what is required to apply to renew a practising certificate.
Requirements to renew a practising certificate – Teaching Council
These standards were originally set by the Teaching Council and will remain in force until the Secretary for Education makes changes.
Download the requirements for teacher registration and language competency for teaching in New Zealand.
Standards for the Teaching Profession#
The Standards for the Teaching Profession describe what effective teaching looks like in New Zealand. They apply to all certified teachers across early learning, school, and kura settings.
Purpose#
The Standards for the Teaching Profession:
- set out the essential professional knowledge, practice, professional relationships and competence required for effective teaching
- define the level of practice teachers must meet to be issued with a practising certificate
- promote high‑quality teaching and leadership for all learners
- provide a shared framework for ongoing professional learning throughout a teacher’s career.
Together with Ngā Tikanga Matatika | The Code of Professional Responsibility, the Standards for the Teaching Profession outline the expectations of the teaching profession in New Zealand.
Information about the Teaching Council’s competence and conduct processes and how to make a report or complaint about a teacher’s competence is on the Teaching Council website.
Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand
Transition to the 2026 Standards for the Teaching Profession#
The 2017 standards for the teaching profession stay in place for most regulatory purposes until 31 December 2026.
This includes:
- certification endorsements
- competence processes
- Initial Teacher Education (ITE) requirements.
From 1 January 2027, the 2026 Standards for the Teaching Profession will apply. The Teaching Council website sets out how this will work.
Move to the 2026 standards – Teaching Council
Download the new 2026 standards.
These standards were originally set by the Teaching Council and will remain in force until the Secretary for Education makes changes.
