Registration & Accreditation

South Australia Teacher Registration Guide

Everything you need to know about TRB SA registration — initial application, transitioning from Provisional to Full, renewing, CRT pathways, and what interstate and overseas-trained teachers need to do.

9 minute read Last reviewed May 2026
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To teach in any South Australian school — government, Catholic, or independent — you need registration from the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia (TRB SA). Registration is mandatory across all sectors; there is no separate system for Catholic or independent school teachers. This guide covers every stage: initial registration, transitioning from Provisional to Full registration, renewal, the CRT pathway, and what interstate or overseas-trained teachers need to do before they can work in SA classrooms.

1. Who registers SA teachers?

The Teachers Registration Board of South Australia (TRB SA) is the sole registration authority for teachers in the state. It operates under the Teachers Registration and Standards Act 2004 (SA). Contact: (08) 8253 9700 | info@trb.sa.edu.au | trb.sa.edu.au.

The Education Standards Board (ESB) is a separate body that regulates schools — not individual teachers. ESB Standard 2.8 simply requires schools to ensure their teachers hold current TRB SA registration. If you see ESB information, it is about school compliance, not your personal registration.

Every registered teacher in SA has a registration number. Schools must verify current registration before employment begins.

2. Registration types

There are two standard registration types in SA, and one emergency authorisation that is not a standard pathway.

Type Who it's for Validity Key requirement
Provisional Graduates assessed at APST Graduate career stage Up to 5 years Must transition to Full within 5-year term (legal requirement)
Full Teachers demonstrating APST Proficient career stage Renewable 1–5 years 100 hours professional learning per 5-year period
Permission to Teach Unregistered persons in exceptional circumstances Limited Board discretion — not a standard pathway

When you first graduate, you will almost certainly receive Provisional Registration. Your university prepares you to the Graduate career stage, not the Proficient career stage. Moving to Full Registration is the central milestone of your early career in SA.

2026 early childhood update. Teachers with a 3-year Birth–5 early childhood qualification can now register with a conditional registration, limited to EC settings (preschools, kindergartens, ECLCs, and OOSH). This change supports the rollout of universal 3-year-old education in SA. [Source: TRB SA, 2025]

3. Applying for registration: step by step

Qualification requirements

You need a teaching qualification meeting the 4-year total study rule, satisfied by one of two pathways:

  • Pathway A: An accredited undergraduate teacher education qualification of at least 4 years (full-time), with a sufficient supervised teaching practice component.
  • Pathway B: A non-teaching undergraduate degree (minimum 3 years) plus an accredited postgraduate teacher education qualification (minimum 1 year), with supervised teaching practice.

Qualifications obtained after 2011 must meet nationally agreed ITE Accreditation Standards. [Source: TRB SA / SA DoE, 2025]

The application process

1

Obtain a WWCC

Apply to the SA Department of Human Services (DHS) Screening Unit for a Working with Children Check for paid employment (not volunteer). Allow up to three weeks. See Section 7 for full details.

2

Download the application

Get the Application for Teacher Registration from trb.sa.edu.au. Collect certified copies of your academic transcripts and teaching qualification documents.

3

Submit with payment

Submit the completed application with all certified documents and the initial application fee ($213 for 2025–2026).

4

Pay the annual registration fee

Choose to pay for 1 year ($134) or up to 5 years upfront ($668). Paying multiple years locks in the current rate before annual CPI indexation.

Fees (1 February 2025 – 31 January 2026)

Fee Amount
Initial application$213
Annual fee — 1 year$134
Annual fee — 5 years upfront$668
Renewal$122
Overseas qualification assessment$158

Fees are indexed to Adelaide CPI and change each 1 February. Verify current amounts at trb.sa.edu.au before applying. [Source: ABLIS / TRB SA, 1 Feb 2025–31 Jan 2026]

4. Transitioning from Provisional to Full Registration

This is the most consequential step in the SA registration process. You have up to 5 years — and that is a legal requirement under the Teachers Registration and Standards Act 2004 (SA), not a guideline.

Don't wait until the final year. Building an evidence portfolio and securing an evaluator takes time. Contact TRB SA before your registration expires if you are approaching the deadline without having transitioned.

What you need to demonstrate

  • At least 200 days (one year full-time equivalent) of satisfactory teaching service in Australia or New Zealand within the five years before you apply
  • Evidence demonstrating the APST Proficient career stage across all 7 professional standards, including direct observations of your teaching

The transition process

1

Accumulate 200 teaching days

All teaching in Australian and New Zealand schools counts — permanent, contract, and relief days all contribute toward your total.

2

Choose an evaluator

An evaluator at your school or site who can directly observe your teaching, assess your evidence portfolio, and recommend you for Full Registration.

3

Build your evidence portfolio

Collect evidence demonstrating Proficient-level practice across all 7 APST domains. Teaching observations must be included — the evaluator must observe you teaching in person.

4

Complete and sign the application

Fill out the Application to Transition from Provisional to Full Registration with your evaluator. Both the evaluator and the site's approved endorser sign the form.

5

Submit within 6 months

Send the completed application to TRB SA by email (PDF) or post within 6 months of the evaluator's recommendation date. [Source: TRB SA, 2025]

Pathway for CRTs and TRTs

Relief teachers follow exactly the same requirements. The key differences in practice:

  • Relief days across multiple schools all count toward the 200-day requirement. Request a Statement of Service (total days per year) from each employer.
  • Find an evaluator at one of your regular host schools — a principal or deputy who sees your teaching regularly. Start this conversation early; evaluators need time to observe your practice across sessions.
  • Once you have 200 days and a willing evaluator, the portfolio and application process is identical to that of permanently employed teachers.

Tip for CRTs: Start collecting teaching artefacts from your first relief days — annotated lesson plans, student work samples with reflections, feedback from cooperating teachers. Building the portfolio becomes much harder if you try to reconstruct evidence retrospectively.

5. Renewing your Full Registration

Professional learning requirements

To renew Full Registration, you must complete a minimum of 100 hours of professional learning per 5-year registration period. Learning must be referenced to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST), but you do not need to cover all 7 domains. [Source: TRB SA, 2025]

TRB SA defines professional learning broadly: formal courses, conferences, workshops, peer observation, professional reading, and collaborative planning all count, provided they go beyond the day-to-day expectations of your role.

Record all professional learning in the TRB SA Teachers Portal (online.trb.sa.edu.au). Teachers who have not completed 100 hours may be refused renewal.

Renewal process

Renew through the TRB SA Teachers Portal. You will receive email and SMS reminders when registration is due. You can renew for 1 to 5 years at a time — paying for multiple years upfront avoids the annual CPI fee increase.

6. Interstate teachers: mutual recognition

If you are currently registered as a teacher in another Australian state or territory, you can apply for mutual recognition under the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (Cth). Teachers registered with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand are eligible under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.

Use the mutual recognition application form from trb.sa.edu.au. Standard application fees apply.

Your interstate WWCC is not recognised in SA. Regardless of which state you are coming from, you must obtain an SA DHS Working with Children Check for paid employment before or shortly after taking up work in SA. See Section 7.

7. Working with Children Check (DHS WWCC)

All SA teachers — for initial registration, mutual recognition, or renewal — must hold a current Working with Children Check conducted by the SA Department of Human Services (DHS) Screening Unit.

WWCC key requirements

Type Must be for paid employment. A volunteer WWCC issued after 1 July 2019 is NOT valid for paid teaching work.
Transferability Interstate and overseas WWCCs are not recognised in SA. Teachers from other states must obtain a fresh SA DHS check.
Validity Valid for 5 years. Apply to renew 6 months before expiry.
Processing Typically within 3 weeks; complex cases take longer. Apply well in advance.
Volunteer to paid If you move from volunteer to paid teaching, apply for a paid-employment WWCC within 28 days of starting paid work.

Apply through the SA Department for Child Protection (DHS Screening Unit). The WWCC is paid separately from TRB SA registration fees.

8. Overseas-trained teachers

The process for overseas-trained teachers has two stages before you can apply for registration.

Stage 1: Qualification assessment ($158)

1

Complete the assessment application

The Application for Assessment of Qualifications is a separate form from the registration application. Download from trb.sa.edu.au.

2

Gather certified documents

Certified copies of academic transcripts for every higher education qualification, plus a signed letter from the awarding university (or a copy of the relevant course syllabus for your year of graduation).

3

Translate non-English documents

Documents not in English must include certified English translations. All copies must be certified.

4

Submit by post or in person

TRB SA does NOT accept emailed applications for this stage. Allow up to 6 weeks for TRB SA to complete the assessment and send your report.

Stage 2: Apply for registration

Once you receive your assessment report, complete the standard Application for Teacher Registration and pay the initial application fee ($213) and annual fee. You must also obtain an SA DHS WWCC for paid employment.

English language proficiency

If your teaching qualifications were not obtained in Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, the United States, or the United Kingdom — and you did not complete at least 4 years of higher education study in those countries — you must demonstrate English language proficiency. [Source: TRB SA English Language Proficiency Requirement Policy]

Test Minimum scores
IELTS Academic 8.0 Listening, 8.0 Speaking, 7.0 Reading, 7.0 Writing; overall band 7.5
ISLPR Accepted — an Australian-developed alternative to IELTS; contact TRB SA for minimum ratings

The test must be completed within 2 years of submitting your registration application. If you miss one IELTS component score, you may retake that one skill within 60 days of your original test.

9. Teaching in SA government schools: additional requirements

TRB SA registration is the foundation, but SA DoE has additional requirements for employment in government schools specifically:

  • RRHAN-EC training (Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect — Education and Care): a full-day certification required before taking up employment
  • Current first aid training certificate
  • Australian residency documentation
  • Employable Teacher Registration (ETR) application through the SA DoE jobs portal (jobs.education.sa.gov.au)
Note: RRHAN-EC and first aid are SA DoE employment requirements, not TRB SA registration requirements. Catholic and independent schools have their own employment checks — confirm what is required directly with your prospective employer.

? Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Provisional and Full Registration in South Australia?

Provisional Registration is for graduates assessed at the APST Graduate career stage. It is valid for up to 5 years and must be converted to Full Registration within that time — this is a legal requirement under the Teachers Registration and Standards Act 2004 (SA), not optional. Full Registration is granted once you demonstrate APST Proficient career stage through an evidence portfolio and evaluator assessment, and it is renewable in 1–5 year increments.

How long do I have to transition from Provisional to Full Registration?

5 years from the date Provisional Registration is granted. You need 200 days (one year FTE) of satisfactory teaching in Australia or New Zealand within the five years before you apply. Don't leave it to the final year — finding an evaluator and building your evidence portfolio takes time.

Can I teach in South Australia with interstate teacher registration?

Yes, through mutual recognition under the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (Cth). Apply using the mutual recognition form at trb.sa.edu.au. However, you still need a new SA DHS Working with Children Check for paid employment — your interstate WWCC is not recognised in SA.

Does relief teaching count toward the 200 days needed for Full Registration?

Yes. All teaching service in Australian or New Zealand schools counts, including casual relief teaching (CRT) days. Request a Statement of Service from each school or employer showing your total days per year, and establish contact with an evaluator at one of your regular host schools early.

How many professional development hours do I need to renew SA teacher registration?

100 hours of professional learning per 5-year registration period, referenced to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Record your hours in the TRB SA Teachers Portal (online.trb.sa.edu.au). Teachers who have not completed 100 hours may be refused renewal.

I trained overseas — what do I do first?

Start with a qualification assessment ($158, allow up to 6 weeks). Submit by post or in person at the TRB SA office — emailed applications are not accepted. Once you have your assessment report, apply for registration ($213 initial fee plus annual fee). If your qualifications are not from a listed English-speaking country, you also need IELTS Academic with an overall band of 7.5. And you must obtain an SA DHS Working with Children Check.

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