Teacher registration in Victoria (VIT): cost, renewal and early childhood rules
VIT registration for early childhood teachers in October 2026: required in early childhood settings, $175.60 to apply, $131.30 a year, renew by 30 September.
On this page
In Victoria, anyone teaching in a school or early childhood setting must be registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), including early childhood teachers in childcare and kindergartens. Registration renews every year by 30 September. Applying costs $175.60 with a Victorian qualification, and the 2026-27 annual fee is $131.30. VIT registration exempts teachers from the WWC Check.
Key facts (as of October 2026)
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing body | Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) | vit.vic.edu.au |
| Official name | Teacher registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) | vit.vic.edu.au |
| Registration period | Annual, 1 October to 30 September; provisional registration is granted for two years | vit.vic.edu.au |
| Application fee | $175.60 with a Victorian qualification; $203 with an interstate or overseas qualification (non-refundable) | vit.vic.edu.au |
| Annual fee | $131.30 for 2026-27 if paid by 30 September; $173.10 from 1 October to 31 December, including the late fee | vit.vic.edu.au |
| Processing time | Most applications take 4 to 6 weeks to assess once all documents are in | vit.vic.edu.au |
| Renewal | Renew by 30 September each year. Full registration needs 20 days of practice and 20 hours of professional learning a year. After 31 December, full registration expires and you reapply | vit.vic.edu.au |
| Interstate (mutual recognition) | Mutual recognition by application, not automatic. Interstate full registration can give immediate full registration | vit.vic.edu.au |
| Apply or renew | How to register with VIT VIT annual registration | vit.vic.edu.au |
| Status check or register | VIT register of teachers (public) | vit.vic.edu.au |
| What an employer must do | Ensure teachers hold valid registration, checking current and prospective teachers in the Employer portal or the register, and report teacher conduct matters | vit.vic.edu.au |
Fees and processing times change, most often once a year. The source column links to the official page each value was checked against in October 2026.
How to apply: Teacher registration (VIC)
- Check your qualification: an early childhood teaching qualification approved or recognised by ACECQA is the basis for registering as an early childhood teacher.
- Apply through MyVIT and pay $175.60 with a Victorian qualification, or $203 with an interstate or overseas one. Fees are non-refundable.
- VIT runs a national criminal history check as part of the application.
- Most applications are assessed in four to six weeks once all documents are submitted. Provisional registration is granted for two years.
How to renew: Teacher registration (VIC)
- Complete annual registration by 30 September, paying $131.30 for 2026-27.
- For full registration, declare at least 20 days of practice and 20 hours of professional learning referencing the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
- Miss 30 September and a late fee applies until 31 December ($173.10 in total). After 31 December, full registration expires, you are removed from the register and must reapply; provisional registration is suspended.
What employers must do
- Ensure every teacher holds valid VIT registration. Employers are co-regulators of the profession.
- Check current and prospective teachers' registration status through the Employer portal or the public register, and keep your teacher list current.
- Report teacher conduct matters to VIT.
- From 19 October 2026, a VIT-registered teacher engaged to teach in an early childhood service is not connected in WWC Connect; other child-related work, such as tutoring, still needs a connection.
What is specific to Victoria
- VIT registration exempts a teacher from needing a Working with Children Check in Victoria (Worker Screening Act 2020, s 113). Victoria is the only state where teacher registration replaces the check; VIT runs its own national criminal history check instead.
- Holders of Permission to Teach (PTT) cannot teach in early childhood settings.
- Dual registration covers people who hold both teacher and early childhood registration.
What Koora checks
Verified by Koora, point-in-time. Koora checks the registration number against the VIT register of teachers when the credential reaches Koora's review: when a worker shares their Career Passport, when a provider requests access, or across an organisation's own records where Crew is attached. The result is recorded with its date, so it is a point-in-time verification, and Koora tracks the expiry date. Koora does not monitor the registration between checks. A teaching qualification on its own is reviewed, never verified: the degree is not the registration.
Your team reviews each credential in Koora, or Crew does it for you. The provider keeps the legal responsibility for who they engage.
Frequently asked questions
Do early childhood teachers need to register with VIT?
Yes. Anyone undertaking the duties of a teacher in a Victorian school or early childhood setting must be registered with VIT, including teaching under supervision.
How much does VIT registration cost?
Applying costs $175.60 with a Victorian qualification or $203 with an interstate or overseas one. The 2026-27 annual registration fee is $131.30 if paid by 30 September.
When do I renew my VIT registration?
Every year by 30 September. A late fee applies until 31 December, after which full registration expires and you must reapply.
Do VIT-registered teachers need a Working with Children Check?
Not for teaching. Current VIT registration exempts a teacher from the WWC Check under Victorian law, and VIT runs its own criminal history check instead.
Related
- Early childhood teacher registration in Australia, by state
- Teacher registration in every state and territory: the comparison table
- Working with Children Check (VIC) in Victoria
- NDIS Worker Screening Check (VIC) in Victoria
- National Police Check (VIC) in Victoria
- Glossary: Teacher registration
- Which worker check do I need?: pick your sector, role and state
Sources
- https://www.vit.vic.edu.au/register/purpose
- https://www.vit.vic.edu.au/maintain/annual-registration
- https://www.vit.vic.edu.au/register/how-to/fees
- https://www.vit.vic.edu.au/register/how-to
- https://www.vit.vic.edu.au/register/categories/interstate-overseas
- https://www.vit.vic.edu.au/search-the-register
- https://www.vit.vic.edu.au/register/legislation
This is general information, not compliance advice. Always confirm requirements with the relevant regulator, and remember that providers keep the legal responsibility to sight credentials and decide who can work.
We work hard to keep everything accurate, and our compliance engine keeps up with the rules as they change. Even so, we might get a detail slightly wrong or miss something. No one's perfect. If you think something here needs updating, email us at resources@koora.care. We would genuinely rather know, because we all do better when we help each other get it right.
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