Apply for a Tōmua | Provisional Practising Certificate
Tōmua | Provisional is the first practising certificate you will hold when you start teaching in New Zealand.
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When to apply
You can apply for a Tōmua | Provisional Practising Certificate once you have graduated. It is the first practising certificate you will hold. It means you have not yet had the opportunity to demonstrate you can independently use and meet the Standards | Ngā Paerewa because you are new to the teaching profession in New Zealand.
A Tōmua | Provisional Practising Certificate is issued or renewed for three years.
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This practising certificate is designed to be held for a maximum of five years. You are expected to complete induction and mentoring and gain Tūturu | Full (Category One) within this timeframe.
If you’re not planning to start teaching right away, you can:
- apply for registration only, and wait to apply for your practising certificate later
- or apply for both registration and a Tōmua | Provisional Practising Certificate when you're ready to begin teaching.
Requirements for Tōmua | Provisional Practising Certificate
When applying for registration and a practising certificate for the first time you will be required to complete a Proof of Identity check - this is required for people working with children as part of the Children's Act.
| Requirement | Evidence |
|---|---|
You are a New Zealand registered teacher | Teacher registration number - your registration number is provided when your registration is approved. If you are making an application for your first Tōmua | Provisional Practising Certificate at the same time as your registration, we will auto-populate your application with your registration number. |
You have completed an approved New Zealand ITE programme in the last five years | Certified copy of your approved New Zealand ITE qualification; or A link you provide for the Council to access your ITE qualification details on eQuals. |
You have completed a TER (Teacher Education Refresh) programme in the five years before your application | Your TER completion certificate; or Council letter of TER exemption. |
You are committed to the expectations in the Code | Ngā Tikanga Matatika | A declaration that you are committed to the values and expectations in the Code | Ngā Tikanga Matatika; and A declaration about any matters for which you are under investigation, that might impact your teaching or ability to meet the requirements of the Code | Ngā Tikanga Matatika. |
You have a satisfactory New Zealand Police vet | Your consent for the Council to apply to New Zealand Police for your police vet; and Confirmation of the types of verified identity documents that you provided to your identity referee. |
You are physically and mentally able to carry out a teaching role safely and satisfactorily | A declaration that you do not have a condition that would affect your ability to teach safely and satisfactorily. If required: Any additional evidence, such as a medical certificate, to support your ability to teach. |
You are committed to develop and practise te reo me ngā tikanga Māori (Māori language and protocols) | A declaration that you are committed to develop and practise te reo me ngā tikanga Māori throughout your teaching career. |
Tips for your application
You will need to gather all documents before you submit your application
Keep all communications in the same email thread
It makes it easier and quicker for us to action. Registration officers deal with thousands of emails each month, so everything in the one same email thread makes our job easier and means we can action things for you much faster.
The more information the better
It's better to write additional notes or provide extra information in your application. It saves time, it means less emails from us seeking clarification on things, and means we can finalise your application much quicker.
Answer everything
Even if you think the information isn't applicable to you, if we've asked a question in the application form it's because we need that information. Anything missing in your application means we have to come back to you for that information and this extends the processing time and slows the approval down.
Proof of Identity (POI) requires specific things
The POI section is very particular and specific. We can only accept identity documents that we've specifically listed in each specific identity document category (Category A, Category B, and Name Change). It's expected that you will read the POI section thoroughly to ensure you're using approved identity documents, and to ensure the POI is completed correctly and in full.
A certified document
Your documents need to be certified by an official such as a NZ school principal, a NZ ECE centre Manager, an NZ Justice of the Peace, a solicitor, a Notary Public, a Registrar, a Teaching Council approved identity referee, or the authority who originally issued the document.
How to apply
Click My Login in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
This will take you to the teacher portal | My Rawa.
Log in using your My Rawa details.
If you haven’t created a My Rawa account, see our webpage on getting started.
Scroll down to the section named ‘I want to’.
Click on the card called Maintain my practising certificate.
Click the button titled 'Apply Now'.
Follow the prompts on the page.
Submit your applciation.
What comes after a Tōmua | Provisional Practising Certificate?
Newly graduated NZ-trained teachers are required to complete a two-year programme of induction and mentoring provided by your employer. You will have a fully certificated (Tūturu) mentor guiding you through this.
You may renew your Tōmua | Provisional Practising Certificate again if you have not completed your induction and mentoring. Check out our page on Renewing a practising certificate.
Once you have completed these requirements you could be ready to move to a Tūturu | Full (Category One) Practising Certificate; talk to your mentor about when you might be ready and visit our induction and mentoring webpage.
Your portal: My Rawa
My Rawa is your go-to space for getting started as a teacher in Aotearoa. With tailored guidance and practical tools, it helps you take confident steps in your teaching career.
