Obtaining or renewing a teaching licence

To work as a teacher, you must have a teaching licence. Some of these licences are renewable under certain conditions. All teachers must renew their licences before the expiry date.

Apply for or renew a teaching licence

Types of teaching licences

Teaching diploma

Once you have completed your certified teacher training program, the Ministère de l’Enseignement will issue you a teaching diploma. This is a permanent licence.

Provisional teaching licence

You also have the possibility of working while you study if you obtain a provisional teaching licence. This licence is issued to students in their fourth year of a bachelor’s program for teaching preschool, elementary school or secondary school. It is also offered to students starting a master’s degree in general education or a bachelor’s degree in vocational training. To obtain this licence, you must first have a promise of employment from a school, school service centre or school board.

Renewing a provisional teaching licence

Depending on the validity period of your provisional teaching licence, you may renew it up to three times, under certain conditions. There are, however, certain licences that are not renewable.

Provisional teaching licence to provide preschool education services

You can also balance work and study by obtaining a provisional teaching licence to provide preschool education services. This licence is issued to students who have obtained a Diploma of College Studies in Early Childhood Education or have completed recognized equivalent training and who, in both cases, are pursuing teacher education studies leading to a bachelor’s degree in preschool and elementary school education. To obtain this licence, you must also meet certain additional conditions.

Probationary teaching permit

The probationary teaching permit is issued to persons who have completed a teacher training program outside Canada that is equivalent to a teacher training program in Québec and who have passed the language examination recognized by the Minister. To then obtain a teaching diploma, you must meet certain conditions.

For more information on the probationary teaching permit, please see the terms and conditions for obtaining a Québec probationary teaching permit This hyperlink will open in a new window., available in French only.

Renewing a probationary teaching permit

Your application for the renewal of your probationary teaching permit must show that you meet the imposed requirements (except for the probationary period, if applicable), that are listed on the probationary teaching permit.

Extension of the validity of teaching licences

Under the Regulation respecting teaching licences, which entered into force on June 29, 2021, all teaching licences that were valid on that date had their validity extended by one year, meaning to at least June 30, 2022. This includes provisional teaching licences, provisional vocational training teaching licences and probationary teaching permits.

At the moment, it is not necessary to complete the renewal process for these teaching licences. The extension is automatic, and candidates do not have to take any steps.

Employers will be informed of this change, meaning that no new teaching licences with modified expiry dates will be issued. Any holder of a teaching licence who would like to verify its expiry date can make a request using the online form This hyperlink will open in a new window..

Conditions for obtaining a provisional general education teaching licence

Applicants for a provisional general education teaching licence have a transitional period of two years to comply with the new conditions (nine credits instead of six), and this applies to all applications received by the Ministère before June 30, 2022.

Conditions for obtaining a provisional teaching authorization for vocational training (teaching authorization for vocational training under the old Regulation)

Persons who apply for a five-year provisional teaching authorization for vocational training may, during a transitional period of five years, be issued this teaching authorization provided that, out of the minimum of 90 credits required in the teacher education program in vocational training, they have earned 45 credits in education instead of the 60 credits now required pursuant to the amendment of the Regulation in October 2019. This measure applies to all applications received by the Ministère no later than June 30, 2025.

Persons who were issued a five-year provisional teaching authorization for vocational training before October 1, 2019 (teaching authorization for vocational training under the old Regulation), may have it renewed for five years in accordance with the conditions contained in the old Regulation (hours of teaching, hours of relevant experience in the workplace or courses). This measure applies only to a first renewal issued after October 1, 2019.

A provisional teaching authorization remains valid only if the holder is enrolled in a teacher education program. However, persons who were issued a five-year provisional teaching authorization for vocational training before October 1, 2019 (teaching authorization for vocational training under the old Regulation), and are no longer enrolled in a teacher education program automatically benefit from a five-year transitional period in order to give them the opportunity to re-enrol.

Letter of tolerance

A letter of tolerance is a permission granted by the Minister, in exceptional circumstances, that authorizes an employer to hire as preschool, elementary school or secondary school teachers persons who do not hold a teaching licence. This letter is issued mainly to employers who are experiencing a shortage of teachers in order to allow these employers to hire persons who have not necessarily had teacher education. Letters of tolerance are not renewable and are issued only to employers.

Contact the school service centres and school boards (English and special status) directly to find a job.

Documents for use by employers:

For questions about teaching licences in Québec

Email

Québec City and surrounding area
418 646-6581

Elsewhere in Québec
1 866 747-6626