Teacher transfers by state: how permanent teachers move schools in 2026-27

Transfer systems at a glance

NSW: transfer points, service and incentive transfers

NSW runs the most structured system. Under the Staffing Procedure (in force from Term 2 2024 to 28 January 2029), vacancies are filled first by transfers and priority appointments in a set order, then by central appointment, then by local choice. Incentive transfers sit near the top of that order, behind only transfers the Department actions itself. Matching is on your approved to teach codes, so keep them current before you apply.

How NSW transfer points work

• You get full points for your current school and half points for previous schools.
• Each year's points are set by where you were on Day 1 of Term 2. A Term 1 application doesn't include the current year's points.
• Starting at a school on or before Day 1 of Term 2 counts as a full year there.
• Casual service of more than a term in 4, 6 or 8-point schools is credited, at half points. Temporary service counts from Term 1 2001, also halved.
• If you resign and are re-employed, points for previous schools are halved.

Before you move, check what happens to your allowances. Leaving a school with the $20,000 to $30,000 Rural Teacher Incentive ends that payment. See NSW rural and remote teaching. If you want a specific school rather than any match, you can also apply on merit for advertised jobs; see NSW targeted selection criteria.

Queensland: a year-round transfer pool

Queensland moved from an annual transfer round to a continuous one. Under the Department's Teacher Transfer Guidelines (April 2022 version, published by the Queensland Teachers' Union), you apply online through MyHR at any time, your principal and regional HR verify it, and you join the transfer applicant pool. Your application stays active until you're placed or you withdraw it. Active applicants get status updates in April and September.

Transfer points accrue faster in rating 3 to 7 schools. Teachers who go to transfer rating 4 to 7, priority or alcohol management plan (AMP) locations are offered a guaranteed return transfer after their minimum service, to one of their preferred areas. Applicants with more than 20 transfer points, or in AMP locations, name at least two areas; those with fewer name three. Guaranteed return applications close on a date set by the Department's Talent Unit each year; in 2023 that was 2 April for Term 1 2024 moves. A placement up to 50 minutes' drive from home counts as reasonable.

Victoria: you apply, you don't queue

Victoria has no transfer points or central round for classroom teachers. Ongoing teachers transfer by winning an advertised job on School Jobs Vic, assessed on merit against key selection criteria. A transfer is a move to a job with the same or lower top salary; a move to a higher one is a promotion. Long-term vacancies of more than six weeks are advertised. A principal can also arrange an administrative transfer without advertising, but only with a clear reason and the agreement of both principals and you.

• Your transfer is provisional for 14 calendar days while colleagues can seek a review through the Merit Protection Boards.
• A permanent transfer starts from the beginning of the next school year, unless you and your current principal agree an earlier date.
• Hard-to-staff rural and regional schools offer Targeted Financial Incentives of up to $50,000 before tax for roles starting in Term 4 2026 and Term 1 2027, with a two-year commitment.

Because every move is a merit selection, your written criteria do the heavy lifting. See key selection criteria for Victorian teachers and rural teaching in Victoria.

WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the NT

Western Australia

Permanent WA teachers generally move by applying for advertised vacancies or the Teacher employment register, which principals use for permanent and fixed-term jobs. The Country Teaching Program (146 schools) adds transfer points and permanency after 2 years. The Remote Teaching Service gives a transfer to a region of your choice after 3 years, subject to availability. WA's General Agreement expires on 5 December 2026, so these conditions may change. See rural teaching in WA.

South Australia

SA uses a Permanent Teacher Register (PTR) for permanent school and preschool teachers who need a placement or want a different location. The Department's recruitment page says registration for placement in 2027 is now closed. Its timing and rules sit behind a staff login, so ask People and Culture or the AEU SA when the 2028 round opens.

Tasmania

Tasmanian teachers work in a statewide system, and the Department can transfer teachers temporarily or permanently under the State Service Act. We couldn't find a public page setting out a voluntary transfer round. Ask your principal, Regional HR or the AEU Tasmania branch.

ACT

ACT public school teachers move through an annual transfer round run by the Education Directorate, separate from external recruitment. Parliamentary records describe two groups: teachers whose placement is ending and must move, and teachers who choose to enter early. The Directorate doesn't publish the round's dates publicly. Check its staff intranet or the AEU ACT branch.

Northern Territory

After 3 years in a remote location, classroom teachers can apply for a guaranteed transfer to Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine or Alice Springs, naming location and teaching preferences. Applications open once a year. Otherwise you apply for advertised jobs or contact a school directly, and the move happens by agreement between your current and new principals. See remote teaching in the NT.

Catholic and independent schools

There's no transfer system between Catholic or independent schools in the way there is in government systems. A teacher moving from one Catholic school to another usually applies for an advertised job, even within the same diocese. Before you resign, check in writing how your new employer will recognise your service for pay and leave. Moving from a Catholic school to a government school, or the other way, is a new appointment: see moving from Catholic to government pay and recognition of prior service.

Transfer vs applying on merit: which to use

If you want one particular school, apply on merit when it advertises. If you want a particular area and can be flexible on the school, a central transfer usually gets you there with less effort. Most people do both.

How to time a transfer