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Related: ABA around the world

Behavior analysts and technicians, every country

ABA certification by country

The BACB, which issues the BCBA, BCaBA and RBT, accepts new certification applications only from people who live in the United States, Canada and Australia; Ontario residents can no longer apply, and new certifications in Australia end on January 1, 2027. BACB Everywhere else, practitioners certify through international bodies such as QABA and IBAO, or through a national body where one exists, such as the CPBAO in Ontario, ABA Australia, KABA and KACBA in Korea, and the UK-SBA in the United Kingdom. QABA IBAO

What “ABA certification” means
A credential from a certifying body, such as the BACB, QABA, IBAO or a national body, showing you met its coursework, supervised practice and exam standards. A license is different: it is legal permission to practice, granted by a government. Certified or licensed? The difference explained.

Checked against each body's own page on November 14, 2026. Find your country

Seen over a woman's shoulder as she takes notes, a laptop shows a video call with four colleagues in their own rooms: a South Asian woman, a Black man, a laughing Filipina woman and an Emirati man.

At a glance

Where the BACB takes new applicants, and where it has stopped

Who can apply to the BACB today, by guideOpen to new applicantsUnited States · Canada outside OntarioClosing on January 1, 2027Australia: last approvableapplications by December 1, 2026Not open to new applicantsOntario · India · PhilippinesSouth Africa · Saudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesKuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, EgyptBrazil · South Korea · United KingdomSingapore
Who can apply today. From each country guide's status line and the BACB's list of authorized countries. BACB
The BACB's window for new applicants, by placeToday, November 14, 2026United States, Canada outside OntarioAustraliaJanuary 1, 2027Ontario: BCBA and BCBA-DJuly 1, 2026United KingdomJanuary 1, 2026Ontario: RBT and BCaBAJuly 1, 20242023202420252026202720282029
When each place closed. Dates from the BACB's upcoming changes page and its July 2024 newsletter. BACB BACB newsletter

The BACB rule

The BACB's international rule, as of November 14, 2026

In the BACB's own words: “The BACB currently accepts certification and retake applications from individuals who reside in the following authorized countries: the United States (US), Canada, and Australia.” BACB

Two of those places are closing. Ontario residents can no longer apply for RBT or BCaBA certification (since July 1, 2024) or for BCBA or BCBA-D certification (since July 1, 2026). BACB In Australia, new BACB certifications end on January 1, 2027: residents must submit an approvable application by December 1, 2026, and anyone with an active exam authorization must pass by December 31, 2026. BACB newsletter

For people already certified: Ontario BCBA and BCBA-D holders can maintain their certification, while Ontario RBT and BCaBA certifications were placed on voluntary inactive status. BACB UK residents certified before January 1, 2026 “may continue to recertify,” BACB and the BACB will continue to allow Australian certificants to recertify. BACB newsletter

  1. New BACB certifications open only to residents of authorized countries.
  2. Ontario residents can no longer apply for RBT or BCaBA.
  3. UK residents can no longer apply for any BACB certification.
  4. Ontario residents can no longer apply for BCBA or BCBA-D.
  5. Open to residents of the United States, Canada outside Ontario, and Australia.
  6. Last day for an approvable application from an Australian resident.
  7. No new BACB certifications in Australia.
  8. Pathway 2 Program Contacts must be at an institution in a country within the BACB's jurisdiction.
  9. BCBA Pathway 1 applicants need a master's degree equivalent to a US master's.

Find your country

14 guides outside the United States, and one for it

Who certifies

Three international bodies and five national ones

Who certifies: three international bodies and five national onesInternationalBACBResidents of 3 countriesQABAInternationalIBAOInternationalNationalCPBAOOntarioABA AustraliaAustraliaUK-SBAUnited KingdomKABASouth KoreaKACBASouth Korea
Who certifies. The eight bodies in the table below, by reach.
Routes to certification in our 13 country guidesQABA11 of 13IBAO11 of 13National or state body6 of 13BACB open to new applicants2 of 13BACB closing to new applicants1 of 13
Routes in our 13 country guides. How many of the guides document each route.
Who certifies behavior analysts and technicians
BodyCredentialsWho can applySource
BACBBehavior Analyst Certification Board RBT, BCaBA, BCBA, BCBA-DResidents of the United States, Canada outside Ontario, and Australia until January 1, 2027 bacb.com
QABAQualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board ABAT (technician), QASP-S (bachelor's level), QBA (master's level)Offered internationally, with discounted pricing for residents of developing countries; supervisors may supervise from any location qababoard.com
IBAOInternational Behavior Analysis Organization IBT (therapist), IBA (analyst)Offered internationally; the IBT exam is online with virtual proctoring and no test center theibao.com
CPBAOCollege of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario Registration as a Behaviour AnalystOntario: required to use the title “behaviour analyst”; since July 1, 2026 the routes are the Entry Level Route and the Labour Mobility Route cpbao.ca
ABA AustraliaAssociation for Behaviour Analysis Australia Certified Behaviour Analyst (CBA), CBA-Undergraduate (CBA-U)People who live or work in Australia auaba.com.au
KABAKorean Association for Behavior Analysis KBA (행동분석전문가)Korea: a single credential at master's level and above, with an exam at least once a year kabac.or.kr
KACBAKorean Association of Certified Behavior Analysts ABAS (응용행동분석전문가), Level 1 and Level 2Korea: Level 1 at master's level, Level 2 at bachelor's level abas.co.kr
UK-SBAUK Society for Behaviour Analysis UKBA(cert)United Kingdom: a postgraduate-level certification with a searchable register uk-sba.org

Each row links to the body's own page. Checked November 14, 2026.

Free tools

Three free tools for the next question

Questions

What people outside the US ask most

Can I get BACB certification if I live outside the United States?

Only if you live in Canada outside Ontario or in Australia. The BACB accepts certification and retake applications from residents of the United States, Canada and Australia; Ontario residents can no longer apply, and an Australian resident's approvable application must reach the BACB by December 1, 2026.

Does citizenship count, or where I live?

Where you live. The BACB says you must physically reside in an authorized country, and that using a false or temporary address to meet the requirement may lead to the invalidation of your eligibility or certification.

I'm BACB certified and live in a country it no longer covers. Is my certification still valid?

The BACB's answer is “Currently, yes.” It adds that certificants may be affected as countries develop their own professional programs or as laws change. UK residents certified before January 1, 2026 may continue to recertify.

Can coursework or fieldwork done outside the BACB's countries count later?

Yes, if you later live in an authorized country and apply: the BACB says coursework and fieldwork that meet all the requirements in effect at the time of application should qualify, wherever they were completed. Two dated changes apply. From January 1, 2028, Pathway 2 Program Contacts must be at an institution in a country within the BACB's jurisdiction, and from January 1, 2029, BCBA Pathway 1 applicants need a master's degree equivalent to a US master's degree.

My country isn't listed. Where do I start?

Start with the free Credential Navigator: choose your country and role to see the credential bodies listed for it, whether the BACB takes new applications from there, and links to current sources. QABA offers discounted pricing for residents of developing countries, and the IBAO exam is online, with no test center.

One next step

See every credential open to you, in one place

Choose your country and your role. The Credential Navigator lists the bodies that certify there, whether the BACB takes new applications from your country, and the rules for keeping a credential you already hold, each with its source.

Free

Open the Credential Navigator
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Sources

  1. International Development & Support BACB. Read November 14, 2026.
  2. Recent & Upcoming Changes to BACB Requirements BACB. Read November 14, 2026.
  3. BACB Newsletter, July 2024: Changes to BACB Certification in Australia BACB. Read November 14, 2026.
  4. FAQs About the 2023 International Changes BACB. Read November 14, 2026.
  5. ABA Technician (ABAT) Requirements and Procedures QABA. Read November 14, 2026.
  6. Qualified Behavior Analyst (QBA) Credential QABA. Read November 14, 2026.
  7. QABA home page and FAQ QABA. Read November 14, 2026.
  8. International Behavior Therapist Requirements (2021, v100) IBAO. Read November 14, 2026.
  9. International Behavior Therapist IBAO. Read November 14, 2026.
  10. International Behavior Analyst IBAO. Read November 14, 2026.
  11. ABA information and updates College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. Read November 14, 2026.
  12. Certified Behaviour Analyst Association for Behaviour Analysis Australia. Read November 14, 2026.
  13. 행동분석전문가(KBA)란? Korean Association for Behavior Analysis. Read November 14, 2026.
  14. 응용행동분석전문가 자격 안내 KACBA. Read November 14, 2026.
  15. UKBA(cert) UK Society for Behaviour Analysis. As cited on our UK page.
  16. Licensure Requirements for Allied Health Professionals Dubai Healthcare City Authority. Read November 14, 2026.
  17. Standards for Education and Practical Experience Department of Community Development, Abu Dhabi. As cited on our UAE page, checked November 12, 2026.