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TOEFL · Guides · October 30, 2026 · 8 min read

TOEFL registration 2026: how to register, test dates, last date to book and fees

A laptop with a calendar and one highlighted day on a desk, next to a passport, a bank card and a ticked checklist

You register for the TOEFL iBT online in your ETS account (or by phone): create the account with your name exactly as on your ID, choose a test centre or the Home Edition, pick a date and time, pay, and add up to four free score recipients. Regular registration closes 7 days before a centre test; after that you can still book online until 2 days before for a late fee of $49. Home Edition appointments can be booked until 24 hours before. Rescheduling costs $69 and cancelling refunds half the fee, both only if done at least 4 full days before the test. Scores appear in your ETS account about 3 days after the test.

Everything below is from ETS’s registration, ID, fees and scores pages and the 2026–27 TOEFL iBT Information Bulletin (policies from July 2026 to June 2027), checked on 30 October 2026. Test takers in India have a separate India bulletin on in.ets.org; check it for local details.

How to register for TOEFL, step by step

  1. Check what you need. Confirm that your universities accept the TOEFL iBT, whether they accept the Home Edition, and their minimum scores (see what is a good TOEFL score). For an Australian visa, you must register through the “Taking TOEFL for Australia” option and test at a centre.
  2. Create an ETS account at ets.org. Enter your name and date of birth exactly as they appear on the ID you will bring. ETS accounts and registrations cannot be transferred to another person.
  3. Choose how to test: at a test centre or the Home Edition at home. For the Home Edition, check the equipment and room rules first: TOEFL Home Edition.
  4. Find a date and time. Search by city or for at-home appointments in your account, and choose a slot.
  5. Pay. Online by credit or debit card (American Express, Discover, JCB, UnionPay, Diners Club, Mastercard, RuPay, Visa), e-check, PayPal or Alipay. In Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Togo, ETS accepts only Visa cards. Fees by country: TOEFL exam fee 2026.
  6. Add your four free score recipients. You can add or change them until 10 pm (local test centre time) the day before your test. After that, each report costs a fee. Note: if you choose any free recipient, ETS says you cannot later request a score review.
  7. Read the confirmation email and, for the Home Edition, install the TOEFL Test App and run the Equipment Check.

TOEFL test dates in 2026

There is no single national calendar: dates depend on where you test.

Test centre Home Edition
How often more than 170 dates a year, depending on the centre 24 hours a day, 4 days a week
Where to look the date search in your ETS account the same search, “at home”
Book by 7 days before (regular), 2 days before (late, $49) 24 hours before
Seats limited per centre; popular dates fill up depends on proctor availability

ETS’s advice is to choose a test date at least 2–3 months before your earliest admissions deadline, and to register about 4 months before the date you want. That leaves room for a retake if needed. Scores take about 3 days to reach your account and then several more business days to reach institutions, so a test the week of a deadline is a risk.

A practical way to search: check three or four centres in your area and the Home Edition together, and look at weekday dates as well as weekends.

Registration deadlines and the last date to book

Registration type Deadline Extra fee
Regular (centre) 7 full days before the test none
Late, called “express” by ETS (online) 2 days before the test $49
Late, by phone 5 pm local time the day before the test $49
Home Edition 24 hours before the appointment none listed

Example: for a centre test on Saturday 12 December, regular registration closes on Saturday 5 December. After that you can still book online until Thursday 10 December, paying the $49 late fee on top of the test fee.

ID rules

Bring an ID that is:

Documents ETS does not accept as the main ID include international driving licences and, in India, Aadhaar cards. In India, ETS requires a passport. If you test outside your country of citizenship, you need a valid passport, with no exceptions. For the Home Edition, any valid government-issued ID works (passport, national ID card or driving licence), and you may need to verify it in an ID app at least 48 hours before the test.

If the name on your ID and your registration do not match, you will not be admitted and you lose the fee. Fix the name in your account before test day.

Test day: when to arrive

At a test centre, arrive at least 30 minutes early. If you arrive late you may not be admitted, and the fee is not refunded. At home, start check-in up to 15 minutes before the appointment; if you have not started within 30 minutes after it, the test is cancelled.

The test takes about two hours with directions, with no scheduled breaks. What happens in each section: New TOEFL format 2026.

Rescheduling, cancelling and missing the test

Action Deadline Cost
Reschedule at least 4 full days before the test $69
Cancel at least 4 full days before the test you get back 50% of the test fee
Cancel later, or not show up — no refund or credit
Retake any time, but not within 3 days of a previous test full fee

You reschedule or cancel only in your ETS account or by phone; ETS does not accept requests by email, mail or at the test centre. If you miss the test, you are counted as absent and get no refund or credit of any kind.

Rescheduling is almost always cheaper than cancelling and rebooking: $69 against losing half the fee. In India that is ₹5,000 against roughly ₹7,860.

When you get your scores

What When
Unofficial Reading and Listening scores on screen at the end of the test
Official scores in your ETS account about 3 days after the test
PDF score report to download 24–48 hours after the scores appear
Paper copy by post, if ordered 11–15 days; express shipping 2–5 business days in some countries
Institutions (electronic) usually about 4–16 business days, depending on how each receives scores

Extra score reports cost $29 each on ETS’s fees page (some ETS pages still say $25; expect the higher figure). Express Scoring is listed at $129. Scores are valid for two years. How bands and the 0–120 total work: TOEFL score chart 2026.

Checklist before you click “register”

For that last point, Nomto’s adaptive TOEFL mock tests run with the test timing and report a 1–6 band per section and the 0–120 total; speaking and writing are scored by AI on the official rubrics, marked as an estimate. If you are not ready yet, use the plans in how to prepare for TOEFL, or start with the free practice room.

Common questions

What is the last date for TOEFL registration? Seven days before a centre test without a late fee, two days before with the $49 fee (online), and 24 hours before for the Home Edition.

Can I register for TOEFL without a passport? In many countries, yes, with another valid government photo ID. In India, and anywhere outside your country of citizenship, you need a passport.

How many times can I take the TOEFL? As many as you like, but not within 3 days of a previous test. Each attempt costs the full fee.

Can I change the date after registering? Yes, at least 4 full days before the test, for $69.

Is the registration fee refundable? Half of it, if you cancel at least 4 full days before the test.

Sources (checked 30.10.2026)

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