United Kingdom (UK)
United States (US)
Canada
South Africa
India
Australia
New Zealand
China
Russia
Germany
France
Spain
Netherlands
Vietnam
United Arab Emirates
Italy
Poland
Thailand
Türkiye
Algeria
Updated 8 October 2026: prices, accreditation checks and course formats re-checked.
Cheap TEFL certification can be perfectly legitimate, as long as it is at least 120 hours, independently accredited or regulated, and assessed by a real tutor. A 120 hour online course typically costs around £150 to £400 in the UK, while very cheap tasters under £50 are rarely enough to get hired. The price matters less than whether an employer can verify what you bought.
The TEFL market is full of eye catching discounts, and some of them are excellent value. Others sell a certificate that no school will accept. This guide shows you how to tell the difference in about ten minutes, before you spend anything.
Key takeaways
- Cheap and legitimate are compatible. Online delivery is what keeps good courses affordable.
- The floor that matters is 120 hours. Employers screen for it, and many short courses fall below it.
- Check for a named, independent accreditation body, or for an Ofqual qualification number if the course claims to be regulated.
- Ask about extra fees before you pay: certificate posting, extensions, tutor marking and legalisation can all add up.
- A 120-hour TEFL certificate is enough for most first jobs; a regulated Level 5 Diploma costs more but opens Middle East and competitive roles.
Is cheap TEFL certification worth it?
Cheap TEFL certification is worth it when it meets the same tests as an expensive one: enough hours, real accreditation and tutor assessment. Online courses cost less because there are no classrooms to rent, not because the content is thinner. What you should avoid is the course that is cheap because something essential is missing.
For a full breakdown of what TEFL courses cost and why prices vary, our guide to how much a TEFL course costs compares every price band. This page focuses on a narrower question: how to make sure a low price is not a false economy.
What types of cheap TEFL course are there?
Affordable TEFL courses fall into a few clear formats, and the format tells you a lot about what you will get.
| Format | Typical price band (UK) | Tutor contact | Will employers accept it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taster or short course, under 60 hours | Often under £50 | Usually none | Rarely on its own |
| Self paced online, 120 hours | Around £150 to £400 | Tutor marked assignments | Yes, for most schools and platforms |
| Online with live or observed practice | Higher than self paced | Live sessions or teaching practice | Yes, and stronger for nervous first timers |
| Regulated Level 5 Diploma, 180 hours or more | Can reach £700 or more | Assessed to a regulated standard | Yes, including many Middle East and competitive roles |
Self paced online courses are the sweet spot for most people. You study around work, a tutor marks your assignments, and you finish with a certificate schools recognise. The trade off is discipline: nobody books your study time for you.
If you want the cheapest route that still gets you hired, the 120 hour self paced option is usually it. Paying less than that typically buys fewer hours, and fewer hours is the one thing employers check first.
How do you check a cheap TEFL course is accredited?
Check that the provider names its accreditation body, then confirm the provider on that body’s own website. A legitimate accreditor publishes who it accredits. If the only evidence of accreditation is a logo on the provider’s own page, treat it as unverified.
Two common misunderstandings to avoid:
Every TEFL opening, salary and deadline that matters.
In your inbox every two weeks. Free, no spam, unsubscribe any time.
Teacher pay by country
New TEFL openings
Programme and visa dates
- The British Council does not accredit online TEFL courses. It accredits language schools in the UK. A TEFL course claiming British Council accreditation is a warning sign.
- “Regulated” has a precise meaning. A regulated qualification has an Ofqual qualification number you can search on the Ofqual register. Our Level 5 TEFL Diploma, for example, is listed under 610/1571/4.
Our guide to how employers verify TEFL certificates explains what schools actually check, which is the test your certificate ultimately has to pass. For the difference between the two kinds of recognition, see what Ofqual regulated actually means.
How to Land Your First TEFL Job
What should a low cost TEFL course include?
A low cost TEFL course should still include at least 120 hours of content, tutor marked assessment and a certificate that states the hours. Those three things are what an employer reads. Everything else is a bonus.
- 120 hours or more, stated on the certificate.
- Core teaching content: grammar for teachers, lesson planning, classroom management and teaching the four skills.
- Real assessment marked by a tutor, not just automated quizzes.
- Tutor support you can actually reach while you study.
- A verifiable certificate, with a way for an employer to confirm it is genuine.
What hidden costs come with cheap TEFL courses?
The most common hidden costs are certificate fees, extension fees and legalisation. A course advertised at a headline price can end up costing noticeably more once these are added, so ask for the full price in writing before you enrol.
- Hard copy certificate and postage: some providers charge extra for a printed certificate.
- Access extensions: short study windows can mean paying again if life gets in the way.
- Add on modules: young learners or business English sometimes cost extra.
- Legalisation: many visas need your certificate apostilled or attested. See our guide to TEFL certificate legalisation for how that works.
Then compare honestly. The cheapest course that meets the 120 hour, accredited and tutor assessed test is good value. The cheapest course full stop often is not.
Ready to get qualified without overspending?
The TEFL Institute Group is Europe’s largest TEFL trainer by teachers certified, with 161,000 teachers certified since 2017 and graduates in 80 countries. Our prices and current offers are always on the course pages.
For most first jobs abroad and online, the 120 Hour Advanced TEFL Course is the affordable choice. If you want a regulated qualification for the Middle East or competitive roles, the 180 Hour Level 5 TEFL Diploma is the step up.
Katie Troy, Managing Director
With the TEFL team since 2018; a qualified teacher with a degree in education and years of experience teaching abroad, working closely with the academic team.
Tara and Jess talk through different TEFL and EFL topics, from finding work abroad to life in the classroom.
FAQs
Questions students ask us
It can be. A cheap TEFL course is legitimate if it is at least 120 hours, accredited by a named independent body you can check, or regulated with an Ofqual qualification number, and marked by a real tutor. Online delivery keeps good courses affordable. Very short courses under 60 hours rarely satisfy employers.
In the UK, a 120 hour online TEFL course typically costs around £150 to £400, with frequent discounts. Short taster courses can cost under £50 but are rarely enough to get hired. Regulated Level 5 diplomas cost more, sometimes £700 or above. Always check the course page for current prices.
Most private language schools and online platforms accept an online TEFL certificate of 120 hours or more from an accredited provider, whatever you paid for it. Employers check the hours, the accreditation or regulation and whether the certificate can be verified, not the price. Some Middle East schools prefer a Level 5 qualification.
Find the name of the accreditation body on the provider’s site, then look the provider up on that body’s own website. If it claims to be regulated, ask for the qualification number and search it on Ofqual’s public register. Be wary of claims of British Council accreditation, which covers UK language schools, not online TEFL courses.
Common extras include fees for a printed certificate and postage, paid extensions if you run out of study time, add on modules such as young learners, and legalisation of your certificate for visas. Ask for the full price in writing before enrolling so you can compare courses fairly.
A 120 hour TEFL is enough for most first jobs in private language schools and online teaching. Paying more for an Ofqual-regulated Level 5 TEFL Diploma makes sense if you are targeting the Middle East, competitive school roles or a longer teaching career, because it carries a verifiable framework level.
