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
Teach English Abroad
Every destination applies the same three gates in some combination: a qualification the employer wants, a degree the immigration rules may demand, and a work visa somebody has to sponsor. This page separates them, country by country.
Employer preferences and legal requirements are different things.
Key points
Most guidance blurs what an employer prefers with what the law requires. Confusing the two is how people buy the wrong qualification, or rule out a country they were eligible for.
- A TEFL certificate is usually an employer preference, not a legal requirement. Of the eight markets below, Vietnam is the only one where a TEFL qualification appears in the immigration rules. In China it waives an experience requirement. In Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Spain, Italy and the UAE, no immigration statute mentions TEFL at all.
- The degree is the real legal gate. China, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea and the UAE require a bachelor’s degree for the relevant work permit or visa. Japan accepts a degree or three years’ relevant experience.
- 120 hours is still the hiring benchmark. Employers filter on it even where the law does not, so an accredited 120-hour certificate remains the practical entry ticket — it is just not the thing the visa officer is checking.
- You do not need to speak the local language. English-medium teaching is the norm and many schools prefer it.
- Europe gates on right to work, Asia gates on document legalisation. In the EU the deciding factor is citizenship or a study route; in East Asia it is apostilled degrees, criminal record checks and employer-obtained permits issued before you travel.
What you need to teach English abroad
The qualification
An accredited TEFL certificate of at least 120 hours is what schools advertise for, and an Ofqual-regulated Level 5 diploma opens language institutes, international schools and Gulf posts. Treat it as a hiring requirement rather than a legal one, because in most countries that is exactly what it is.
The degree
Several countries write a bachelor’s degree into immigration law for teaching visas, and the subject usually does not matter. Where one is required, no TEFL qualification substitutes for it.
The visa
Almost every teaching job abroad needs a visa or permit sponsored by the employer, and the documents behind it take time: degree certificates, a criminal record check, often a medical, and usually apostille or embassy legalisation. Start gathering documents before you start applying.
Requirements by country
The column that decides most destinations is the second one. The third is the one most course marketing gets wrong.
| Country | Degree required for the visa | TEFL: law or preference | Typical contract | What the visa hinges on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | A degree or three years’ relevant experience | Preference. Immigration criteria do not mention TEFL | 12 months; JET runs one year, renewable to three | An employer-sponsored status of residence: Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services for conversation schools, or Instructor for licensed schools and JET. Granted for three months to five years, which is not the same as the contract length |
| South Korea | Yes, apostilled | Preference. EPIK asks for one only from applicants without an education degree or teaching licence | 12 months | The E-2 foreign language instruction visa: citizenship of one of seven designated countries, an apostilled degree and national criminal record check, and a Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance obtained by the employer. The medical is done after arrival |
| China | Yes | One of three ways to waive the two-year experience rule. No hour minimum in the national criteria | 12 months, by market practice | A Notification Letter of Work Permit issued before travel, exchanged for a Z visa and then a residence permit. Degree and criminal record check legalised, the check issued within the previous six months, applicant aged 60 or under |
| Vietnam | Yes | Required where the degree is not in education or the language taught — the one market here where it is written into the rules | Work permit up to two years, renewable once; 12-month contracts common | A work permit tied to a named employer under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, with consular legalisation and notarised translation of foreign documents, a health certificate and a criminal record check, leading to an LD work visa or temporary residence card |
| Thailand | Yes, for schools under the Teachers’ Council | Preference. A 120-hour TEFL satisfies none of the Teachers’ Council licensing routes | One academic year or one semester, by market practice | A Non-Immigrant B visa plus a work permit, plus the Teachers’ Council’s permission to teach without a professional licence. That waiver runs two years at a time and cannot exceed six consecutive years |
| Spain | Varies by route | Preference. Not required by the government assistant programme | Assistant placements run 1 November to 31 May, 14 to 16 hours a week | Right to work: EU or EEA citizenship; or a place on the Ministry of Education’s auxiliares de conversación programme; or a study-stay authorisation, which since May 2025 carries the right to work up to 30 hours a week without a separate permit |
| Italy | Varies by route | Preference | Academic year, often hourly, by market practice | Right to work: EU or EEA citizenship, or a quota place under the 2026–2028 decreto flussi, allocated by click day, with only 500 self-employment places a year. Private language schools rarely sponsor |
| UAE | Yes, attested | Preference. The mandatory credential is a Ministry of Education professional licence obtained by passing the TLS examination, not a Level 5 or CELTA | Residence visa two years, renewable; contract terms vary | An employer-applied work permit and residence visa, with the degree attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE embassy in the issuing country, a criminal clearance, a medical fitness report, an Emirates ID and the relevant teaching licence |
Contract lengths are market practice rather than law, and are not the same as the validity of the visa or permit. Immigration rules change: confirm the current position with the relevant embassy or immigration authority before committing to a destination.
Country by country
Who hires, what the qualification really buys you, and where the paperwork bites.
Teach English in Japan
Hiring runs through the government-backed JET programme, conversation schools, dispatch companies and international schools. Immigration criteria do not mention TEFL, but employers do: a 120-hour certificate suits most conversation school and dispatch roles, while international schools increasingly prefer a Level 5 diploma of 180 hours or more. The degree requirement is softer than most guidance suggests — the private-school route accepts three years’ relevant experience instead. Our guide to the best TEFL certification for Japan covers what each employer asks for.
Teach English in South Korea
The main employers are private after-school academies and the public school programmes. The E-2 visa is restricted to citizens of seven designated countries and requires an apostilled degree and national criminal record check. TEFL is not in the immigration rules; EPIK asks for one only from applicants without an education degree or teaching licence. The medical happens after arrival at alien registration, not before the visa.
Teach English in China
Training centres, private schools and universities hire in volume. The rule is a bachelor’s degree plus two years’ language-teaching experience, and the experience is waived if you hold a degree in education, language or pedagogy, a home-country teacher qualification, or a TEFL certificate. That is where TEFL genuinely earns its place. The national criteria set no minimum hour count; 120 hours is an agency convention. Your work permit is approved before you enter, so the document sequence matters more here than anywhere else.
Teach English in Vietnam
Demand is high at language centres in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. Vietnam is the one market here where TEFL is written into the rules rather than merely preferred: it is required where your degree is not in education or the language you teach. Work permits run under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, in force since August 2025, last up to two years and can be renewed once.
Teach English in Thailand
Government schools, private bilingual schools and language centres all hire foreign teachers. For schools under the Teachers’ Council of Thailand a bachelor’s degree is required, and a 120-hour TEFL satisfies none of the Council’s licensing routes — it is an employer preference, nothing more. New teachers work under permission to teach without a licence, granted two years at a time and capped at six consecutive years.
Teach English in Spain
Spain is the largest European market, and the deciding factor is right to work rather than qualifications. EU and EEA citizens are hired directly. Others enter through the Ministry of Education’s auxiliares de conversación programme — the 2026–27 placement runs 1 November to 31 May at 14 to 16 hours a week — or on a study-stay authorisation, which since May 2025 allows up to 30 hours’ work a week without a separate permit. Academies favour a Level 5.
Teach English in Italy
Private language schools in Milan, Rome, Florence and Bologna hire year-round, with the main intake before the autumn term. As in Spain, right to work is the gate: EU and EEA citizens are hired readily, while everyone else needs a quota place under the decreto flussi, allocated by click day, which language schools rarely sponsor. Hourly contracts are common and a Level 5 or CELTA is a real advantage.
Teach English in the UAE
The Gulf pays the most and asks the most, but not in the way course marketing implies. The mandatory credential for school teaching is a Ministry of Education professional licence obtained by passing the TLS examination — not a Level 5 or a CELTA, which are employer preferences. A degree attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE embassy is required, with criminal clearance, a medical fitness report and an Emirates ID. Residence visas run two years, renewable.
Salary expectations by region
Salaries vary by employer type, city and experience more than by country alone, and are only meaningful alongside cost of living and what the package includes. The figures below are from our own TEFL teacher salary report.
| Region | Typical monthly salary | Commonly included in the package | Savings potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea) | $1,400–$4,500 | Accommodation, flight reimbursement and completion bonuses are common in China and South Korea; housing support is less common in Japan | High |
| South East Asia (Vietnam, Thailand) | $920–$2,000 | Housing support is partial or absent; limited flight assistance | Low to moderate, better in Vietnam than Thailand |
| Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia) | $3,500–$6,000+ | Accommodation usually included, flights often included, pay is tax-free locally | Highest |
| Western Europe (Spain) | €900–€1,500, or €14–€17 an hour at academies | Housing not usually included | Low to moderate |
| Latin America (Mexico) | €700–€1,200 equivalent | Housing not usually included | Low |
How to avoid a bad placement
Five checks that cost nothing and catch almost everything that goes wrong.
Check your certificate can be verified
Where a TEFL certificate does form part of a visa file, as in China and Vietnam, an unaccredited one can fail at the last step.
Read the contract before you travel
Teaching hours, office hours, holiday entitlement and the terms for leaving early should all be written down.
Be wary of recruiters who want a fee
Schools pay recruiters, not teachers. A fee charged to you is a warning on its own.
Confirm who sponsors the visa
Arriving on a tourist visa with a promise to sort it out later is the most common way placements go wrong.
Ask to speak to a teacher already there
A school with nothing to hide will arrange it without hesitating.
Teaching abroad with The TEFL Institute
We deliver accredited and regulated TEFL qualifications online: 120 and 240-hour courses, and Ofqual-regulated Level 5 diplomas at 180 and 300 hours awarded by Highfield Qualifications. Hybrid diplomas of 190 and 310 hours add a ten-hour virtual teaching practicum delivered live over Zoom. Every course carries personal tutor support, six months of study time, and a certificate an employer or visa office can verify. Graduates also get access to our jobs board.
If you are still deciding on a qualification, TEFL certification compares the levels and hours, and is TEFL legitimate? addresses the trust question directly. For destination-specific comparisons, see our roundups for teaching in Asia and teaching in Europe.
Frequently asked questions
What qualifications do I need to teach English abroad?
Separate what employers want from what the law requires. Employers advertise for an accredited TEFL certificate of at least 120 hours, and that is the practical entry ticket. The legal requirement in most of Asia and the Middle East is a bachelor’s degree for the work visa, with TEFL appearing in the immigration rules only in Vietnam, and in China as a way to waive a two-year experience requirement.
Can I teach English abroad without a degree?
Yes, but it narrows the map. Much of Latin America, parts of Europe and most online teaching do not require one. China, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea and the UAE write a bachelor’s degree into the work permit or visa rules, and no TEFL qualification substitutes for it. Japan is the useful exception: its private-school route accepts three years’ relevant experience instead of a degree.
Which country pays English teachers the most?
The Gulf. Our salary report puts the UAE at $3,500 to $6,000 or more a month, usually tax-free locally and with accommodation included, and entry requirements match: an attested degree and a Ministry of Education teaching licence. East Asia runs $1,400 to $4,500 and offers high savings relative to living costs. Western Europe pays €900 to €1,500 and is chosen for the lifestyle rather than the money.
Do I need to speak the local language?
No. Lessons are taught in English and many schools prefer teachers who do not fall back on the students’ first language. Learning some of the local language makes daily life easier and helps at interview, but it is not a hiring requirement in any of the major markets.
How much does it cost to get started?
Budget for the TEFL course, document legalisation or apostille, a criminal record check, a visa fee and your flight, plus living costs until the first pay date. Some employers reimburse flights or pay a settling-in allowance; confirm what is included in writing before you accept a contract.
How far in advance should I apply?
Three to six months before you want to start. Document legalisation and work permit approval are the slow steps, particularly for China and the Gulf, and European academic-year posts are filled over the summer for an autumn start.
Try three days of the course before you pay
Full access to real modules, no card required. If it is not for you, nothing happens.
