Teaching English abroad is an exciting way to fund and facilitate an overseas living and working experience, allowing you to immerse yourself in a new culture while building on your career. Whether you’re a fresh graduate, a seasoned teacher or a curious career-changer, this guide walks you through everything you need to know to swap your front door for a foreign one.
Your typical Monday commute may stay much the same. You’ll head to work by train, bus, car, or perhaps on foot or by bike, but one thing will change: your surroundings. You could be passing anything from temples to palm trees to monuments, the list is endless. Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is the not-so-secret passport that gets thousands of people doing exactly that every year, and the good news is, you don’t need to be a born-and-bred teacher to do it. You just need the right plan.
If you’ve been bitten by the travel bug, TEFL sits comfortably among the best jobs for travel lovers, and it’s one of the most reliable ways to earn money while travelling the world rather than burning through savings.
What is teaching English abroad?
Teaching English abroad is the process of travelling to a foreign country to work as an English language teacher, typically with students whose native language isn’t English. Most teaching jobs abroad require a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certificate. Teachers work in schools, language academies, universities, summer camps and online, across more than 100 countries worldwide.
The simple way of looking at it: someone in the world right now wants to learn English. If you speak it and you’re in a position to teach it, you’re in the right place.
Who can teach English abroad?
There are numerous people who can teach English abroad, and the requirements vary depending on the nature of the programme and the country. That said, there’s more scope than you’d think, and often personality, drive and commitment are just as important as qualifications. Internationally, there’s a high demand and a big market for English teachers.
Here are the typical top spots:
- Fresh graduates looking for a gap year with purpose, a CV boost or simply a breather before deciding what to do with the rest of their lives.
- Qualified teachers who want a change of scenery, international classroom experience or a fresh challenge.
- Career-changers of any age, escaping the desk and chasing something more meaningful.
- Seniors and retirees with energy to spare and stories to share. Many schools actively prefer mature teachers.
- Native and non-native English speakers alike, although job markets and visa rules vary by country.
You don’t necessarily need a teaching background to get started. You don’t need to be in your twenties. You don’t even need to have travelled much before. You just need to be ready.
Why teach English abroad?
There are many reasons why you might teach English abroad. People don’t tend to just wake up and decide to do it. There are a number of reasons and benefits for the right people, and if your goals are aligned, it can be a natural fit.
Some of the reasons include:
- Get paid to travel. Your wages cover your life abroad, often with savings to spare. It’s one of the smartest ways to earn money while travelling the world.
- Live in a new culture properly. Not as a tourist passing through, but as a local doing the weekly shop.
- Add international experience to your CV. Employers across every industry value it, and TEFL regularly tops the list of the best jobs for travel lovers.
- Pick up a new language. Immersion is the cheat code.
- Make a genuine difference. English is a gateway to opportunity for millions of learners.
- Build a global network. Fellow teachers, students and friends scattered across the map, suddenly you’ve got a sofa to sleep on in seven countries.
What qualifications do you need to teach English abroad?
Requirements vary by country and employer, but in most cases, schools look for a recognised TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certificate, with 120 hours commonly expected as the baseline. Many destinations, including Japan, South Korea and the UAE, also require a bachelor’s degree in any subject. A few roles in Latin America and parts of Asia will accept teachers without a degree, provided they hold a strong TEFL qualification or relevant teaching experience.
Here’s how the main certificates compare:
- TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language): The umbrella term and the most widely recognised qualification. Available online, in-person or hybrid. Look for accredited courses of at least 120 hours.
- TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages): Very similar to TEFL and often used interchangeably, depending on the provider and the job market.
- CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults): A Cambridge English qualification awarded by Cambridge Assessment English. Highly respected, typically classroom-based, and often considered the gold standard for serious teaching careers.
It’s also worth being cautious of the suspiciously cheap weekend courses you see on discount sites. They’re rarely accredited, and employers tend to view recognised accreditation as a far stronger trust signal than marketing claims. Pick a course backed by a regulatory body such as Ofqual, or an established accreditor like the British Accreditation Council, and you’ll have a qualification that holds up wherever you apply.
How to teach English abroad: a step-by-step plan
In many cases, you can research, imagine, and even decide “yes, I’m doing it” when it comes to teaching English abroad. But then there’s the actual doing it, and getting things together.
Here’s a handy step-by-step guide:
- Get TEFL certified. Choose an accredited 120-hour course at minimum. Add specialist modules (young learners, business English, online teaching) if you want an edge.
- Decide where you want to go. Pick a region or country based on your goals, whether that’s savings, adventure, climate, culture, or all four. Our roundup of the top ten places to teach English as a foreign language is a useful starting point.
- Polish your CV and apply. Most TEFL roles are advertised online, and most first-round interviews happen over Zoom, Google Meet or Teams. Reputable employers generally don’t charge applicants placement fees.
- Sort your visa. Some employers handle this for you; others expect you to manage it yourself. Either way, start early, as visas can take weeks or months.
- Plan your move. Flights, accommodation, bank accounts, SIM cards, vaccinations. Put it all on a checklist and tick steadily. If you’re shifting a full home’s worth of belongings rather than a couple of suitcases, our international removals service is built for exactly that.
- Pack and ship your stuff. This is where most people panic. It doesn’t need to be stressful, more on that further down.
Where can you teach English abroad?
Pretty much everywhere. But demand, salaries, lifestyle and entry requirements vary wildly by region. For a curated shortlist of the very best destinations, see our guide to the top ten places to teach English as a foreign language. Otherwise, here’s the lay of the land.
Asia, the TEFL heavyweight
Asia is the heavyweight champion of the TEFL world. Demand is enormous, salaries are often generous relative to the cost of living, and the cultural experience is second to none. Countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan all run well-established hiring pipelines, and the JET Programme in Japan and EPIK in South Korea are particularly popular among first-time teachers.
You can comfortably save while teaching in much of Asia, especially China and South Korea, thanks to lower living costs and frequent housing perks.
Europe, the lifestyle pick
Europe is less about saving piles of cash and more about lifestyle. Teaching contracts in Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the Czech Republic typically run the academic year (September to June), with the bulk of hiring happening between February and August. Public schools usually prefer EU citizens with the local language, so most foreign teachers work in private language academies or as private tutors. Summer camps are a great entry point if you want a low-commitment first taste.
The Middle East, the big-money option
If saving serious money is the goal, the Middle East is hard to beat. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain offer some of the highest TEFL salaries in the world, often with housing, flights and health insurance bundled in. Most roles require a degree, a recognised TEFL qualification and a couple of years’ classroom experience, so it’s typically a step up rather than a starting point.
Latin America, culture and chaos in the best way
Latin America runs on passion rather than paychecks. Salaries tend to be modest, but the cost of living is low, the culture is warm and the social scene is loud in the best possible way. Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Brazil and Costa Rica all have steady demand. Most hiring happens face-to-face once you’re in the country, so it’s a region where you turn up first and apply second.
Africa, the underrated pick
Africa is an underrated TEFL destination, particularly Morocco, Egypt, South Africa and parts of West Africa. Volunteer roles are common, paid roles less so, but for teachers wanting a genuinely off-the-beaten-track experience, it’s an extraordinary choice.
Online teaching, try before you fly
If shipping your life across the world isn’t your thing, or you’d like a trial run first, online English teaching is a brilliant middle ground. You’ll need a recognised 120-hour TEFL qualification, a decent webcam and reliable internet. Many teachers use online work as a stepping stone before going overseas, or as a side-hustle once they’re settled abroad.
Do you need a visa to teach English abroad?
Yes, almost always. Each country has its own rules, and the right visa depends on the type of school, the length of your contract and your nationality. In broad strokes:
- Asia: Most employers sponsor work visas. A degree and clean criminal record are usually required.
- Middle East: Employers typically handle the entire work permit process and often cover the cost.
- Europe: EU citizens have free movement; non-EU teachers usually need a long-stay or student visa.
- Latin America: Many teachers start on tourist visas (technically a grey area) before converting once hired locally.
Always, and we mean always, check the official government website of your destination country before applying for jobs. Visa rules change.
How to spot a TEFL scam
The TEFL world is largely full of good people doing good work, but a few dodgy operators do exist. Red flags include:
- Job offers that don’t require any qualifications at all.
- Recruiters charging large upfront fees for placements.
- Vague contracts, missing employer details or no physical school address.
- Promises that sound too good to be true (free flights, luxury housing, sky-high salaries with no experience needed).
- Pressure to sign quickly without time to research.
- Anyone refusing to put the full job offer in writing.
If something feels off, trust your instincts. There are plenty of legitimate jobs out there. You don’t need to settle for the suspicious ones.
What to pack when moving abroad to teach English
Here’s where things get real. You’ve got your TEFL certificate, you’ve signed the contract, you’ve nervously told your family, and now you need to actually get yourself, and your stuff, across the world.
The good news: you don’t need to take everything. The better news: you don’t need to leave half your life behind either.
A few packing principles:
- Documents first. Passport, visa paperwork, TEFL certificate (hard copy), degree certificate, criminal background check, insurance documents. Make digital backups too.
- Clothes for the climate, not your existing wardrobe. Researching the weather pays off.
- A few comforts from home. Familiar snacks, your favourite mug, photos. Tiny things that make a foreign flat feel like yours.
- Teaching kit. A few books, flashcards, stickers or props you love using.
- Leave behind: electricals that won’t work with local voltage, anything fragile or sentimental you’d be devastated to lose, and bulky things you can replace cheaply when you arrive.
And here’s the part most guides skim over: how on earth do you get all that to the other side of the world without paying a fortune in airline baggage fees?
That’s where we come in. My Baggage offers door-to-door luggage shipping and international removals to over 200 countries, so you can send your belongings ahead and travel light. You’ll usually save a significant amount compared to excess airline baggage charges, and you can track everything online from collection to delivery. We handle the customs paperwork too, so you can focus on the small matter of starting a brand-new life abroad.
For destination-specific tips, browse our [Ultimate Moving Guides], covering everything from local culture and cost of living to opening a bank account and finding accommodation.
Ready to get started?
Teaching English abroad is one of those rare decisions that genuinely changes the shape of your life. You’ll meet people you’d never otherwise have met, see places you’d never otherwise have seen, and build a career story far more interesting than the one you’d have written from your usual desk.
When you’re ready to make the move, we’ll be ready to help you move your life with you, whether that’s a couple of suitcases via our luggage shipping service or explore our international moving guides to help make your relocation seamless.
