Best Countries to Teach Abroad: Pay, Visas and Savings
The best country to teach abroad depends on which kind of teacher you are. With a degree and a TEFL certificate, South Korea still has the best all-round package, Japan's JET Programme the most stable start and Taiwan the best pay for your hours. Licensed teachers earn and save the most at international schools in the Gulf, China and Singapore, and those who want to settle for good have the clearest routes in New Zealand, Australia and England.
Teaching is only half the decision. The Relocation Wizard matches you with countries on cost, climate, safety and lifestyle in a few minutes.
Key Takeaways
- South Korea: public school teachers earn KRW 2.2 million to 2.8 million a month with free housing and severance, but only citizens of seven English-speaking countries qualify.
- Japan: JET pays JPY 4.02 million in year one (as of April 2026), not the JPY 3.36 million many guides still quote.
- Taiwan: the public school programme pays NT$69,880 to NT$91,470 a month, and cram schools accept an associate degree plus a TEFL.
- International schools: about US$30,000 to US$54,000 a year at entry (recruiter data) plus housing, flights and children's tuition, tax-free in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
- Moving for good: New Zealand gives primary and secondary teachers a direct route to residence and up to NZ$10,000 for relocation. Canada's teacher draws stopped after September 2025.
First, Which Kind of Teacher Are You?
| Your situation | Realistic options | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree plus a TEFL, no teaching licence | South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Spain (assistant) | Housing, savings, contract quality |
| Licensed teacher with about 2 years' experience | International schools in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Singapore, Thailand, Japan | Full package, tax, children's tuition |
| Licensed teacher who wants to settle | New Zealand, Australia, England, Canada, Ireland | Recognition, residence route, pay scale |
Teaching English With a Degree and a TEFL
| Country | Typical pay (2026) | What is included | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | KRW 2.2M to 2.8M a month (EPIK) | Free housing, allowances, severance | Citizen of AU, CA, IE, NZ, UK, US or ZA, degree, 100-hour TEFL |
| Japan | JPY 4.02M a year (JET, year 1); JPY 210,000 to 250,000 a month (dispatch ALTs) | JET: flights both ways | Degree |
| Taiwan | NT$69,880+ a month (public programme); NT$600 to 760 an hour (cram schools, recruiter listings) | Public programme: airfare, housing reimbursement | Degree, or associate degree plus TEFL for cram schools |
| China | RMB 12,000 to 20,000 a month (public schools, recruiter data) | Varies by employer | Degree plus 2 years' experience or a 120-hour TEFL |
| Vietnam | US$1,200 to 2,500 a month (recruiter data) | Varies by employer | Degree plus TEFL, work permit |
| Thailand | THB 45,050 a month on average (2026 job ads) | Varies by employer | Degree, Teachers' Council permit |
| Spain | EUR 800 a month for 14 hours (assistant) | Health insurance | Degree or university student, listed nationality |
South Korea: The Best All-Round Package
The government's EPIK programme takes citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, the US and South Africa with a bachelor's degree from one of those countries. Offices of education are not hiring at the lowest pay level, so in practice you need an education degree, a teaching licence or a TEFL of at least 100 hours.
Per EPIK's Fall 2026 pay page, Level 2 pays KRW 2.2 million to 2.35 million a month and Level 1+ up to KRW 2.8 million, depending on the province. Seoul uses its own scale. You also get a leased apartment (you pay utilities), a KRW 1.8 million entrance allowance (repaid if you leave within six months), a completion bonus in most provinces and about a month's salary in severance, for at most 22 teaching hours a week.
The catch: EPIK has shrunk from 2,138 placements in 2011 to 883 in 2025, by its own figures. Private academies (hagwons) fill the gap at KRW 2.1 million to 3.0 million a month with housing or an allowance (recruiter Korvia), but hours and management vary far more. When you leave, Americans, Canadians and Australians can claim back their national pension contributions; the pension service does not list the UK, Ireland, New Zealand or South Africa.
Who it suits: first-time teachers who want to save, since free housing removes the biggest cost. Who it does not: anyone outside the seven eligible countries.
Japan: JET for Stability, Dispatch Jobs for Everyone Else
The JET Programme pays JPY 4,020,000 in year one, rising to JPY 4,320,000 in years four and five (as of April 2026). Contracts run about 12 months and renew up to five years. Flights are paid both ways (the return only if you finish in good standing), housing costs vary by placement, and JET USA tells participants to budget US$2,500 to US$3,000 for start-up costs.
Outside JET, dispatch companies place assistant language teachers in public schools for roughly JPY 210,000 to 250,000 a month (Interac and Borderlink listings). Public school roles use the Instructor status, and private language schools use the Specialist in Humanities/International Services status; both effectively need a degree.
New costs: from 1 October 2026, Japan raised residence fees. A one-year renewal now costs JPY 33,000 at the counter (JPY 27,000 online), up from JPY 6,000, and permanent residence JPY 200,000, per press reports of the new amounts.
Who it suits: people who care about the culture and a predictable contract. Who it does not: savers, since you pay rent that a Korean public school would cover.
Taiwan: The Best Pay for Your Hours
Taiwan's Ministry of Education is recruiting 980 foreign teachers and assistants for its 2026 public school programme. Teachers with a bachelor's degree earn NT$69,880 to NT$91,470 a month, plus airfare, insurance and housing reimbursement. You need a teaching licence, or a year of teaching English plus a 120-hour TEFL or a relevant degree. Assistants need only a degree and earn NT$51,500.
Private cram schools (buxibans) can legally hire you with an associate degree plus a language teaching certificate, for 14 to 32 hours a week. Recruiter listings in 2026 pay about NT$600 to NT$760 an hour.
Who it suits: experienced TEFL teachers, and people without a full bachelor's degree who want a legal work permit.
China: The Highest TEFL Pay, the Most Paperwork
Per Shenzhen's official guidance, foreign language teachers need a bachelor's degree and should teach their native language, plus two years' experience or a teaching certificate such as a TEFL of at least 120 hours. You also need an apostilled criminal record check issued within six months, and the age limit is generally 60. Many recruiters ask for a passport from seven English-speaking countries; that is employer practice, not written law.
Recruiter data (May 2026) puts public school pay at RMB 12,000 to 20,000 a month and international schools at RMB 18,000 to 35,000. The 2021 "double reduction" policy banned new tutoring companies for school-age children and weekend tutoring, foreign languages included, so the training centre jobs that once hired most foreign teachers are far fewer.
Vietnam: Low Costs, Clearer Rules
Decree 219/2025, in force since 7 August 2025, moved work permits to provincial authorities with a 10-working-day decision. Permits last up to two years and can be extended once. Expect to provide a legalised degree, a TEFL of at least 120 hours if your degree is unrelated, a health certificate and a recent criminal record check.
Recruiter figures run from about US$1,200 to US$1,800 a month at language centres to US$2,200 to US$2,500 for public school programmes and international schools. A new income tax scale applies from tax year 2026: five brackets from 5% to 35% for residents.
Who it suits: teachers who put a low cost of living ahead of savings. In the site's data, Vietnam has the lowest average rent in this guide (about US$340 a month).
Thailand and Spain: Lifestyle Over Savings
Thailand. You cannot teach in a Thai school without a licence or a temporary teaching permit from the Teachers' Council, which the school applies for. Each permit lasts up to two years and six years in total, so long-term teachers must qualify for the full licence. You enter on a Non-Immigrant B visa and get a work permit within 90 days. An analysis of 251 job ads in 2026 found an average of THB 45,050 a month, with rural jobs nearer THB 32,700.
Spain. For non-EU citizens the legal route is the auxiliares de conversacion programme: EUR 800 a month for 14 hours from November to May, with health insurance, for graduates or university students from about 35 listed countries. New applicants must be under 45. It is a study stay, not a job, and it is shrinking: four regions including Madrid and Andalucia left the national scheme for 2026-27, leaving about 1,635 assistants against 7,187 in 2022-23 (Magisterio). Academies rarely sponsor work permits, because they must show they cannot fill the job locally.
Licensed Teachers: International Schools
There were 15,075 English-medium international schools in 2025, most of them in China (1,117), India (991) and the UAE (898), according to ISC Research as reported by Tes. A typical package adds housing or a housing allowance, an annual flight home, health insurance and free or discounted tuition for your children to the salary.
| Hub | Entry pay (US$/year) | Experienced (US$/year) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 34,700 | 48,300 | Housing allowance AED 60,000 to 150,000, no income tax |
| Qatar | 38,900 | 51,400 | Housing provided, no income tax |
| China | 43,200 | 60,100 | Housing and children's tuition common, income tax applies |
| Singapore | 53,900 | 75,200 | Housing varies by school |
| Thailand | 30,000 | 40,700 | Housing allowance |
Averages from recruiter Teacher Horizons (2026). Top schools in each hub pay well above them.
UAE licensing. Every teacher needs an Education Professional Licence: at least a four-year bachelor's degree, a criminal record check and role-specific exams (three attempts, then a six-month wait). Your degree must be attested by the UAE foreign ministry and your country's embassy, so start that before you sign. In Dubai, a teacher who leaves mid-term must wait 90 days before starting at another school. Under UAE labour law, end-of-service gratuity is 21 days of basic pay per year for the first five years, then 30 days.
The 2026 disruption. When the US-Iran war began on 28 February 2026, UAE schools moved online, returned in late April and went remote again from 5 to 8 May (The National). Schools reopened for 2026-27, and GEMS alone hired more than 1,500 new teachers. Before you sign, ask a school how it paid and supported staff that spring.
Hiring. Most schools hire from October to February for August starts, through agencies such as Search Associates (US$100 for the first year), ISS and Schrole. Two years of experience after qualifying is the usual expectation, not a legal rule.
For Americans: the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion is US$132,900 for 2026, and teachers employed by a foreign school generally do not pay US Social Security tax.
Licensed Teachers: Moving for Good
| Country | Recognition | Residence route | Main pay scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Teaching Council, NZ$851.35, IELTS 7.0 in each band | Straight to Residence for primary and secondary teachers | Secondary NZ$62,862 to NZ$105,686 |
| Australia | AITSL assessment, AUD 1,198, IELTS Academic | Employer (482) or skilled visas, teaching in priority processing | NSW AUD 92,882 to AUD 133,422 |
| United Kingdom (England) | QTS, only if trained in 13 listed places | Skilled Worker visa at GBP 25,000 or the pay scale | GBP 34,068 to GBP 46,940 (main range, outside London) |
| Canada | Provincial certification (Ontario CAD 362) | Express Entry education category | Median CAD 45.67 an hour (secondary) |
| Ireland | Teaching Council; Irish language for primary | No Critical Skills permit; general permit possible | Post-primary from about EUR 47,900 |
New Zealand is the most direct. Secondary teachers joined the Straight to Residence pathway in May 2024 and primary teachers in March 2025: register with the Teaching Council, get a job with an accredited employer and apply for residence. State schools can pay an Overseas Relocation Grant of up to NZ$10,000 for a full-time contract of 12 months or more.
Australia pays the most. AITSL needs four years of university study including teacher education and at least 45 days of supervised practice. Teaching is on the Core Skills list for employer sponsorship and got priority processing for skilled visas from 19 September 2026, per migration lawyers. Western Australia also runs an international pool for teachers from the UK, Ireland, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand.
England is quick if you qualify. The QTS service only covers teachers trained in Australia, Canada, the EEA, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Jersey, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Ukraine and the US; Ghana, India and Nigeria were removed on 9 September 2026. You also need a year of teaching after qualifying. The Skilled Worker visa costs GBP 819 for up to three years plus a GBP 1,035 health surcharge per year, per person, and the GBP 10,000 relocation payment has ended. Settlement still takes five years; the proposed 10-year rule is not law.
Canada opened an Express Entry category for teachers and early childhood educators in 2025, but IRCC's records show only two education draws (1 May 2025 at CRS 479 and 17 September 2025 at CRS 462) and none since. Treat it as a bonus, not a plan.
Ireland keeps school teachers off the Critical Skills list, and primary teachers must meet an Irish language requirement within about three years of registering, so it suits post-primary teachers with a job offer.
If your partner is a nurse, the same countries recruit nurses too; our guide for nurses covers registration there.
Pay Versus Cost of Living
These figures from the site's country data average all jobs, not teaching, but they show how far a salary goes:
| Country | Cost of living index (US = 100) | Average rent (US$/month) | Average net salary, all jobs (US$/month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 80 | 2,764 | 3,086 |
| Australia | 72 | 2,143 | 3,639 |
| South Korea | 67 | 884 | 2,295 |
| New Zealand | 66 | 1,459 | 2,929 |
| United Arab Emirates | 54 | 2,226 | 3,327 |
| Japan | 53 | 1,131 | 2,077 |
| Spain | 50 | 1,440 | 1,840 |
| Taiwan | 48 | 634 | 1,645 |
| Thailand | 40 | 566 | 584 |
| Vietnam | 28 | 337 | 445 |
Housing decides savings. An EPIK teacher in Korea skips rent entirely, while a Spanish assistant's EUR 800 stipend does not cover an average rent on its own. Check your target city in the cost of living calculator or compare two countries side by side.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying the wrong TEFL. EPIK wants at least 100 hours, and China and Vietnam usually 120. A cheap 40-hour course can cost you the job.
- Working on a tourist visa. A school that asks you to start before your permit arrives is putting the legal risk on you.
- Leaving paperwork too late. Degrees and criminal record checks usually need an apostille or embassy attestation, and China wants a record issued within six months.
- Breaking a contract early. You may repay allowances (Korea) or face a waiting period before your next job (Dubai).
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country pays teachers the most?
For licensed teachers, international schools in Singapore and tax-free packages in the UAE and Qatar lead, and Australian state schools pay up to about AUD 133,000. For TEFL teachers, China and Taiwan's public programme pay the most, but Korea often leaves you with more savings because housing is free.
Can I teach abroad without a degree?
Legally, rarely. South Korea, Japan, China and Vietnam all require a bachelor's degree for teaching work permits. Taiwan's cram schools accept an associate degree plus a language teaching certificate, and Spain's assistant programme takes university students from their second year. Lists of "no degree needed" countries usually describe working without the proper permit.
Can non-native English speakers teach English abroad?
It is harder. EPIK takes seven nationalities (plus Indian citizens with a teaching licence, under a trade agreement), and China expects teachers to teach their native language. Spain's assistant programme includes India, the Philippines and other non-native English countries, and international schools hire licensed subject teachers of any nationality.
Can I bring my family?
International schools suit families best, because tuition for your children is often part of the package. TEFL contracts are built around single teachers, and one salary rarely supports a partner who cannot work. Residence routes in New Zealand and Australia cover your partner and children.
Your Next Step
Your qualifications decide where you can teach; your budget and priorities decide where you will be happy. Run the Relocation Wizard, price your top two countries in the cost of living calculator, and use the moving checklist once you have an offer.
Sources
- EPIK: salary and benefits
- JET Programme USA: contract information
- Taiwan Ministry of Education: 2026 foreign English teacher programme
- UAE government: qualifications to be a teacher
- Immigration New Zealand: teachers on the Straight to Residence pathway
- AITSL: skills assessment fees
- GOV.UK: overseas trained teachers, apply for QTS
- IRCC: Express Entry category-based selection
