According to the British Council, there are over 1.5 billion English learners worldwide, and that creates teaching opportunities across many countries. It’s good news for aspiring teachers that the demand for teachers keeps growing.
But that doesn’t make choosing your first country any easier. We know it’s overwhelming to decide where to teach English abroad. You’ve got dozens of countries to choose from, each with different visa rules, salary ranges, and cultural expectations.
That’s why in this article, we’ll walk you through the practical factors like legal requirements and cost of living that will help you decide where you can teach. By the end, you’ll know how to match your qualifications and goals with the right country.
So, let’s figure out where your teaching abroad adventure should start.
The Realities of Choosing a Teaching Country
Choosing a teaching country requires weighing legal requirements, financial realities, and lifestyle factors that tourists never have to think about. Conversely, when you’re planning a vacation, you just pick based on beaches, food, or landmarks.
Your home country ties are important, too. For example, can you easily fly back for family emergencies? Will the time difference make it impossible to video call your friends? These aren’t dealbreakers, but they do affect your daily life in ways a two-week holiday never would.
The country you pick will influence how much you save, what career opportunities open up, and how comfortable you feel daily. Also, keep in mind that a beautiful destination doesn’t automatically translate into a great teaching job.
Understanding Basic Qualifications
Before you fall in love with teaching in Japan or Spain, you need to know if they’ll actually hire you. It’s because every country has different legal requirements for foreign teachers. So what works in Thailand might disqualify you in South Korea.
Here are some basic qualifications that you need to maintain.
Citizenship and Legal Requirements
Many countries legally require teachers to hold citizenship from native English-speaking nations. We’re talking about the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. These citizenship rules are visa requirements that decide whether you can gain employment at all.
On the other hand, some places prefer native speakers but will hire fluent non-natives with clear accents. To give you an idea, if you speak English perfectly but don’t hold citizenship from one of those countries, you’ll find opportunities in many countries across Latin America and parts of Europe.
Your Degree and Teaching Credentials
A four-year university degree is mandatory in countries like South Korea and Vietnam for work visas. The subject might not always be important, but you need that piece of paper to get through immigration.
Also, some European countries accept two-year degrees, while others hire teachers without formal university credentials. Spain and Italy even hire based on language skills rather than strict degree requirements.
Pro Tip: We recommend adding a TEFL certification to your portfolio from organizations like International TEFL Academy. That credential proves you know how to teach, even if your degree is in something completely unrelated to education.
Age Restrictions You Should Know About
Many Asian countries prefer hiring teachers under 55 years old (turns out your years of experience don’t always count in your favor). We know it can be frustrating, but some schools have strict cutoffs based on visa regulations or retirement age policies in their country.
In fact, some Middle East positions have even stricter age cutoffs around 40, and their highest age of employee requirement is 60 years. European schools are usually more flexible about age compared to stricter Asian hiring practices.
Pro Tip: If you’re over 50, we suggest you research several countries before getting too attached to one region.
Cultural Differences You’ll Experience
When you understand cultural expectations before you arrive, it helps you avoid awkward mistakes and settle in faster. Because they directly affect how you teach, communicate, and interact with students every single day.
Take a look at some of the common cultural differences you may experience.
Gender Considerations in Different Regions
Gender considerations might not show up as set rules, but they reflect deep cultural traditions about gender roles in education.
Like when, male teachers often find higher demand in Middle East countries due to cultural preferences around teaching boys. And then, all-girls schools across various regions specifically seek female teachers for their classrooms.
Which means, if you’re a woman interested in the Middle East, you should look for international schools or all-girls institutions. Men might have easier access to certain positions, but that doesn’t mean women can’t find great jobs there.
Teaching Style Expectations in Different Cultures
Teaching styles can vary among countries, too. To give you an idea, in Japan and South Korea, students rarely question their teacher’s authority, as it’s considered disrespectful there. But in European classrooms, you might face constant challenges and debate.
Neither approach is wrong, but they require completely different teaching strategies. And the quicker you adapt, the smoother your first few months will go.
Consider Cost of Living vs. Salary Beforehand
The cost of living can eat into your earnings if you’re not careful with it. A $3,000 monthly salary sounds amazing until you realize rent in that city costs $1,800.
Now here’s a comparison nobody tells you upfront: high salaries in expensive cities like Seoul might leave you with less money to save than a moderate paycheck in Vietnam (that’s a lesson most learn after signing the contract).
It’s best to research rent costs, food prices, and transportation before you get excited about a big salary number. Because housing alone can swing your monthly budget by hundreds of dollars.
Choosing Teaching Country: Comparing Asia, Europe, and the Middle East
Each part of the world will give you distinct advantages depending on what you’re looking for in your first teaching job. That’s why you need to research the region that matches your goals, instead of the one that sounds most exciting.
These are the pros and cons of teaching experiences in different regions.
Teaching English Abroad in Asia
Through our placement work with Australian teachers since 2007, we’ve seen Asia consistently offer the smoothest entry point for first-timers. You’ll find competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and well-established support systems for new teachers.
In fact, Asian countries usually hold out the most teaching English positions with clear hiring seasons and standardized contract terms. For instance, countries like China, South Korea, and Vietnam have a lot of demand for English teachers, which means more positions to choose from and better negotiating power for contracts.
International schools and language academies actively recruit year-round, along with job placement assistance that handles visas and housing. This type of structured environment works well for first-time teachers who want predictability in their international experience.
Europe’s More Flexible Teaching Scene
Here’s an FYI: European countries often require more hustle. ESL teachers here typically need to sort out their own work permits and visa situations, which takes more effort than the all-inclusive packages that Asia usually has to offer.
It’s because many European schools prefer hiring teachers already in-country rather than sponsoring visas from abroad, so be prepared to handle logistics yourself.
The pay is generally lower, but you get easier travel access to dozens of countries on weekends. Say, a teaching position in Prague lets you explore Vienna, Budapest, and Berlin without expensive flights.
Middle East Opportunities Need Cultural Understanding
Middle East teaching jobs typically offer the highest salaries with tax-free income and generous benefits packages.
But don’t celebrate too early. These positions usually need more experience and better credentials than entry-level jobs in Asia. You’ll compete against professionals with years of teaching English under their belts.
Plus, cultural understanding and adaptation are more significant here. So, you need to research the lifestyle expectations before accepting offers. The financial rewards are substantial, but you need to be realistic about whether you’re ready for that environment as a first-time teacher.
Here’s a comparison chart for the three regions at a glance:
| Category | Asia | Europe | Middle East |
| Best For | First-time teachers | Travel-focused teachers | High-income seekers |
| Salary & Benefits | Good pay + strong perks | Lower pay, fewer perks | Highest pay, tax-free |
| Visa & Hiring | Very structured, lots of support | Harder; often must be in-country | Formal, strict requirements |
| Work Environment | Stable, well-supported | Flexible but less stable | Professional, high expectations |
| Lifestyle | Easy adjustment, strong expat scene | Great weekend travel | Comfortable but culturally different |
| Experience Needed | Low–moderate | Moderate | High |
Time for Teaching Abroad at Your Favorite Destination
In the end, matching your qualifications and preferences with the right country can make or break your first year of teaching abroad. That is precisely why you need to start with countries where you meet the basic legal requirements. After that, narrow them down by comparing salary against the cost of living.
But try not to overthink this decision. You don’t need to find the perfect country, but rather be open to adaptation. Once you’re actually teaching English abroad, you’ll learn what you really want from the experience.
If you’re ready to learn more about your options and create a plan for teaching abroad, visit Biography Shelf and talk to our placement team about where your qualifications can take you.