Teach English Overseas (No degree or experience required)

Never made it to or finished college? It doesn’t mean you can’t make it as an English as a foreign language teacher. The worldwide demand for English teachers is absolutely huge, so employers in many countries will happily welcome you if you don’t have a degree.

The art is discovering where you can and can’t teach. Visa restrictions in some countries, such as Japan and South Korea, are pretty strict and the authorities will want to see a degree certificate before issuing your visa. However, other countries don’t have such restrictions in place, so will happily give visas to those without degree certificates who want to start teaching abroad.

Here’s our selection of the best places to teach abroad without a degree:

1) China

China is the daddy of TEFL destinations, with over 400million English learners. As such employers are desperate for someone, ANYONE who speaks English and has done a TEFL course. China’s not just a great option because it’s easy to find work though: it’s also an absolutely incredible place to live, especially if you’re keen to experience a totally different culture.

Be aware that some employers may state a degree as a requirement on their adverts, but you’ll find many will be willing to compromise for the right person (i.e. you!).

If it’s your first time teaching abroad and you want a bit of extra support, take a look at our Teach in China Internship: you’ll get full training, 24/7 in-country support, free accommodation & food, plus loads of new friends in all the other interns.


2) Ecuador

If the laid-back Latin American lifestyle sounds like your cup of tea, then try Ecuador. While wages aren’t the best in the world, you will have the added benefit of living in one of the most beautiful countries on earth. Demand for teachers is healthy and you’ll have loads of opportunities to line up private English lessons to supplement your income, especially if you speak a bit of Spanish.

If you’d like to give teaching in Ecuador a try, we have opportunities there with reputable employers through the free job placement service at the link at the bottom of this article.

A note on Latin America: Many other countries in Latin America will hire teachers without degrees, however this will often be on a tourist visa. While this is widespread, you do need to be aware that you risk lower wages, poorer working conditions and in the worst cases, deportation.

3) The European Union

If you’re from the UK or Ireland you can legally work across the EU without a degree. Think of it as a nifty little bonus from Brussels. However, bear in mind that competition for jobs in many Western European countries (such as Spain and France) can be pretty high, so you may find yourself losing our to your degree-educated brethren.

For better chances of success, look east to countries like the Czech Republic, where demand for teachers is high and employers have less applicants to pick from.

Click the TEFL i toi ad below for more information on how to teach English overseas.