11 Amazing Places to Teach English Abroad
The Best Places to
Teach English Abroad
Honest guides to 11 destinations — what life actually looks like, what you’ll earn, and what you need to get hired.
Teaching English abroad isn’t just a job — it gives you an extended stay somewhere that most tourists only skim. When you aren’t in the classroom, a country opens up properly: the markets, the trains, the neighbourhoods your guidebook skips over, and the people who become genuine friends.
TEFL qualifications are what make it possible. A recognised certificate — particularly a Level 5 or a solid 120-hour course — opens doors across more than 100 countries, often with salaries, housing, and flights included. Below are our honest picks for the most rewarding destinations right now.
These aren’t the only opportunities we offer — browse our full TEFL jobs board for the complete picture.
Central Asia
Teach English in Uzbekistan Now Hiring
The Silk Road, a government salary, and a country most people have never considered.
Most teachers who go to Uzbekistan will tell you it wasn’t their first choice. Most of them will also tell you it was the best decision they made. Uzbekistan is in the middle of a genuine national education reform — the Ministry of Preschool and School Education is actively placing experienced EFL teachers in secondary schools across the country, and the package on offer is hard to argue with.
The country itself rewards curiosity. Tashkent, the capital, is a proper city — wide Soviet-era boulevards, a metro system still considered one of the most beautiful in the world, and a food scene mixing Uzbek plov and samsa with modern cafes. During the school week you teach; at weekends, you have one of the world’s great undiscovered travel circuits on your doorstep.
Samarkand — where Tamerlane built his empire and the Registan still stops people dead — is 2.5 hours by high-speed train. Bukhara, a city of mud-brick madrassas and chai houses that feels almost entirely intact from the medieval period, is an hour further on. Khiva’s inner walled city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that most of your friends won’t have heard of. Housing is arranged through the local Hokimiyat — a private furnished apartment at no cost to you. Full programme details here.
- Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva — three of the world’s great ancient cities, all reachable by fast train at weekends
- Tashkent metro — architecturally one of the most stunning underground systems anywhere
- Silk Road street food: plov, shashlik, lepyoshka bread fresh from tandoor ovens
- Zaamin National Park — known as the Switzerland of Uzbekistan, home to snow leopards
- Low crime, affordable living, and genuine warmth from locals towards foreign teachers
The Ministry requires 2 years’ secondary EFL experience plus a degree. A 168hr Level 5 TEFL or CELTA is preferred and makes your application significantly more competitive.
Itchan Kala, Khiva — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Silk Road's most intact ancient cities.
East Asia
Teach English in Japan
Structure, culture, and a lifestyle you genuinely can’t replicate anywhere else.
Japan is the most popular teaching destination in our network, and it earns that status. As a trusted hiring partner for two of Japan’s largest English school networks — 300+ locations nationwide — we place teachers year-round across Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, and smaller cities.
The structure surprises first-time teachers most. Fixed weekly schedules, proper training from day one, commuting costs covered. Tokyo placements put you in one of the world’s great cities: Shinjuku and Shibuya for nightlife, Yanaka and Shimokitazawa for the quieter neighbourhood feel. Outside the capital: ski Hokkaido’s powder, swim in Okinawa’s turquoise water, walk Kyoto’s temple districts in cherry blossom season.
The honest note on finances: Tokyo’s cost of living is real. Savings are achievable — especially outside major cities — but Japan rewards teachers who see it as a lifestyle investment, not primarily a savings vehicle. See current Japan vacancies.
- Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto — three utterly different city experiences within 2.5 hours by Shinkansen
- Skiing in Hokkaido (Niseko), diving in Okinawa, hiking Mount Fuji — all on a teacher’s schedule
- Cherry blossom season (late March–April) and autumn foliage (November) are genuinely extraordinary
- One of the safest countries in the world for solo travellers
- Extraordinary food culture — from ¥500 ramen to multi-course kaiseki, often within the same street
A 120hr minimum is required. For eikaiwa schools and competitive placements, employers strongly prefer candidates with verified live teaching practice hours.
Tokyo at night with Mount Fuji behind — one of the world’s great cities, and home to hundreds of TEFL UK teachers.
Southeast Asia
Teach English in Vietnam
Low cost of living, excellent salary, no experience needed.
Vietnam has grown into one of the strongest TEFL destinations in Southeast Asia, and our partnership with Major Education — 80+ teaching sites across Ho Chi Minh City, curriculum built with Macmillan and the British Council — is one of the most professionally run programmes we offer.
Ho Chi Minh City is the base for most placements: a city of nine million that never quite slows down. District 1 for rooftop bars and French colonial architecture, the Mekong Delta an hour south for something completely different. The food comes at you from everywhere — bánh mì from a cart at 7am, bún bò Hué for lunch, fresh spring rolls from the evening market.
The financial case is clear: Vietnam’s average monthly salary is around $180. Teachers on this programme earn $1,000–$1,500 plus bonuses, with housing provided or a housing allowance on top. Living costs run around $500–700 a month for a comfortable lifestyle. View Vietnam programme details.
- Ha Long Bay — one of the world’s great seascapes, a weekend boat trip from Hanoi
- Hoi An’s lantern-lit old town accessible on leave periods
- Affordable domestic flights make weekend travel to Hanoi, Da Nang, or Phu Quoc straightforward
- Vietnamese street food — among the world’s best, and almost impossibly affordable
- Growing expat and teacher community, especially in HCMC’s District 2 and 3
No prior experience required. A degree is preferred but not essential. You can complete your TEFL qualification alongside the application process.
Vietnam’s countryside — dramatic karst landscapes a world away from the city, reachable on any free weekend.
East Asia
Teach English in South Korea
The strongest savings destination in Asia, with free housing as standard.
If building savings is your primary goal, Korea makes the most compelling case in Asia. Free employer-provided housing eliminates your biggest monthly cost entirely; combined with a salary of &won;2.1–3.1M/month, most teachers save 40–70% of what they earn. Completion bonuses and return flights are standard on most contracts.
Seoul is endlessly layered. Gangnam and Hongdae for nightlife and shopping, Bukchon Hanok Village for traditional architecture a short subway ride away, the Han River parks for something slower. The food culture is extraordinary — Korean BBQ is the obvious entry point, but the stews, street tteokbokki, and Noryangjin seafood market keep delivering for an entire year.
Public school programmes typically require two years’ experience; private academies are more flexible. A bachelor’s degree is required for the E-2 visa. UK, Irish, South African, US, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand citizens qualify. Browse Korea vacancies.
- Seoul’s subway system — cheap, clean, reliable, and goes everywhere including airports at midnight
- Jeju Island — Korea’s volcanic southern island, a one-hour flight and a world away from the city
- Pyeongchang ski resorts are 1–2 hours from Seoul by bus
- Busan for beaches, seafood markets, and the Gamcheon Culture Village
- Extremely safe, excellent healthcare, and a thriving international teacher community
EPIK and most public school programmes require teaching practice hours on your certificate. The 140hr Combined course — which includes 20 verified live teaching hours — is the most recommended qualification for Korea.
Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul — a 20-minute subway ride from most teacher apartments.
South America
Teach English in Colombia
South America’s best lifestyle destination for English teachers.
Colombia’s reputation has shifted dramatically over the past two decades, and for teachers considering South America, it’s now the most sought-after destination. Modern, walkable cities, an extremely low cost of living, and a culture that genuinely welcomes international teachers.
Bogotá sits at 2,600 metres elevation — cool enough year-round for a jacket in the evenings — with a thriving arts scene, excellent coffee, and the La Candelaria historic district. Medellín has transformed into one of Latin America’s most vibrant cities: cable cars running up the mountain hillsides, extraordinary street art, and a food scene that’s quietly become one of the region’s best.
Salaries average $850–$1,035 USD/month, which goes considerably further than it sounds given Colombia’s cost of living. You won’t save like you would in Korea, but the experience and access to the rest of South America make it a different kind of return on investment. View Colombia opportunities.
- Medellín’s cable car network rises through hillside comunas to views that catch you off guard every time
- Colombia’s Caribbean coast — Cartagena, Tayrona National Park — reachable by domestic flight from Bogotá
- The Coffee Region (Eje Cafetero) — Jeep rides through finca-covered hills and the world’s best espresso
- Easy access to Ecuador, Peru, and the rest of South America from major airports
- Salsa dancing is a genuine social activity in Cali, not a tourist attraction
Colombia is accessible for newly qualified teachers — many schools will consider you with a 120hr TEFL and no prior classroom experience. It’s an excellent first posting.
Cartagena — the colour and warmth of Colombia's Caribbean coast, reachable from Bogotá on a long weekend.
East Asia
Teach English in China
5,000 years of history, an award-winning employer network, and the pandas.
TEFL UK has built strong partnerships with Chinese education providers over many years, and Sichuan province remains a particular draw — good salaries, a lower cost of living than the eastern coastal cities, and a regional culture that’s distinctly its own. Chengdu, the provincial capital, is one of China’s most liveable cities: relaxed by Chinese standards, exceptional food, and the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base genuinely worth the half-day trip.
Many schools offer free furnished housing, medical insurance, and return flights. Teaching loads typically run 20–25 hours a week. Beyond Chengdu: the Jiuzhaigou valley for some of the world’s most surreal natural scenery, and Emei Shan for mountain temples and misty forests. Browse China vacancies.
- Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in Chengdu — one of the world’s great wildlife experiences
- Sichuan cuisine — mapo tofu, hot pot, dan dan noodles — a destination in itself
- China’s high-speed rail makes weekend travel to Xi’an, Chongqing, and Guilin genuinely feasible
- Jiuzhaigou Valley — UNESCO-listed multi-coloured lakes in the Tibetan plateau foothills
- Ancient tea culture and teahouse life that runs at a completely different pace to the rest of China
A bachelor’s degree is required for the Chinese work visa. Most reputable schools require a minimum 120hr TEFL. A Level 5 opens the highest-paying university and international school roles.
Three giant pandas at Chengdu Research Base — a half-day trip from most teacher apartments in Sichuan.
Southeast Asia
Teach English in Thailand
Over 500 vacancies a year, and a country that earns its reputation.
Thailand attracts TEFL teachers for straightforward reasons: it’s beautiful, affordable, and the food is world-class at every price point. We place over 500 teachers across Thailand annually, with opportunities in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and schools throughout the country.
Bangkok is relentless in the best possible way — the sky train threading between golden temples and glass towers, Chatuchak weekend market the size of a small town, street food at midnight. Chiang Mai is completely different: slower, cooler, surrounded by jungle and mountain. The islands — Koh Lanta, Koh Tao for diving — are accessible by overnight train and ferry on school breaks. Browse Thailand jobs.
- Chiang Mai’s Sunday Walking Street and Night Bazaar — some of the best street markets in Asia
- Koh Tao for some of Southeast Asia’s most accessible and affordable scuba diving
- Doi Inthanon National Park — Thailand’s highest peak, waterfalls, and hill tribe villages near Chiang Mai
- Thai cuisine — as good as its global reputation, available for well under £2 from street stalls
- Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar all accessible by land or short flight on school breaks
A TEFL certificate or degree is the standard requirement. Internships are also available and don’t always require a degree or native-speaker status.
A typical classroom in Thailand — engaged students, a manageable group size, and a genuinely rewarding day’s work.
South America
Teach English in Argentina
Buenos Aires, Patagonia, wine country, and the tango.
Argentina is South America at its most European in feel — the architecture of Buenos Aires is genuinely staggering, the café culture is unhurried, and the food and wine scene punches well above the country’s economic weight. Most teachers are based in or around Buenos Aires, with the school year running March to December.
Buenos Aires has genuine neighbourhoods that reward time: Palermo for restaurants and parks, San Telmo for the Sunday antiques fair and tango shows that aren’t aimed at tourists, Recoleta for the famous cemetery and weekend book market. Outside the capital: the Malbec wine regions of Mendoza, the dramatic Patagonian landscape of El Calafate, and Iguazú Falls. View Argentina opportunities.
- San Telmo Sunday market — antiques, street food, live tango, and an atmosphere you won’t manufacture elsewhere
- Perito Moreno glacier in El Calafate — one of the world’s few advancing glaciers
- Mendoza wine region: Malbec at source, bicycle tours between bodegas, the Andes as backdrop
- Iguazú Falls — jointly straddling Argentina and Brazil, wider than Niagara
- Argentine beef culture: parrillas are a social institution, not a tourist trap
A TEFL certificate opens private school and language academy roles. We also offer an on-site TEFL course in Argentina if you want to qualify and start teaching in the same country.
Perito Moreno glacier, El Calafate — a long weekend from Buenos Aires by domestic flight.
South Asia
Teach English in India
More than a decade of placements, and a country that genuinely changes perspective.
TEFL UK has been placing teachers in India for over ten years. It’s a destination that asks more of you than most — the size, the noise, the traffic, the sheer intensity of sensory experience — but it gives more back too. Teachers who go for a year often extend.
The Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) is the well-worn circuit for good reason — the Taj Mahal at dawn is not overhyped. Kerala’s backwater houseboat trips, the tea plantations of Munnar, the desert landscape of Rajasthan, the Tibetan Buddhist communities of Himachal Pradesh — a school year gives you enough time to reach several of them. Browse India vacancies.
- The Taj Mahal, Agra — everything you’ve been told is true, particularly at sunrise
- Kerala’s backwater houseboat network — some of the most peaceful travel in Asia
- Rishikesh on the Ganges, where yoga originated and is still practised seriously
- Rajasthan’s fortified cities — Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur — each genuinely distinct
- Incredible food diversity: Kerala fish curry and Delhi butter chicken are barely the same cuisine
A TESOL or TEFL qualification gets you hired at most schools. Internships are available and don’t always require a degree — a good entry point for recently certified teachers.
Getting around Kerala by tuk tuk — the kind of weekend that makes a year in India unforgettable.
East Asia
Teach English in Taiwan
First-world economy, excellent quality of life, and universal healthcare.
Taiwan is quietly one of the best places in Asia to live, and among teachers who’ve worked in multiple Asian countries, it comes up consistently as a favourite. Taipei is efficient, safe, and genuinely cosmopolitan — the Taipei 101 tower still dominates the skyline, but it’s the night markets and neighbourhood streets that define daily life here. The food scene is deeply good, and locals are consistently among the friendliest in Asia to foreign residents.
The country outside Taipei is startlingly diverse. Taroko Gorge — marble canyon walls dropping into turquoise rivers — is on the east coast. Sun Moon Lake in the central mountains is popular for cycling. Legal residents enjoy universal health coverage, and demand for English teachers is high and sustained. Browse Taiwan vacancies.
- Taroko Gorge — marble canyon carved by the Liwu River, one of Asia’s great natural wonders
- Taipei’s night markets (Shilin, Raohe) — the food scene here is genuinely among Asia’s best
- Jiufen mountain town — a weekend trip from Taipei with views over the Pacific
- Cycling the Sun Moon Lake circuit is a rite of passage for teachers based in central Taiwan
- Kenting in the south for beaches, coral reefs, and diving a world away from the city
A 120hr TEFL opens most language school and kindergarten roles. For university positions and higher-paying private contracts, a Level 5 TEFL significantly strengthens your application.
Taipei 101 at sunset — the city is one of Asia’s most liveable, and teachers here rarely want to leave.
South Asia
Teach English in Nepal
The roof of the world, and some of the most rewarding teaching on earth.
Nepal isn’t a destination for teachers looking primarily at salary — but for teachers drawn by the country itself, it’s unlike anywhere else. TEFL UK supports local NGO organisations in Nepal through English education, and the work is genuinely meaningful in communities with limited access to qualified teachers.
Kathmandu is more interesting than its chaotic reputation suggests. Swayambhunath — the Monkey Temple — sits on a hilltop above the city with views across the valley, and the resident macaques make it unlike any other temple complex in the world. Beyond the valley: Pokhara for lakeside calm and Annapurna views, the Langtang Valley for accessible trekking without Everest Base Camp crowds. Explore Nepal opportunities.
- Everest Base Camp trek — 12–14 days through Sherpa villages and high-altitude monasteries
- Annapurna Circuit — widely considered the world’s greatest multi-day trek
- Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple) — one of Kathmandu’s most atmospheric sites, as the photo shows
- Pokhara’s lakeside calm and Annapurna South views — a complete contrast to Kathmandu, 6 hours by bus
- Chitwan National Park for rhino tracking, elephant conservation, and jungle safaris
A TEFL or TESOL qualification is strongly recommended. A college degree is not required for most NGO placements.
Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple), Kathmandu — a 20-minute walk from the city centre and like nowhere else on earth.