If you’re interested in how to teach English in Korea , then one of the first things you should be concerned about are the requirements you must meet in order to get a job.
Korea has hosted thousands, if not millions, of ESL teachers over the years and their eligibility guidelines reflect what an appealing (and competitive) place it can be to teach. Luckily, the requirements to teach in Korea are straightforward and are applied evenly across the board regardless of city, province, or school type (though some schools do ask for a bit more).
There are 5 major teaching requirements for those looking to work in Korea, and they all impact your ability to obtain an E2 visa, the visa required for those looking to teach legally.
Check out the Korean visa requirements for instructions on getting your visa.
Currently, only residents from the following countries are eligible to teach legally in Korea:
While this is sure to disappoint a lot of potential applicants, rest assured that there are plenty of other countries out there that will hire teachers from outside this list.
Anyone applying to teach in Korea must have graduated from a 3 (non-USA) or 4 year (USA) university. When applying for a visa you will be required to hand over a copy of your degree and sealed transcripts and they will be scrutinized. If you did not graduate with at least a bachelor’s degree it’s best to cut bait now and seek out another position.
Korea is extremely strict when it comes to who they allow to work as a teacher. This is evidenced by the required background check that is often one of the most tedious parts of the visa application process .
The government requires each applicant to produce a federal or national background check. For Americans, this means using the FBI and not a State check that you can acquire online or in an afternoon. ANY conviction, no matter if it’s a misdemeanor or felony, is grounds to have your visa rejected.
Teachers get turned away every day for things like DUI, DWI, possession, and minor assault, so it’s best not to even try if you believe your record will not come back clean (it can take 3 months to process).
A health check is another one of the requirements to teach in Korea and is applied in two parts:
The first is a brief questionnaire you answer before applying for a visa. It’s done without a doctor and is simply meant to provide an overview of the state of your health.
The second is a more thorough check administered once you arrive in Korea. This check consists of blood work and a physical and looks for things like drug use, communicable diseases, and overall physical well-being.
While this check isn’t as black and white as the background check, it’s in your best interest to make sure you pass. Do not use drugs before coming to Korea, do not try and hide any underlying health issues, and do not attempt to enter the country if you’re infected with a serious disease. You will be found out and run the risk of having your visa and position terminated.
A teaching certificate is not required for most schools in Korea. However, if you are pursuing a job in the public school system ( EPIK , GEPIK , SMOE , GOE , TALK ), then you are required to have a valid English teaching certification.
There are a few different types of schools in Korea (each with varying requirements) and it’s worth looking at what it takes to land a job at each.
The requirements to teach at a hagwon in Korea are pretty straightforward and the most basic of all teaching opportunities in Korea:
Public schools in Korea can be quite selective about their teaching requirements (and usually have plenty of applicants from which to choose), but here are the most common:
Universities are the most selective of all schools in Korea and their requirements for teachers ensure they can provide experienced and capable professors for their students.
Due to their curriculum, almost all legitimate international schools (note: not every school with ‘international’ in its title is a true international school) require their teachers to be certified in their home country. This is not an ESL or TEFL certification but instead a license to teach in schools back home.
This is covered in far greater detail on our visa section but assuming you’ve met the requirements to teach in Korea, the general hiring and application process is as follows:
Many countries around the world are pretty flexible when it comes to hiring non-native speakers and even some of the strictest nations, like China, offer some leeway and will let certain schools hire non-native candidates from time to time.
Unfortunately, being a non-native speaker in South Korea is a deal-breaker and unless you hold a passport from one of the seven English-speaking countries mentioned above, you’re not going to be able to teach legally in the country.
As long as you have graduated from an accredited university there is no minimum age for teaching in Korea. However, when it comes to a maximum age, a lot of teachers have found it increasingly difficult to get a job the closer they get to retirement age (around 60 years old).
Though not explicitly stated by the government, many schools prefer younger teachers and older applicants should keep that in mind when applying.
No, regular applicants to hagwons or non-public schools are not required to have a teaching certificate of any kind. However, such certificates are mandatory for public school programs like EPIK and SMOE and are beneficial no matter where you are teaching.
No, unfortunately, the government will only grant visas to graduates of a 3- or 4-year bachelor’s program. This is non-negotiable and employers do not have any say in the matter.
No, it’s not advisable to even start the application process if there is anything on your record (no matter how minor). Obtaining a background check can take months and Korea is incredibly strict when it comes to their teaching requirements – nobody with a conviction of any sort is permitted to teach.
If your country uses a different qualifications framework, you may not know whether your certification corresponds to a Bachelor’s Degree or not. If that’s the case, you can use a website like this one to quickly check if your degree is the equivalent of a BA.
Legally speaking, having prior teaching experience is not a requirement to teach English in Korea, so, even though many schools list it as a preferred requirement, not having taught before won’t hinder your chances of finding work.
This is a tricky question as the information on the topic that’s out there is not entirely clear. In several forum threads (such as this one or this one ), many say they think it can be done or claim they know someone who did it.
However, nobody is able to provide a clear explanation as to how, which would lead us to believe that in order to apply for an E2 visa, leaving Korea will most likely be necessary.
