Passport
Must be from an approved E-2 country and valid for the full contract.
teach english in south korea · 2026 guide
Teach English in South Korea (Bachelor’s Degree Required)
South Korea offers structured public-school routes and faster private-academy hiring. The degree rule is firm, the benefits can be decent, and the apostille pile starts earlier than you think.
E-2 ROUTE · START EARLY
Degree: requiredTEFL: route-dependentPay: roughly ₩2.1m–₩3.0m/monthApostilled checks and degree
the quick answer
Requirements at a glance
| Degree | No degree | TEFL | Pay | Hardest part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's required for the usual E-2 English-teaching visa | No standard E-2 route; narrow student exceptions are not a general option | Often required or rewarded for public programmes; widely useful elsewhere | Roughly ₩2.1m–₩3.0m monthly, often with provided housing | Apostilled degree copy and national criminal record check |
how long it actually takes
Visa & paperwork timeline
- 12–8 weeks
Finish your TEFL
Not always mandatory for E-2, but it strengthens hagwon and public-school applications.
- 21–4 weeks
Criminal record check
National-level police check from your home country. Start this first — it gates everything else.
- 31–3 weeks
Apostille degree and police check
Both documents need an apostille. Sealed diplomas and recent issue dates matter; immigration rejects old or copied paperwork.
- 42–6 weeks
Apply and interview
Hagwons hire year-round and move fast. Public-school intakes (EPIK/GEPIK) run to fixed February and August starts, so apply months ahead.
- 52–6 weeks
Contract and visa issuance number
The school files with Korean immigration and sends you a visa issuance number or confirmation.
- 61–2 weeks
E-2 visa at the consulate
In-person or postal application in your home country, usually with a health statement.
- 72–4 weeks
Arrival: medical check and ARC
Health check in Korea, then the Alien Registration Card that lets you open a bank account and get a phone.
timings are typical, not promised — queues move.
pack the folder
Documents you need
Sealed degree certificate
Original plus an apostilled copy. Some schools also want sealed transcripts.
Apostilled criminal record check
National police check, usually issued within the last 6 months.
TEFL certificate
120-hour minimum. Required for some public-school routes and preferred by better hagwons.
Health statement and medical check
Self-declaration with the visa, then a full medical after arrival.
Photos, CV and references
Passport photos, a photo CV, two references and a short intro video for many schools.
TEFL requirements in South Korea
A bachelor's is central to the usual E-2 route. Public programmes commonly want a 100-hour+ TEFL unless your degree is in education or teaching; private academies set their own hiring bar.
Most first jobs cluster in the capital, so read up on teaching English in Seoul before you shortlist schools.
- → Bachelor's degree
- → Eligible English-speaking nationality
- → National criminal record check
- → Apostilled documents
South Korea teaching visa (any passport)
UK citizens can be eligible for the E-2 route if the degree, checks and health requirements line up. Your employer or programme sponsors the visa; your passport alone is not permission to work.
How much English teachers earn
Entry packages commonly land around ₩2.1m–₩3.0m monthly. Housing, severance, pension eligibility, flights and teaching load matter as much as base pay.
Can you teach with no degree?
Not on the standard E-2 route. If you do not hold a bachelor's, do not build a Korea plan around rare exceptions or vague recruiter promises.
searched at 2am. answered.
People also ask
Can I teach English in South Korea without a degree?
Not through the normal E-2 visa route. A TEFL certificate does not replace the bachelor's requirement.
Do I need TEFL to teach English in South Korea?
It depends on the employer. Public programmes often require or reward it; private academies may hire without it but a proper certificate helps.
Can a UK citizen get a South Korea teaching visa?
Potentially yes, with a bachelor's, clean national criminal check, eligible passport and sponsoring employer or programme.
How much do English teachers earn in South Korea?
Many first roles pay roughly ₩2.1m–₩3.0m monthly, often with housing. Benefits and deductions vary.
Is EPIK better than a hagwon?
EPIK is more structured with fixed intakes; hagwons hire year-round and vary more. Better depends on timing, hours and contract quality.
What documents do I need for an E-2 visa?
Common items include an apostilled degree copy, apostilled national criminal check, passport, contract and health-related forms.
Can I teach in Korea with an ordinary bachelor's degree?
Usually yes if it is a completed recognised bachelor's. Your subject and honours classification are generally less important than completion.
How long does the South Korea teaching visa take?
There is no safe universal promise. Checks, apostilles, employer processing and consular timing can turn it into a multi-month job.
How do I get a TEFL certificate in the UK before teaching in South Korea?
Take an accredited online TEFL course UK employers recognise — a 120-hour certificate is the standard entry level and a Level 5 reads stronger. The same accredited online courses are open worldwide, including the US, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Most people finish inside 60 days, then apply for South Korea roles.
the course call
Level 5 is the safer bet.
South Korea is degree-required, making Level 5 the safer course recommendation; a proper 120-hour course is the starter. Confirm E-2 and employer requirements before ordering documents.
Want the lighter start? A credible 120-hour course is still the entry route. Level 5 simply gives your application more weight.
the full directory
Every guide in this cluster
Can you teach English in Korea with an Irish passport? →Yes — Ireland is one of the seven passports Korea has historically accepted for the E-2 teaching visa, alongside UK, USA, Canada, Australia, NZ and South Africa.Can you teach English in Korea with a UK passport? →Yes — the UK is one of the passports Korea has long accepted for its E-2 teaching visa.Can a European non-native speaker teach English in Korea? →For the standard E-2 teaching visa, no — South Korea restricts it to a named list of native-speaker passport countries, and most European countries aren't on it regardless of your English fluency.Is an online TEFL accepted in South Korea? →Yes, in most cases — if the course is accredited and at least 100-120 hours, delivered by a recognised provider with a verifiable certificate.Hagwon or public school: which is better for teaching in Korea? →Both routes require a bachelor's degree and typically an accredited 120-hour+ TEFL certificate for the E-2 work visa; public schools (via EPIK or provincial programmes) generally offer more standard hours and vacation, while private hagwons offer more locations and faster start dates but vary hugely in contract quality.How much do English teachers earn in South Korea? →Most first-year hagwon and EPIK salaries in South Korea sit around ₩2.1-3.0 million a month, and the headline number is only part of the picture: provided housing (or a housing allowance), one month's severance pay after a full year, and a pension contribution you can often reclaim on leaving all add real value on top.What does it cost to live in South Korea as an English teacher? →South Korea's teaching maths is unusual because most EPIK and hagwon contracts include free or subsidised housing, which is often the single biggest saving compared with other Asian markets.What visa do you need to teach English in South Korea? →Most foreign English teachers in Korea work under the E-2 visa, sponsored by a hagwon, public school programme like EPIK, or similar employer, and it requires a bachelor's degree, an apostilled criminal record check, a health check including a drug test, and a signed contract.Can you teach English in South Korea with no experience? →Yes, private hagwons hire large numbers of first-time teachers every year and typically run structured onboarding to compensate for a thin CV.Which TEFL course is best for teaching in South Korea? →South Korea, like Japan, hires on a bachelor's degree for the work visa, so the TEFL question is about which certificate clears EPIK and hagwon paperwork cleanly.What qualifications do you need to teach English in South Korea? →South Korea's E-2 teaching visa legally requires a bachelor's degree, citizenship of one of seven approved native-English-speaking countries, an apostilled criminal background check, and a health check that includes a drug test.Can you teach English in South Korea without a degree? →No — the E-2 teaching visa legally requires a bachelor's degree in any subject, with no accredited TEFL-hours workaround.Can Americans teach English in South Korea? →Yes, Americans are one of the core nationalities South Korea's E-2 visa was built for, provided you hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited US university and pass an FBI background check.Can Canadians teach English in South Korea? →Yes, Canada is one of the seven countries Korea's E-2 visa was designed around, so a Canadian bachelor's degree holder with a clean RCMP background check is a standard applicant.Can Australians teach English in South Korea? →Yes, Australians can teach through the standard E-2 language visa with a bachelor's degree, or use Korea's working holiday agreement with Australia as a separate, more flexible entry route.Can you teach English in South Korea on a working holiday visa? →Yes, Korea has working holiday agreements with countries including Australia, Canada, the UK and Ireland, typically capped at ages 18-30, but unlike Japan's version it's a much weaker route into formal teaching work, since most hagwons and EPIK specifically require the E-2 visa and won't hire working holiday visa holders for classroom teaching.Can non-native English speakers teach in South Korea? →Mostly no for the standard E-2 teaching visa — South Korean immigration law names seven eligible passport countries for English-teaching E-2 visas: the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa.