What qualifications do I need to teach overseas?
International schools vary in their requirements, and just as important, is that each country has specific qualification requirements for a work permit. These are set by the host country’s government and immigration laws, and the schools must follow these requirements.
For most countries, candidates need at least a Bachelors of Education degree plus a valid government-issued teaching certificate, like the OCT certificate from Ontario, in order to qualify for a work visa. A Master’s degree is valued for teachers and administrators, and having a higher degree generally does put you higher on the pay scale.
For many Search member schools, they require a minimum 2 years teaching experience. Some schools, especially the larger or the more popular schools, prefer to hire teachers with previous international teaching experience. Note: European schools may prefer to hire candidates with EU passports, to avoid having to go through the costly work visa application process.
However, there are many international schools which will consider teachers with less than 2 years of teaching experience or new teacher graduates, as well as interns.
So to summarize, at a minimum, you need a B.Ed degree and a teaching certificate to teach at a quality international school.
