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What you need before teaching abroad

Posted by Steven Kellow - 14:45 on 03 April 2012

After completing your accredited TEFL Wales course, you’ll be ready to set off abroad to be a TEFL teacher. Before you leave for your chosen destination, though, you’ll have to find out what you need to enter the country, such as passports, visas etc. Here’s a quick guide and checklist to the essentials.

Passport

Your passport is your key to the rest of the world, so you’ll have to make sure it is ready for travel. To travel outside the EU, you will need a full UK passport that is valid for at least six months after you plan to come home. Make sure your passport meets these requirements as soon as possible, and apply for a new one a few months before you jet off to make sure you can travel. Make sure you check before travelling with the Foreign Office about stamps on your passports, as some countries will refuse you entry if you have a stamp from certain other countries on them. You can apply for a new passport here

Visa

Most countries abroad will require a visa to enter, and also to work in the country. Make sure to note that you won’t need a visa to travel anywhere within the European Union. The visa could be as simple as filling out a form on the plane there saying how long you’ll be there and why you’re travelling, but some countries have rigorous background checks. The best place to check is the Foreign Office website, where you can find out what you will need to get a visa for each country. Remember to apply for a working visa or teaching visa wherever you can, if not you may not be able to start a job over in your new country.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance should be an essential part of your plans to be a TEFL teacher. Chances of anything happening are low, but no matter where you’re teaching or travelling, you should have travel insurance to cover against any accidents. Make sure to get comprehensive cover for the whole of your stay so that you can be sure that if something should happen, whether it is illness or needing to go home early, you will be covered.

Inoculations

Another thing to check before going abroad is that you are inoculated against diseases that you could find in that country. Chances of catching anything are slim, but it’s much better to be protected against things such as Typhoid, Cholera and Hepatitis. Check with your local GP a few months in advance of your travel or visit this NHS Website to see what inoculations you will need before you go.
General Tips
Keep a photocopy of all of your important documents at home so that someone can find them if need be. Make sure that you appoint an emergency contact and make sure that they know about it! Get a note of the local British embassy/consulate before you go abroad and keep it with you at all times in case you need it.

We hope that you have found this short guide useful and that you are all set to fly off to your new career.

If you have any travel, job or any other TEFL related enquiries please get in touch with us, and we’d be happy to help you.
 

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