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Asia TEFL jobs: country & recruiter guide
Asia isn't one TEFL market. South Korea's public-school route, Japan's JET Programme, Taiwan's public-school requirements and private language schools across the region all work differently.
Compare countries, understand the qualification questions and find established recruiters and job boards. Current hand-picked vacancies stay inside the StudyTEFL LMS so this public guide doesn't become a stale jobs list.
Six markets, six sets of rules
TEFL jobs in Asia by country
Use these as starting points, not promises of eligibility. Immigration rules, employer policies and nationality requirements can change.
Degree: Required for EPIK and the standard E-2 route.
TEFL: EPIK requires 100+ hours for applicants without exempt education/teaching credentials.
Common routes: EPIK, public schools, hagwons
EPIK currently accepts citizens of seven designated English-speaking countries, with a separate CEPA route for eligible Indian applicants. Housing and other benefits are common in formal programmes, but private academy contracts vary.
Degree: JET requires a bachelor's degree or qualifying three-year teacher-training certification.
TEFL: Not required by JET, although JET says it can strengthen an application.
Common routes: JET, ALT companies, eikaiwa
Japan has well-known structured routes, but TEFL alone doesn't replace JET's degree requirement. Private employers set their own selection criteria.
Degree: Taiwan's public-school foreign English teacher programme requires an accredited bachelor's degree or above.
TEFL: Public-school eligibility can involve teaching credentials, experience or approved TEFL/TESOL/CELTA pathways.
Common routes: Public schools, buxibans, private schools
Public-school requirements are more specific than simply having TEFL. Private-school and language-centre requirements can differ, so check the exact work-permit route.
Degree: Commonly required for sponsored foreign-teacher roles.
TEFL: Frequently requested for entry-level ESL roles.
Common routes: Kindergartens, schools, universities, language centres
China can offer substantial packages, but legal work status matters. Do not accept advice to work on an inappropriate visa. Verify the current work-permit route before travelling.
Degree: Commonly important for formal work-permit routes.
TEFL: 120-hour TEFL/TESOL is commonly requested by language employers.
Common routes: Language centres, schools, international programmes
Vietnam has a large private-language-school sector. Check current document and work-permit requirements before accepting an offer or paying for legalisation.
Degree: Commonly expected for formal school and work-permit routes.
TEFL: Often preferred and useful for first-time teachers.
Common routes: Government schools, private schools, language centres
Thailand has a visible local job market through sites such as Ajarn. Salaries vary considerably by school and location, so compare the whole package.
Housing, tax, airfare, paid holidays, teaching hours, office hours and local rent can matter more than a small difference in monthly salary.
Asia TEFL recruiters & job boards
We've kept the recruiter and job-board routes from the previous StudyTEFL Asia page and added useful current sources. Choose a country to narrow the directory instantly.
55 recruiter and job-board routes shown
Multi-country TEFL job board covering China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Visit Teast ↗Long-running international ESL jobs board with substantial Asia coverage.
Visit Dave's ESL Cafe ↗International education jobs platform covering major Asian teaching markets.
Visit Teach Away ↗International English-teaching jobs board with Asia country filters.
Visit ESL Careers ↗Useful for larger education groups and recruiters. Verify the poster and employer.
Visit LinkedIn Jobs ↗China-focused teaching jobs board for ESL and international education roles.
Visit China Teach Jobs ↗Curated recruiter and jobs site with China and wider international roles.
Visit Gold Star Teachers ↗Recruiter connecting educators with kindergarten, school and adult teaching roles.
Visit China By Teaching ↗Large expat jobs platform with a substantial China jobs section.
Visit eChinaCities Jobs ↗Large language-school employer with recruitment and relocation support.
Visit English First / English 1 ↗Placement organisation arranging teaching opportunities with Chinese schools.
Visit Teach English in China ↗China teaching-jobs section covering ESL and licensed-teacher roles.
Visit Teach Away China ↗Asia recruiter best known for Korea with wider regional opportunities.
Visit Korvia ↗Long-established Taiwan TEFL jobs, housing, classifieds and advice resource.
Visit TEALIT ↗Official Ministry of Education public-school recruitment route.
Visit Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program ↗Taiwan route through Teast's Asia teaching jobs platform.
Visit Teast Taiwan ↗Major language-school employer with structured recruitment and training.
Visit HESS Taiwan ↗Taiwan ESL and school-teaching recruitment resource.
Visit Teach Away Taiwan ↗Official Education Bureau route for Native-speaking English Teachers.
Visit Hong Kong NET Scheme ↗Hong Kong teaching roles aggregated from larger education jobs sources.
Visit Hong Kong Teaching Jobs ↗Teaching-abroad recruiter and resource with Asian placements.
Visit Teach English Global ↗Hong Kong teaching jobs and destination guidance.
Visit Teach Away Hong Kong ↗Official Japanese government programme including ALT placements.
Visit JET Programme ↗Major eikaiwa employer recruiting English instructors across Japan.
Visit AEON ↗Recruiter with experience placing teachers in Japan and other Asian markets.
Visit Tamaki TEFL Recruitment ↗Major private ALT provider supplying teachers to Japanese public schools.
Visit Interac ↗Large Japan jobs platform with English-teaching and education roles.
Visit GaijinPot Jobs ↗Large one-to-one English conversation school network.
Visit Gaba ↗Jobs platform for foreign residents and overseas applicants.
Visit YOLO Japan ↗Large conversation-school employer with instructor roles across Japan.
Visit NOVA ↗Large language-school group recruiting English instructors.
Visit ECC Japan ↗ALT recruiter and staffing company for Japanese schools.
Visit Heart Corporation ↗Large searchable jobs platform with English-teaching listings.
Visit Jobs in Japan ↗Long-running twice-monthly teaching-jobs newsletter focused on Japan.
Visit O-Hayo Sensei ↗Current Japan ESL, ALT and licensed-teacher listings.
Visit Teach Away Japan ↗Official public-school English programme for eligible teachers.
Visit EPIK ↗Korea recruiter supporting E-2 applicants and school placements.
Visit OK Recruiting ↗Recruitment platform focused on Korea and China.
Visit ESL Teaching Jobs in Asia ↗Korea-focused ESL jobs and recruiter resource.
Visit ESL ROK ↗Placement service for eligible graduates seeking Korean teaching roles.
Visit Gone2Korea ↗Recruiter placing graduates in Korean public and private schools.
Visit TEIK ↗South Korea recruiter promoting vetted school placements.
Visit Planet ESL ↗Recruiter working with EPIK and regional education offices.
Visit Korean Horizons ↗Recruitment agency helping teachers find ESL roles across Korea.
Visit Park English ↗Korea jobs platform with teaching roles around the country.
Visit WorknPlay ↗Public and private school teaching opportunities in Korea.
Visit Teach Away Korea ↗Education company serving private and government schools across Thailand.
Visit BFITS Thailand ↗One of Thailand's best-known English-teaching jobs and advice sites.
Visit Ajarn ↗Thailand-focused foreign-teacher jobs site with practical advice.
Visit Kru Teacher ↗Thailand teaching-jobs and TEFL information resource.
Visit ESL Gorilla ↗Thailand teaching jobs and destination resource.
Visit Teach Away Thailand ↗Vietnam education organisation and jobs/resource route.
Visit Career Plus Vietnam ↗Dedicated Vietnam education jobs board covering schools and centres.
Visit Vietnam Teaching Jobs ↗Vietnam route through Teast's Asia teaching jobs platform.
Visit Teast Vietnam ↗Vietnam teaching-abroad route and jobs resource.
Visit Teach Away Vietnam ↗Recruiters, schools and boards can change ownership, policies and contract terms. Verify the employer, legal work route and contract before accepting a position or sending sensitive documents.
Degree vs TEFL
For major programmes such as EPIK and JET, the degree requirement is fundamental. Buying a TEFL certificate cannot turn a no-degree applicant into an eligible applicant for a route that legally requires a degree. If you don't have a degree, research the legal work routes first rather than assuming TEFL alone unlocks every Asian market.
Once you're eligible for the work route, TEFL can be the additional training employers or programmes want. EPIK currently requires at least 100 hours for many applicants who don't already hold qualifying education credentials. If a job specifically asks for CELTA, Level 5, a teaching licence or another named credential, take the qualification that job asks for.
Safer applications
Check legal work status, degree eligibility, school reputation, teaching load, office hours, housing, deductions, holidays, notice period and who pays visa-related costs.
Confirm exactly which degree, police-check and TEFL documents the employer or immigration route needs. Different documents can follow different apostille or authentication processes.
If a recruiter tells you to work on a visa that doesn't permit the job, verify the advice independently before travelling. Also be cautious about paying simply to be placed. Established recruiters such as Korvia and Gone2Korea currently advertise their teacher placement services as free.
StudyTEFL student jobs resource
Individual vacancies disappear quickly, so we don't want this page filled with dead application links. Enrolled students get access to our regularly updated jobs resource inside the LMS instead.
Inside the LMS
Use these public recruiter and country resources whenever you need them, then check the student jobs resource for more current opportunities and application links.
120-hour Complete TEFL
StudyTEFL's $39 course combines TEFL theory with real ESL lesson footage, teaching scenarios, tutor support and practical training.
It's designed for people who need standard 120-hour TEFL preparation without paying hundreds simply to apply for entry-level jobs. If you want the fullest route, including Business TEFL, the 200-hour Specialist + Business course is $59.
Your next step
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