Teaching English Legally in France, Spain & Italy with a Student Visa

Overview:

• An American is legally eligible to work 20 hours a week while on a student visa in France, Spain, or Italy.  Many foreign English teachers will also tutor students privately or teach English online to earn additional income. 
• To obtain a student visa you must enroll in a government-recognized program at an approved language school or university where you will be learning the local language (i.e. Spanish or Catalan in Spain).

Process and fees to obtain a student visa and teach English in France, Italy, or Spain

All participants must take an International TEFL Academy TEFL certification course, either in person for 4 weeks or online for 11 weeks, with no exceptions.  (See below for examples.)

Please visit one of the web pages for information on how to apply for your student visa in a particular country:

• France: How to Apply for a Student Visa in France
• Italy: How to Apply for a Student Visa in Italy
• Spain: How to Apply for a Student Visa in Spain

Interviews for English teaching jobs in France, Spain, and Italy 

Interviews for English teaching jobs in France, Spain, and Italy are almost always conducted locally face-to-face.  The primary hiring seasons for English teachers in these countries are mid-September through early October and in January.  Both occur at the beginning of the semester following the departure of up to 50 % of the previous teachers.   Jobs are typically 20-25 hours a week of teaching hours (not including prep time) at 12-18 Euros an hour, which is sufficient pay to live comfortably in these countries. 

Face-to-face interviews

With a TEFL certification and assistance from the Student Affairs office at International TEFL Academy, you will interview in the peak hiring season with many language schools. Most new teachers find work within 5-10 days and start working immediately if they are in-country during the peak hiring seasons.  (Language classes can be taken prior, concurrently, or after interviewing and starting a job.)

Hiring seasons for English teaching jobs in Europe and worldwide

See our chart of countries and hiring seasons.

TEFL Certification requirements 

To teach English abroad and receive job search guidance, students are required to take any of our professional TEFL courses.  TEFL courses are offered in 25 locations worldwide (4 weeks) and online (11 weeks).  All International TEFL Academy TEFL certificates are accepted worldwide.

Popular TEFL class locations to teach English in France, Italy, and Spain 

• France: Toulouse TEFL class
• Italy: Florence TEFL and Rome TEFL classes
• Spain: Madrid TEFL Class and  Barcelona TEFL class.

Many Americans and Canadians who want a domestic TEFL course before moving to Europe will take our online TEFL class.  

More than 80% of International TEFL Academy students take our Online TEFL class and then go abroad to teach English.

Timing of TEFL classes, language classes, and job interviews  

Popular TEFL Class Options: 

A.   Complete your TEFL class first

1) Online TEFL classes

Students may start the process of obtaining a student visa while also taking International TEFL Academy’s 11-week online TEFL course.  Typically a student will finish their TEFL class prior to going abroad to teach.  Graduates then arrive in a country and start a language class and interview for a job during the hiring season.

2)  TEFL classes in Europe: 

Example 1:

• Month 1 - Madrid TEFL Class.
• Month 2 - Teach English in Madrid and start language classes part-time.

Example 2:

• Month 1 – Barcelona TEFL Class.
• Month 2 – Teach English in Barcelona and start language classes part-time.

 Example 3:

• Month 1 – Florence TEFL Class.
• Month 2 - Teach English in Florence and start language classes part-time. 

3).  Complete foreign language classes first

Example:

• Month 1 – Language class in Toulouse France.
• Month 2 - TEFL Toulouse class.
• Month 3 - Move to anywhere in France and teach English on a student visa.

Student Visa Programs in Europe:

ITA offers Student Visa Programs in Europe to earn the opportunity to legally work on a student visa in Italy or Spain while learning that respective country's language. You can choose to enroll in the Rome Student Visa Program to teach English in Italy, while the Madrid Student Visa Program and the Barcelona Student Visa Program give you a few options for teaching English in Spain.