How to teach English in South Korea in 2026

Requirements to teach English in South Korea

• Citizenship of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa — the E-2 visa is limited to these seven.
• A bachelor's degree in any subject, apostilled.
• A national-level criminal record check (e.g. FBI, ACRO, RCMP, SAPS), apostilled and recent. It can take 4–12 weeks.
• A TEFL certificate — EPIK and Seoul public schools use a 100–120-hour TEFL to set your pay level.
• A health check after arrival, including drug screening. EPIK's upper age limit is 62.

How much do English teachers earn in South Korea?

On top of salary: free furnished housing (or about ₩400,000–500,000 a month), severance of about one month's pay after a full year (required by law), national health insurance and pension shared with the employer, and flight support — Seoul public schools pay a ₩1.8M entrance and ₩1.3M exit allowance. USD at 30 October 2026 rates (US$1 ≈ ₩1,340).

Market reality: E-2 visas fell to a six-year low in early 2026 and teachers report pay stuck near ₩2.4–2.6M while the monthly minimum wage is about ₩2.1M (Korea JoongAng Daily, May 2026). Free housing still makes saving easy — but compare offers and read hagwon contracts line by line.

The legal route: E-2 visa and ARC

1. Order your criminal record check early and apostille it and your degree.
2. Apply to EPIK (or a recruiter placing with EPIK) or directly to a hagwon, interview and sign.
3. Apply for the E-2 visa at a Korean embassy or consulate with your employer's documents.
4. Arrive, complete the health check, and get your Alien Registration Card (ARC) within 90 days.

The E-2 is tied to your employer; changing schools needs a letter of release.

Non-native speakers and no degree

No degree

Not possible. The E-2 visa requires a bachelor's degree.

Non-native English speakers

Not eligible for the E-2. It is limited to the seven nationalities above, and EPIK also asks for education completed in English. Unless you already hold a different Korean visa that allows work, Korea is realistically closed for English-teaching jobs. Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia have no passport rule — see the non-native speaker guide.

When do schools in Korea hire?

The Korean school year starts in March. EPIK has two intakes — for March and late-August starts — so apply about six months ahead. Hagwons hire all year, busiest before March and September.

Cost of living

Single-source estimates; rent outside Seoul is typically 30–50% lower.

Sources checked

• ESL Base, “Teach English in Public Schools in South Korea — EPIK Fall 2026” (posted 25 Feb 2026).
• Korvia, “SMOE salary levels” (Seoul Pay Scale 2026).
• Korea JoongAng Daily, “Foreign English teachers cite stagnant wages, poor conditions amid drop in E-2 visas” (14 May 2026).
• VisasKorea, “E-2 English Teacher Visa Korea” (2026); Korea Experience, “EPIK vs Hagwon Guide 2026”.
• Exchange rate: open.er-api.com, 30 Oct 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much do English teachers earn in South Korea?

About ₩2.2–2.7 million a month at EPIK public schools and ₩2.3–2.6 million to start at hagwons (roughly US$1,650–2,000), plus free housing and a month's severance after a year.

Can I teach English in Korea without a degree?

No. The E-2 visa requires a bachelor's degree.

Can non-native speakers teach English in Korea?

Not on the E-2 visa, which is limited to citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa.

Is South Africa eligible for the E-2 visa?

Yes. South Africa is one of the seven eligible countries.

Updated October 2026 by Teacher Francois. Salaries and visa rules are typical ranges reported for 2025–2026 and can change — always confirm with your employer and the official embassy or immigration website before you pay for anything.

Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).