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Hi! I am bilingual (English and Spanish), educated in English, have a B. Ed (4 year degree in Education), an RSA Prep Cert in TEFL and a Post Grad Cert in TESOL. I have worked 3 x 11 week terms this year (2007) and been a relief teacher for 2 years (2005-2006), at a school for adult migrants and refugees, in Adelaide, Australia. I am 56 and I have an Australian passport, but not an EU passport. What are my chances of finding work in Europe e.g. Spain, Italy, Greece or Hungary?
Thanks,
Clarisa

I think with such broad experience and good education background you will be able to get a visa or/and work permit in any serious teaching place.

Thank you Kootvela.

I agree. Professionals with solid credentials and experience such as yourself shouldn't have much of an issue finding legal employment.

Thank Comenius.....yeah!
Clarisa

hello, I am also interested in working in Europe without an EU passport

I have a BA in politics and international relations and am currently aquiring a TESOL cerrtificate. I have heard Eastern europe bloc states may be more condusive to entry but offer lower renumeration. Can anyone advise me of my prospects of working in Europe?

How about a teacher with solid TEFL/ESL experience from the USA? What would be my chances of obtaining LEGAL employment in a reputable summer school?

Thanks!

Have heard a few people talking about teaching jobs in Europe wanting EU cabdidates only. I worked for a school called Wattsenglish in the Czech Republic last year (and although a EU passport holder myself) I know that they do readily employ non-eu nationals and when you finish your first contract they re-imbuse all visa related expences. They only teach children though so it's not for everyone, but hey....

Although it's not impossible, it is much harder to find work in Europe if you don't have a passport from an EU member state.

Most schools will simply not have the time nor inclination to go through the hoops to sort out the visa issue. Another problem is that in some cases your visa will be tied to the school so, for example, you are not able to move jobs and stay in the country.

Having said that there are a number of non-European passport holders working in schools. Most, from my experience, have come over and found work by knocking on doors rather than through an online job advert (and many have at least a girl/boyfriend or spouse in the country where they're working).

The idea here is that they have made themselves indispensable to the school; first by turning up on the doorstep when the school is in need and then by providing such a good service that the students want them to stay on. In other words, they're good teachers and give a lot!

Working in Europe

Pete, thanks. I am going to apply for my UK passport and hope that it will be issued in time for me to get a job in Spain in October!

It's scary to think of going over there without a job already but the consensus seems to be that people are most successful that way.

There is no such thing as a EU passport. FYI every EU country cvontinuesto issue its own national passports. The only thing that is 'EU' about them is that the words European Union are written across the top of the front cover. Getting UK citizenship and/or nationality is extremely difficult and is not usually granted by post.

Thanks for the info. I suppose a more accurate term would be an EU Visa with work entitlment. All I need is a TEMPORARY work visa so I can teach at summer schools in the UK. Is this possible?

Please see the many comments regarding employment of USA citizens as teachers in Europe. In a nutshell, citizens of EU countries , whether they are 100% native English speakers or not, have absolute free movement of domicile and employment throughout the union and will take preference. Note also that the UK is not part of the Schengen area http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement, and a visa to the UK will not generally grant access to the other Union countries and vice-versa. There may be special arrangements for tourism visas for USA citizens. To find out, you would need to visit the consulate web pages of the countries you intend to visit. This has nothing to do, however, with your prospects for work as a teacher.

Australian Citizens searching for jobs in europe must apply for the appropriate visa from the nearest European Embassy or Consulate. You should apply for the relevant visa from outside of Spain

For example, for Spain you will need your NIE (Numero Indentificacion Extranjero).

Warning: Plenty of Australians find their hopes of teaching English as a foreign language in Spain are dashed by intense competition from young Brits who don't have to overcome the same bureaucratic hurdles. To fight off the competition, speaking the local language is a big big help.

All the Best
Joe

If it makes you feel any better, I know British TEFL teachers who haven't been able to teach in Australia and the US for visa reasons too, and then there are the jobs they can't get in Asia because they prefer American English...