A 6-Step Plan to Get a Job Teaching English in Vietnam in 2024

With breathtaking beauty and endless adventure, Vietnam has proven to be a popular market for English teachers seeking an off-the-beaten-path experience. With a low cost of living, mouth-watering cuisine, natural reserves with over 1,800 miles of coastline, as well as mountain ranges, it’s easy to see why so many ESL teachers make Vietnam their home away from home.

How Do I Become an English Teacher in Vietnam?

To get a job teaching English in Vietnam, you must follow a number of steps, including researching your options, getting a TEFL certificate, preparing for your move overseas, getting a work visa, and applying for English teaching jobs.

How to Apply as an English Teacher in Vietnam in 2024

Now, let’s take a detailed look at the following 6 steps to help you teach English in Vietnam:

1. Call an Advisor and Begin Your Research 

Not sure where to begin? Download a copy of our free Teaching English in Vietnam ebook or give us a call at 773-634-9900 to speak with an ITA expert advisor to discuss your options and questions. All of our Admissions Advisors at ITA have spent extensive time living, traveling, and teaching English abroad. They will work with you throughout your research and will answer questions on up-to-date teaching market information, hiring procedures and timelines, average salary and living costs, education requirements, visa eligibility, and more.

If you already have been assigned to an advisor, send them an email or give them a call to set up a time to talk. Ask them about our Guaranteed Job Placement Program in Vietnam, which will make the process a lot easier on your end once you have received your TEFL certification. 

To learn more about teaching English in Vietnam specifically, check out the following resources:

• Review ITA’s detailed Vietnam Country Profile
• The Requirements to Teach English in Vietnam
• How Much Can I Save & Earn as an English Teacher in Vietnam?
• Will I Face Age Restrictions Teaching English Abroad in Asia?

Additionally, check out the Vietnam section of our blog and video library where you can discover hundreds of FAQs, Q&As, articles, and day-in-the-life alumni videos giving you a firsthand glimpse into what life teaching English in Vietnam could look like for you!

2. Enroll in a TEFL Course

Completing an accredited TEFL certification course will provide you with the skills and qualifications needed to teach English in Vietnam. This is a recognized qualification that thousands of schools and institutes in Vietnam and worldwide seek and require when hiring new English teachers. Even if you are a certified or experienced teacher, unless you have a degree in TESOL, you will still want to get TEFL certified.

Because many schools in Vietnam recruit and interview locally in Vietnam, most ITA students take our 170-hour online TEFL course or our in-person TEFL course in Hanoi, Vietnam, or our in-person TEFL course in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. All three courses are excellent options that cater to different lifestyles and timelines. Let’s take a closer look at these two options:

• 170-hour Online TEFL Course
  • Part-time: This course spans 11 weeks offering you the flexibility to get TEFL certified while working or going to school full-time.
  • 20 Hours of Hands-On Live Practice Teaching: This course includes a mandatory live practice teaching component that you will be expected to complete to fully prepare you for the classroom.
  • One-on-one lifetime job search assistance is guaranteed whether you just graduated or are looking for a teaching position a few years down the road. 
  • The online TEFL class is the most cost-effective way to earn your TEFL certification.
    
    
• Hanoi, Vietnam In-Person TEFL Course
  • Full-Time: This course spans 4 weeks (40+ hours a week) with required class time typically being anywhere from 6-8 hours each day.
  • 25 nights of accommodation is included in your tuition.
  • Classes are capped at 16 students.
  • Hands-On Live Practice Teaching: This course includes a mandatory live practice teaching component with local ESL students.
  • Receive job search guidance in Vietnam and one-on-one job search guidance for life!
    
    
• Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam In-Person TEFL Course
  • Full-Time: This course spans 4 weeks (40+ hours a week) with required class time typically being anywhere from 6-8 hours each day.
  • 25 nights of accommodation is included in your tuition.
  • Classes are capped at 24 students.
  • Hands-On Live Practice Teaching: This course includes a mandatory live practice teaching component with local ESL students.
  • Receive job search guidance in Vietnam and one-on-one job search guidance for life!

Looking for other TEFL certification options?  Check out ITA’s complete index of online and in-person TEFL courses around the world

3. Prepare for Your Job Search & Make Travel Arrangements

ITA’s Student Affairs team will provide you with the resources, expertise, and guidance you need to get a job teaching English in Vietnam. You will team up with your own personal Student Affairs Advisor, who can help you with the following:

• Preparing your resume and cover letter;
• Resources to connect you with recruiters, job listings, and recommended schools in Vietnam looking to hire;
• Visa information, processes, and much, much more.

Most schools in Vietnam conduct face-to-face interviews, meaning you will need to be on the ground and in Vietnam to interview for jobs. Although rare, some schools will interview you in advance from your home country over Zoom.

If you plan to interview for teaching positions in person in Vietnam, you will need to make any necessary travel arrangements, including arrangements for flights and accommodations. Also, you will likely enter Vietnam on a tourist visa.

4. Apply for Positions and Interview

ESL teachers in Vietnam can typically expect to find jobs year-round. The most common job types include teaching adults or children in private language schools, teaching children in public schools, or teaching business English to adults.

Remember to keep your options open. If you have the opportunity, interview at a handful of different schools and compare the offers you receive to see which school provides the best fit and offers the best benefits. As part of ITA’s lifetime job search guidance, our Student Affairs team can review your contract to ensure it is fair and that the offered salary is in line with pay averages in the region where you plan to teach.

5. Sign a Contract and Make Visa Arrangements

Once you’ve accepted a job offer and signed your contract, you will need to file documents to receive your visa. To teach English in Vietnam, you will require a work visa. There are two scenarios that can play out here:

• If you secure employment in advance of being in Vietnam, you can process your work visa/permit in your home country. Typical documents needed for a work permit are – a contract from school, a letter from school, a criminal record check from your home country, a TEFL certificate, and your original university/college degree. 
• Most people enter Vietnam on a tourist visa and find a job on the ground. Tourist visas can last anywhere from 30-90 days. Once a job offer has been made and a contract signed, your school will assist you in obtaining your work visa. The work permit will allow you to legally work in Vietnam. You will need to leave Vietnam to pick up your work visa in a neighboring country such as Cambodia. 

Your visa and work permit are typically valid for the length of your teaching contract.

It is important to note that the name on your documents needs to be an exact match to the name on your passport - if not you will have to get an affidavit from your Embassy proving you are the same person. For example, if the name on your degree says Sarah M. Smith but your passport reads Sarah Marie Smith, you will require an affidavit to confirm the match. 

For a detailed breakdown of the visa process for Vietnam including all the documents needed, please read Visa Know How: Vietnam Work Permit & Business Visa.

6. Begin Your New Job! 

While it may seem like the adventure has already begun, that was just the beginning! You’re about to put all that training into action and help change lives! Congrats and best of luck with your English teaching job in Vietnam.