What Are the Requirements to Teach English in Italy?

Dreaming of chowing down on large bowls of delicious, homemade pasta and washing it down with a superb glass of red? Or perhaps a traditional, wood-fired pizza with the fluffiest buffalo mozzarella you've ever sunk your teeth into is calling your name? Maybe you love great opera or Renaissance architecture. Whatever your reason for wanting to teach English in Italy may be, we've got the basic requirements covered for you.

How to Teach English in Italy

To teach English abroad in Italy you will need a TEFL or TESOL certification. A 4-year university degree is preferred but not always required. Native English language proficiency is also preferred. The average salary for an English teacher in Italy is about $900 - $1,500 USD per month.

How to Become an English Teacher in Italy

Now let's look at the following requirements to teach English in Italy in detail:

1. Hold a TEFL certification

2. Possess a 4-year college degree (Typically but not always required)

3. Understand the visa laws and common practices

4. Know which cities have the most jobs

5. Be financially prepared

6. Talk to an ITA advisor

1. Hold a TEFL Certification

Being a native or fluent English speaker is a key part of teaching English abroad but that alone does not qualify just anyone to take charge of a student’s future with the English language. Nearly all language schools and private families in Italy require their English teachers to hold a legitimate (accredited) TEFL certificate so that they know what training and skills a prospective English teacher possess.

To read more about what defines a legitimate TEFL certificate, take a quick detour to this article here.

2. Possess a 4-year College Degree (Typically But Not Always Required)

Demand for English language education among Italian students remains high, and a native English speaker is the ideal educator for this language education. However, it’s common for language schools or families looking to hire tutors to prioritize a 4-year degree in addition to a TEFL certification when seeking an English teacher... even if it’s unrelated to education! Your 4-year degree can be in any field or subject matter. 

Note: Citizens of European Union nations may have an easier time getting a job without a 4-year degree, but most employers still typically require it.

Don't have a 4-year degree? Check out this article to learn more about your options: No Degree?  No Problem - Top 6 Countries to Teach English Abroad without a College Degree

3. Understand the Visa Laws and Common Practices

Having the legal right to work in Italy looks different for a variety of passport holders. While EU citizens will typically automatically have legal working status, Canadians and Australians may want to consider applying for a Working Holiday Visa.

American English teachers are in high demand in Italy, but will almost never be provided with the legal right to work in Italy (a work visa). Therefore, a majority of American English teachers are working under the table and being paid in cash in order to live as an English teacher in Italy… sometimes for years at a time! This is not technically legal, but it is common.

There is a minority of American teachers in Italy working on a student visa, for which they are taking Italian classes to be eligible. Read more about that approach to working in Italy.

Read more: What Type of Visa Can I Use to Teach English in Italy?

4. Know Which Cities Have the Most Jobs

To no one’s surprise, Italy is rife with stunning countryside and quaint rural town scenes. However, nearly everyone who wants to teach in Italy imagines themselves waking up each morning to a terrace view overlooking one of these vistas. This means trying to teach in a place like this is going to be incredibly competitive and difficult to achieve. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find yourself living and teaching someplace that is a short trip away! The rule of thumb for teaching markets in Italy is that wherever the population is the largest, the level of opportunity for English teachers is the highest. Therefore, setting your sights on larger cities like Rome, Milan, Naples, and Turin is the right move.

One popular destination yet un-ideal teaching market in Italy to make note of is Florence. Florence is a moderate-sized city and while there are some language schools, it is a city that is already saturated with a plethora of English teachers. This makes it a difficult job market, especially for Americans & other non-European Union citizens.

5. Be Financially Prepared & Have Savings for Start-up Costs

Start-up costs and monthly costs of living are the expenses you’ll want to plan for prior to your arrival in Italy. Interviewing for work in a language school or establishing yourself as a private tutor almost always happens in the first 2 weeks after arrival. After that, you should expect another 4 weeks to pass before you earn your first paycheck or until your schedule is comfortably filled with private tutoring clients.

Therefore, we recommend you plan to bring enough funds to cover your first six weeks of living in Italy. In USD, this amount should be somewhere between $2,250 and $2,700 for 6 weeks. In Euro, this amount should be about €2,000 to €2,500.

Financial Pro Tip! A great way to make and save money for start-up costs is teaching English online. You can begin making money (typically $10 - $20 an hour to start, or more if you have previous teaching experience and/or a degree in education) from home before you depart for Italy, and teaching English online enables you to begin making money as soon as you arrive in Italy.  It also provides a great way to make extra money once you get a full or part-time job on the ground in Italy.

To learn more, read: Teach English Online: Your Guide on How to Make Money & Travel the World.

6. Last But Not Least - Talk to an ITA Advisor!

In order to make sure you are prepared to teach English in Italy you should plan to speak to an ITA Admissions Advisor! From salaries & hiring seasons to visas, ITA’s Advisors are experts in the nuanced details of teaching English in an incredible country like Italy, so they’re here to make sure your questions and concerns are addressed. To speak to an advisor today, give us a call at 773-634-9900 or contact us here.

Read more: 8 Ways Speaking to an ITA Advisor Can Help You Teach English Abroad