How to Teach English in Prague

Requirements to Teach in the Czech Republic

First things first, the requirements. Since Czech Republic is in the European Union, they're strict on the requirements to get a teaching job and legally move here to live and work.

Unless you're from another EU country and have the right to live and job hunt here without the need of a specific visa, you need to make sure you check off all the requirements to teach in the Czech Republic.

In general, you need:

• TEFL Certificate or CELTA (can be obtained in CR, check below)
• Bachelor’s degree in any subject
• Criminal record check in CR
• Good health (must pass medical check in CR)

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How to Teach English in Czech Republic

Without a TEFL/CELTA

There are various options on how to get started in the Czech Republic.

If you do not already have your TEFL or CELTA a good option would be to take the course in CR. Once you have completed the course they will assist you in finding a job.

‍Then, once a job is secured your employer will work with you to apply for the necessary visa. 

There are many companies that offer these courses. TEFL Worldwide Prague and The Language House TEFL are two that have been highly recommended by fellow teachers in Prague. The biggest downfall in this option is you need to take the course, find a job, and apply for your visa (from outside of the CR) all within 90 days of arriving in the country.

Rather get your TEFL before arriving in the Czech Republic? Kat, the founder of A Way Abroad, got her TEFL certificate online with ITTT. She was able to use her certification to get English teaching jobs in Ecuador, South Korea, Ecuador, and online.

‍Although she didn't use the certificate in Prague specifically, it's a reputable company that schools here would also accept.

With a TEFL or CELTA

If you already have a TEFL or CELTA then you can start looking for a job.

While it is possible to search and apply for jobs from abroad, most workplaces expect to have face to face interviews. For this reason it is easier to find a job once you are already in the country.

It might seem daunting to move to a new country before securing a job but the unemployment rate in CR is approximately 2% (June 2018). That is the lowest in all of Europe, making it relatively easy to find a job here and also turning it into a hotspot for jobseekers from all over the world.

Again, once a job is found you will be able to work with your employer to obtain the necessary visa.

Youth Mobility Visa in the Czech Republic

I choose to come to CR using a Youth Mobility Visa. This isn't the only way you can get a work visa to work in Czech Republic but this is how I was able to teach English here.

It's important to note that this visa is only for Canadian citizens. There may be similar arrangements between CR and your country which would definitely be worth looking into. You should be able to get this information from the Czech Embassy in your country.

If you're Canadian, and meet the rest of the requirements outlined below, it's one of the easiest ways to move to the Czech Republic but if you're not Canadian, you're not out of luck! In that case, you'd need to get hired first and get a sponsored work visa from your school.

For Canadians, the requirements for the Youth Mobility Visa are:

• Valid Passport
• Between 18 and 35 years old
• No previous youth mobility visa for CR unless you have a different purpose of stay (e.g., school, work)
• Declaration to arrange health insurance
• Return ticket or sufficient financial resources to purchase one
• Proof of financial resources 2,500CAD with a return ticket, 4,000CAD without a return ticket
• Processing fee (150 CAD)

For Canadians, all that you need to do is submit the required documents with your application and wait for the visa to be issued. Essentially I needed to prove I had the financial resources to cover my move to CR, and provide some additional forms and declarations. This processing time was about 2-3 months.

The great thing about this visa is that it allows you to work and travel freely within the CR for one year. You can have multiple jobs, change jobs, or have no job, all without having to deal with any additional permits or visas.

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How to Find a Teaching Job in Prague

Job Platforms

The website that I mainly used to find job opportunities was expats.cz. I think that this site is pretty great. You can create an account on it for free to view the job postings and use a one click application by saving your resume and information to your account.

There is also an option to post your resume on the website to be viewed by companies looking for employees for a small fee.

You can also find multiple Facebook groups that have job postings for expats in the CR. The postings are constantly looking for English speakers as well as speakers of many other languages.

There are teaching opportunities in international schools, private schools, public schools, tutoring for businesses, or private tutoring. With the exception of working at international schools, all of these opportunities are for teaching English.

You could be teaching children, teenagers, adults focused on business English, the list goes on. Another not one of the most popular teaching destinations, it really should be with how much variety and teaching opportunities there are here.

Plenty of jobs can be found in the Czech Republic outside of Prague if you are looking to live in a small city or town. But these places will most likely have less events and less accessibility for a person who does not speak Czech. Browse through these fantastic places in Czech Republic to see if another city or town catches your eye.

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The Interview Process

You can expect the interview and hiring process to be very standard.

They will want to see that you have the required documents for the position (e.g., degree, TEFL, visa) and may also ask you to create and present a lesson. If this is the case they will either let you know before you go into the interview or they will do the initial interview and then ask you to present the mock lesson in a second interview.

Once you have accepted a job offer there are a couple more formalities to complete:

• You will need to get a criminal record check done within the CR. This involves going to a Czech Point office, most of which are found in the city's major post offices. The check takes approximately 30 minutes to be completed and has a small fee.
• You will also have to go to the doctor for a medical check which your job should compensate you for.

Just make sure that if you're not from the European Union or on the Youth Mobility Visa (or similar) that the teaching job you're applying for is willing to sponsor your visa. Don't waste your time on schools that aren't willing or able to help with this.

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Living & Working in Prague

I arrived in October and there were plenty of available teaching jobs for English speakers. I arranged several interviews after which I was offered multiple positions and took my choice of them. I accepted a position at a private preschool teaching English.

It's important to note that this wasn't my first time teaching English abroad and I did have previous teaching experience but I did meet plenty of first time teachers who were also able to secure a job relatively swiftly.

I had very little training at my preschool but it was easy enough to jump right in. My school is great, we often do day trips with the kids and we even have two week-long trips every year. I have a paid summer vacation and flexible holidays throughout the year. I have been very happy with my job since I started and have already decided to extend my time in Prague.

Not only do I really enjoy my job but I am also completely in love with living in Prague. I believe that the Czech Republic is one of the best countries in Europe to work as an English teacher. The cost of living in Prague is relatively low for Central Europe. If one is careful with their paycheck, it should not only be enough to get by but you should also be able to do some traveling throughout Central Europe and beyond.

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‍Tips to Settle into Living in Czech Republic

Prepare for the Apartment Hunt

While finding a job in Prague is relatively painless, finding a flat can be more difficult.

If you are like me and many other expats in Prague you will probably want to get a flat share in order to save more money for traveling. In this case I recommend looking at the various Facebook groups for flats in Prague.

It is very fast paced so if you see a post you are interested in, write to them as soon as possible to arrange a viewing. These posts get so many responses that you may not get a reply from the poster.

If they do reply and you arrange a viewing it is likely that they have set up many others so treat the flat viewing like an interview, they are trying to find the best fit for their flat.

Indulge in the Beer Culture

The beer in Czech Republic is not only amazing but cheap too. They say that beer is cheaper than water here and that actually is often the case.

You can find beer anywhere that you go. It’s no wonder that the Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world!

Rely on Public Transportation

‍At least in Prague, there is the metro, trams, and buses. While the metro closes around midnight there are night trams and buses that run all through the night. It is also extremely cheap for transportation here. Within the city it is very convenient to get around.

You can also easily take a train out of the city to visit some of the amazing sites in the country.

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Will You Teach English in Prague?

Teaching English in the Czech Republic has been a great experience thus far. With a plethora of teaching positions available throughout the city and country, the welcoming Czech culture, plenty of beer to drink, and a decent average salary, it's a great spot to be.

From private language schools to teaching adults after work, whatever your niche and experience may be, there's likely a teaching job waiting for you here.

The only risk is moving here before you secure a job but if you're open for the gamble, my bet is that it'll pay off!