There are some fairly straightforward qualifications that you must have in order to teach in Korea. If you do not have any of the following you will not be issued a visa.
- A citizen of one of the following countries: Canada, United State, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa.
- A passport from one of the above countries with at least six months validity remaining and one empty page for the visa.
- A four year Bachelor degree from an accredited university from one of the above countries.
- A clean criminal record. You will need a criminal record check before you can get a visa. For Americans, make sure the criminal record check includes a sex offender registry check. For Canadians makes sure the criminal record check has a vulnerable sector search.
- Upon arrival in Korea you must pass a physical exam and a blood test checking for communicable diseases and drugs. The drug test does not test for marijuana, but marijuana use is taken very seriously in Korea and should not be attempted.
Please download our Document Checklist for Americans or our Document Checklist for Canadians to ensure that you have all the necessary documents.
In addition to these official requirements, there are a number of skills and qualities that are important for a person to have. They include being:
- patient
- open minded
- flexible
- energetic
- positive
- friendly
- outgoing
- organized
If you see yourself as having some or most of these qualities, you will probably have a great experience teaching English in Korea.
