TEFL Jobs in Vietnam
Make a positive impact and see the world with our exciting TEFL jobs.
Teach English in Vietnam and experience a high standard of living with an excellent local salary. When you teach in Vietnam, you can experience beautiful islands and beaches or bustling cities, packed with street vendors and buzzing mopeds, in equal measure. With a fresh and fiery cuisine and friendly locals who will extend the warmest of welcomes to you, it's hard not to fall in love with this beautiful country. Take a look at our exciting teaching jobs in Vietnam today!
Four things stand between you and a classroom in Vietnam
Vietnam has quietly become the destination teachers recommend to each other. Salaries sit above Thailand's while living costs stay low, demand for English keeps outrunning supply, and there are more jobs on this page than for anywhere else on our site. The catch is paperwork: Vietnam takes its work permits seriously, and the document stage is where unprepared applicants lose months.
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Hanoi
- Da Nang
- Hai Phong
- Hue
- Nha Trang
What you need to teach English in Vietnam
Vietnam has tightened enforcement considerably in recent years. The days of turning up and sorting it out later are over, and that's good news — a properly documented teacher is a protected one.
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A bachelor's degree in any subject
Required for the work permit. Subject doesn't matter for most language centre and school roles, but you'll need the original certificate, and it will need legalising before the permit can be issued.
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A TEFL certificate of 120 hours or more
The standard Vietnamese employers and the authorities expect from anyone without a teaching degree. It's the one requirement you can satisfy quickly, which is why it's worth starting with.
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Legalised documents
A criminal record check, your degree and a health check, all authenticated and often consular-legalised for use in Vietnam. This is the slow part, and the reason to begin before you've even accepted an offer.
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A real work permit, not a business visa
Some employers still suggest starting work on a business visa while the permit catches up. Don't. Enforcement is active, penalties fall on the teacher as well as the school, and an employer casual about this is telling you what they'll be like about your pay.
Requirements are set nationally but interpreted by provincial departments, and they do change. Talk to our team before committing, and see our guide on how to legalise your TEFL certificate for the authentication step.
Which TEFL course should you take for Vietnam?
All three clear the 120-hour mark. Vietnam is unusual in that you can also do this the other way round — get certified in-country and job-hunt from there, with employers meeting you in person.
120hr Professional TEFL
£99
Meets the requirement, gets your application taken seriously, and leaves your budget for the legalisation costs — which in Vietnam are the ones that catch people out.
- Meets the 120-hour standard
- Finish in 2–4 weeks
- Lifetime access to materials
170hr Combined TEFL
£279
Includes 20 hours of assessed practice with real ESL learners. Vietnamese language centres hire on a demo lesson, so this is the one that prepares you for how you'll be judged.
- Ready for the demo lesson
- Answers the "no experience" objection
- Free lesson plan bundle included
168hr Level 5 TEFL
£269
Ofqual-regulated and awarded by TQUK. Worth it if you're aiming at the international schools and bilingual programmes, where pay sits well above the centre average.
- Regulated, not just accredited
- Opens the better-paying schools
- Travels with you to any market
Or get certified in Vietnam itself
We run on-site TEFL courses in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. You train in the country you want to work in, practise with real Vietnamese learners, and finish with local employers already aware of you — which in a market that hires face-to-face is worth a great deal.
Vietnam's corporate English market is growing quickly in both major cities. The 70hr Business English course (£89) opens it up, and much entry-level work is with young learners, so the Early Childhood Education course (£15) is a cheap addition. Or compare every package side by side.
What to expect teaching English in Vietnam
Pay and package
The reason teachers recommend Vietnam to each other: the gap between what you earn and what you spend is wider here than almost anywhere in the region.
- Paid in dong, at rates above most of Southeast Asia
- Accommodation usually your own cost, but rent is low
- Many teachers combine centre hours with private students
- Work permit costs often shared or covered
- Real saving potential at entry level
- Street food and transport cost very little
The working week
Language centres are the biggest employer, and like Hong Kong they run when schools don't — so your week may look nothing like a conventional one.
- Centres: evenings and weekends, days off midweek
- Public schools: daytime hours, larger classes
- Kindergartens: early starts, very young learners
- Many teachers mix two employers
- Split shifts are common — check before signing
Start dates and settling in
Recruitment is close to continuous, which makes Vietnam one of the easier markets to enter at short notice — provided your documents are ready.
- Language centres hire year-round
- Schools cluster around the August start
- Allow a couple of months for documents and permit
- No Vietnamese needed to start
- Cheap flights and trains the length of the country
| City | Climate | What it's like | Job market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City | Hot all year, wet and dry seasons | Fast, commercial, international — the closest thing to a big global city | Largest, best paid, most competitive |
| Hanoi | Four seasons, genuinely cold winters | Older, denser, more traditional — the one people fall for slowly | Strong, slightly less saturated |
| Da Nang | Coastal, hot, with a typhoon season | Beach city with mountains behind, calmer pace | Smaller but growing, fewer roles |
| Hai Phong, Hue and provincial cities | Varies by region | Few foreign teachers, deeper immersion | Quiet demand, little competition |
Teaching in Vietnam: your questions answered
Can non-native English speakers teach in Vietnam?
Yes, but the route is more specific than in Thailand or Japan. Vietnamese regulations treat native and non-native applicants differently, and non-native speakers are generally expected to hold a degree in English or education plus evidence of a high level of English proficiency, alongside the usual TEFL certificate. Plenty of teachers qualify on that basis. Because provincial departments interpret it differently, ask us about your specific background before you spend money on legalisation.
How much can I actually save in Vietnam?
More than in Thailand, which is the honest comparison most people are making. Salaries are higher and costs are similar or lower, so teachers who work full centre hours and live like locals rather than expats put money aside steadily. It won't match Korea or the Gulf, but among the Southeast Asian markets Vietnam is the one where the numbers work best at entry level.
Can I start work while my work permit is being processed?
You shouldn't, whatever an employer tells you. Vietnam has stepped up enforcement, and the consequences — fines, deportation, difficulty returning — fall on you as much as on the school. A reputable employer will have you on a proper permit before you're in front of a class, and will say so in writing.
Can I teach in Vietnam without a degree?
Not legally. The degree is a work permit condition and no employer can sponsor you without one. You'll hear about people working around it; they're working illegally and carrying all the risk. If you don't hold a degree, ask us about destinations where it isn't required.
Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or Da Nang?
Ho Chi Minh City if you want the most work, the highest pay and an international pace. Hanoi if you'd rather have history, seasons and a city that reveals itself slowly — and be prepared for a genuinely cold January, which surprises everyone. Da Nang if the beach and a slower life matter more than the size of the job market. Most teachers who move between them end up defending whichever they chose.
Can I get TEFL certified in Vietnam itself?
Yes — we run on-site courses in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It's a strong option in a market where employers like to meet you: you train with real Vietnamese learners, get to know the city before you commit to a job, and finish your course already in front of local schools rather than emailing them from abroad.
Do I need to speak Vietnamese?
Not to be hired, and centres want English-only classrooms. Vietnamese is a tonal language and most teachers don't get far with it, but a handful of phrases for markets and taxis goes a long way, and English drops off quickly outside the main districts of the big cities.
What's the internship route?
It's the softest landing if this is your first teaching job — placement, paperwork and orientation arranged before you fly, with support once you arrive. Have a look at our Vietnam TEFL internship for how it works.
Not certified yet? Start there.
Every role on this page needs a TEFL certificate of at least 120 hours. It's also the fastest part of the process — get it done while your document legalisation is still working its way through.
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