★★★★★
From my first call with Meridian to every interview with the schools, it all felt properly professional. Clear answers, quick replies, and nobody wasting my time.
Ollie W.
Leeds · Seoul, Year 1
Teach English abroad
in Asia
English teaching jobs at international schools in Asia.
Teach English in
Korea · Japan · China · Taiwan · Vietnam · Thailand · Indonesia · Malaysia · and more
What we do
We match English-speaking teachers to international schools.
Meridian Teachers is a TEFL placement agency for English-speaking teachers. Most of the schools we work with are in Asia.
You tell us where you want to go and what you want to teach. We shortlist a few schools we've actually spoken to - kindergartens, language centres, bilingual programmes or international schools - help you through the visa, flights and housing, and audit the contract clause by clause.
Every contract is read clause by clause before you see it. If something's off on arrival, we negotiate with the school first, and help you find another placement if it can't be fixed.
Our part of the deal.
Contract auditEvery clause read
Salary negotiationWe push back for you
Document checklistApostilles, FBI, attestations
Landing briefYour city, decoded
WhatsApp supportReal humans, all year
Day-30 check-inReal follow-up after week 4
Shanghai, China
Saturdays are bullet trains to anywhere.
Your apartment is on the 18th floor of a tower you can see from the Bund. You wake up to dumplings from the shop downstairs. Your bank account is doing what bank accounts in Shanghai do. The bullet train to Hangzhou takes 45 minutes; you've been twice this month.
e.g. $3,400/mo · Housing + Z visaApply for China ->
Bangkok, Thailand
The morning commute is a tuk-tuk.
You wake up in a furnished apartment. The school is twelve minutes away. The street vendor downstairs already knows your order - pad krapao, fried egg on top, 45 baht. You teach four classes today. The kids call you Teacher and mean it.
e.g. $1,800/mo · Housing usually includedApply for Thailand ->
Tokyo, Japan
Friday nights are ramen and neon.
You spent the weekend in Kyoto because it's a two-hour train. Convenience stores at 2am have actual hot meals, trains arrive to the second, and you stopped checking your wallet at every corner. A spare Tuesday becomes a day-trip to Hakone - onsen, lake view, back in time for dinner. You're eating tsukemen in Shinjuku wondering why you didn't do this sooner.
e.g. $3,200/mo · Housing variesApply for Japan ->
Seoul, South Korea
Your bank account does something unfamiliar.
It goes up. Every month. $1,000 saved in September, $1,200 in October. The E-2 visa took a few weeks - Meridian walked you through every step. Your apartment is in Hongdae. The school paired you with a co-teacher who's now your closest friend in the country.
e.g. $2,800/mo · E-2 visaApply for South Korea ->
Ubud, Indonesia
Weekends look like someone else's vacation.
You teach at a bamboo school in Ubud. Open-air classrooms, project-based learning, kids more motivated than you were at their age. Saturday is a scooter ride to a waterfall. Sunday is lesson planning in a cafe overlooking rice terraces.
e.g. $2,200/mo · Housing + KITASApply for Indonesia ->
One application. A real person reading it.
"I landed in Seoul at midnight with a dead phone. The eSIM was already set up and the apartment walkthrough was waiting on WhatsApp. If anything went wrong, someone from Meridian was a message away."
Joel T. · Seoul, Year 1
Trinity Dublin · Placed 2025
Sound like the kind of year you'd actually remember?
We audit your contract, negotiate your terms, and brief you for landing. You just teach.
Your journey
From "maybe I should" to keys in hand.
Most teachers go from first click to first class in 8-14 weeks. We handle the country-specific documents (apostilles, FBI checks, attestations) and negotiate your salary before you sign. A real human at every step.
1
Before you applySelf-paced
Get your TEFL sorted.
120-hour TEFL or CELTA, a bachelor's in anything, and a clean background check. Don't have the TEFL? We'll point you at the right provider. A few schools cover it for strong candidates; we'll tell you which.
- Bachelor's degree (any field)
- 120h TEFL/CELTA (we guide you to the right one)
- Background check from home country
- Plan for ~$1-2k of upfront costs (TEFL, exams, document fees)
2
Getting started~10 min
Fill out a short application.
A form, your CV, a few sentences about where you'd like to go. A real person named Janice reads every application within 72 hours.
- Simple form - name, passport, destination
- We'll ask for your CV and certifications after your first call.
3
Discovery~30 min call
Have a real conversation.
Countries, curricula, living costs, class sizes - and what you'd rather avoid. We match you to the right classroom, not just the first opening.
- Lifestyle: city vs rural, budget, climate
- Grade and subject preferences
- Deal-breakers discussed honestly
4
School matching1-3 weeks
We shortlist your schools.
A handful of schools we know, matched to your profile - kindergartens, language centres, bilingual programmes or international schools. You interview directly; some ask for a short demo lesson over Zoom.
- International schools and more
- Direct school interviews
- Demo lesson prep support
5
Contract & logistics2-4 weeks
We audit the contract. You sign.
We read every clause - hours, housing, pay, termination, insurance - and push back on anything unfair. We negotiate salary on your behalf. Then we advise you on visa paperwork, flights and housing for your country.
- Country-specific document checklist (apostilles, FBI, attestations)
- Visa, flights and housing advice, step by step
6
ArrivalWeek one
Week one, fully supported.
eSIM ready before you land. An apartment walkthrough, banking steps for your country, transit and food guide. A real person on WhatsApp through your first week, with a check-in at day 30.
- eSIM activated before you land
- Country-specific banking, SIM and apartment walkthroughs
- WhatsApp support with a real person, all year
- If the school misrepresents the role, we negotiate or help you move
"They helped me plan my arrival in Hanoi: the apartment, the route from the airport, the bank that opens accounts for foreigners, even which SIM to buy on the way out of the terminal. I landed knowing where my keys were and which cafe to try first."
Megan R.
Hanoi · Year 2
Where we place
Real schools. Real cities. Real photos.
Every school we shortlist is one we've spoken to. Every salary is verified before you sign. Every apartment is checked. Compare pay by country in our English teacher salary report.
View & apply ->
ChinaShanghai · Shenzhen · Chengdu · Beijing
View & apply ->
South KoreaSeoul · Busan · Daegu · Incheon
View & apply ->
JapanTokyo · Osaka · Kyoto · Nagoya
View & apply ->
ThailandBangkok · Chiang Mai · Phuket
View & apply ->
VietnamHanoi · Ho Chi Minh · Da Nang
View & apply ->
IndonesiaJakarta · Bali · Surabaya
From our teachers
Don't take our word - take theirs.
★★★★★
I half expected a scam. Instead I got real people, a contract they'd already checked, and a rep who answers WhatsApp at 11pm. I signed up for a second year without thinking twice.
Priya A.
Monash · Ho Chi Minh, Year 2
★★★★★
They walked me through the TEFL options and had three offers from schools they knew within a fortnight. I picked Chiang Mai. The salary goes further than I expected, I'm saving for the first time, and I'm staying for a second year.
Aoife O B.
UCD · Chiang Mai, Year 1
★★★★★
My friends went through job boards and spent months negotiating on their own. I filled in one form, and a few weeks later I was comparing offers.
Marcus N.
Cape Town · Shenzhen, Year 1
FAQ
Questions everyone asks first.
Can't find your question? Ask it in the application form at the bottom of the page. A real person reads everything that comes in.
Ask Janice directly ->Not ready to apply?
Join our mailing list. One email a month - new placements, salary data, teacher stories.
Do I need a teaching degree?
No. Bachelor's in any field + 120h TEFL/CELTA. We've placed History grads, Marketing majors, and a former accountant now teaching Year 3 in Chiang Mai. Experience helps land IB/AP roles but isn't required.
Who is eligible to apply?
Passport holders from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa fit most schools' visa rules. Bachelor's degree, TEFL/CELTA, and clean background check. Other passports or fluent non-native speakers - reach out, some schools are flexible.
Is this really free for teachers?
Yes - from us. No placement fee, no deposit, no salary cut. Schools pay us. Some external costs do come up: government visa fees, document apostilles, exam fees, and TEFL if you don't have one. Some you pay direct, some we can process for you - in either case we quote the cost upfront. You'll get a realistic per-country budget before you commit.
How long is a typical contract?
12 months, renewable. Some schools offer 6-month or summer terms. Leaving early usually means forfeiting the return flight and may trigger penalties - we walk you through every clause before you sign.
Best country for first-timers?
Thailand and Vietnam: quick visas, warm communities, low costs. Cambodia is also a gentle start. Korea and China pay more and run a tighter paperwork process - we walk you through every step.
What about health insurance?
Health insurance is normally included in your contract - either through the national system (Korea NHIS, Japan NHI, Taiwan NHI) or an employer-arranged plan (China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand). Korea and Japan offer world-class national care with very low co-pays. China and Indonesia have solid employer cover. Vietnam and Thailand cover the basics; many teachers add a private supplemental plan around $30-60/month for international hospital access. The insurance terms surface in the contract audit, so you know what's actually included before you sign.
How much can I save?
Depends on the city. Chiang Mai or Hanoi: $500-900/month is realistic. Seoul, Shanghai or Shenzhen: $1,000-1,800/month. Tokyo and other top-tier cities trade some savings for lifestyle - you live bigger but bank less. We give you a real per-city budget for every offer.
What if the school is bad?
We talk to the school first about hours, housing, conditions or pay. If that doesn't fix it, we can help you look for another school. We can't promise a perfect outcome, but you won't be left alone.
What does "TEFL sponsorship" mean?
We connect you with accredited providers. Cost varies by hours and accreditation. Some schools cover or reimburse for strong candidates; many don't. We tell you per shortlisted offer.
Can I bring my partner?
Sometimes. Some schools sponsor dependent visas and family housing, but it's not the default - especially with kindergartens and smaller language centres. Tell us up front and we'll only shortlist schools that can support it. Applying with a friend? We'll try to place you together.
How fast can I leave?
8-14 weeks. Faster with TEFL + background check ready. Peak hiring: September and January - apply 3-6 months ahead.
Get started
One short form. A human reads it.
Fill this out and Janice - a real person - will read it. If we can help, you'll hear back quickly with concrete next steps. If we can't, we'll tell you honestly and point you somewhere useful. We've been where you are.
After you land, we're still here
We don't disappear after you sign. If anything isn't what you were told - role, housing, conditions - we negotiate with the school. If that doesn't fix it, we help you find another placement.
Who can apply
Passport from US, UK, CA, AU, NZ, IE or ZA (others case-by-case). Bachelor's degree. TEFL/CELTA - or we point you at the right provider. 12-month commitment.
A human named Janice reads every application within 72 hours.
School enquiries answered within one business day.