Teaching English Abroad With Children: A Guide for Irish Families

Teaching abroad with family is very possible, but it works best with the right kind of job. Families usually do well with international schools, government teaching programmes, university posts or senior roles that come with housing, health insurance, flights and, ideally, free or discounted school places for teachers’ children. Entry-level language school jobs rarely pay enough to support a family on one salary. Before you commit, check that your visa lets you bring dependants, what schooling will cost, and how childcare will work around your teaching hours. Within the EU, Irish citizens can move with their families freely; outside it, family visas often depend on your salary and your employer’s sponsorship.

Key takeaways

• When teaching abroad with family, the job matters more than the country. Look for packages built for families, not single graduates.
• Free or discounted tuition for teachers’ children is one of the most valuable benefits you can negotiate, especially where international school fees are high.
• Dependant visas outside the EU usually require employer sponsorship and sometimes a minimum salary. In the UAE, for example, the usual threshold to sponsor a spouse and children is AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus employer-provided housing.
• Inside the EU, Irish citizens and their family members can live and work freely, which makes Europe the simplest place to move with children.
• Teaching hours and childcare need careful planning. Language schools often teach in the evenings, exactly when children need you at home.
• Moving abroad affects Irish payments such as Child Benefit, so tell the Department of Social Protection before you go.

Can you really teach abroad with a family?

Yes. Plenty of Irish teachers move abroad with partners and children, and many say it was one of the best decisions they made as a family. Children pick up new languages quickly, adapt to new cultures with surprising ease, and often come home with a confidence and outlook that is hard to build any other way.

It does take more planning than moving alone. A single teacher can take a modest job, share a flat and live cheaply. A family needs a reliable income, suitable housing, schooling, healthcare and childcare, all secured before or very soon after arrival. The good news is that the right jobs exist, and they tend to come with exactly the support families need.

If you are moving as a couple without children, our guide to teaching English abroad as a couple covers the basics. This guide focuses on what changes when children are part of the plan.

Which teaching jobs work for families?

Not all TEFL jobs are equal when you have children. The best fit depends on your qualifications, but these are the routes families most commonly use.

If one parent is a qualified primary or post-primary teacher, international schools are usually the strongest option. Our guide to teaching in international schools as a qualified Irish teacher explains how they recruit and what packages include. Keep this in mind when doing research into teaching abroad with family.

What should a family-friendly package include?

When comparing offers, look beyond the salary. A lower salary with housing, schooling and insurance included can leave a family far better off than a higher salary with none of them. The main things to look for are:

• Housing or a housing allowance large enough for a family, not just a single teacher’s flat.
• Tuition for your children, either free places at the school where you work or an allowance towards fees elsewhere.
• Health insurance covering dependants, not just the employee.
• Flights for the whole family, at the start and end of the contract and ideally annually.
• Visa sponsorship for dependants, including who pays the fees.
• A settling-in allowance to cover deposits, furniture and school uniforms.

Always get the details in writing. “Family support” can mean anything from full sponsorship and free school places to simply allowing you to bring your family at your own expense.

Visas for your partner and children

Visa rules are where family moves most often run into trouble, so check them before you accept any offer.

Moving within the EU

For Irish citizens, the EU is by far the simplest option. As an EU citizen, you can live and work in any EU country, and your partner and children can come with you. Family members who are not EU citizens also have rights to join you under EU free movement rules, although they may need to apply for a residence card after arrival. You will usually need to register your residence locally, but you will not need employer sponsorship. That makes countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and Germany realistic even with an entry-level salary, provided you can afford local living costs.

Moving outside the EU

Outside the EU, your family’s right to live in the country usually depends on your own work visa. Your employer sponsors you, and you then sponsor your dependants. Rules vary widely:

• In the UAE, residents can sponsor a spouse and children if they meet a minimum salary, generally AED 4,000 a month or AED 3,000 plus employer-provided accommodation. Health insurance for each family member is required. See our guide to English teacher salaries in Dubai and the UAE.
• In East Asia, countries such as South Korea, Japan and China have dependant visas for family members of work visa holders, but support varies greatly between employers, and some entry-level employers are not set up to sponsor families at all.
• In many countries, a partner on a dependant visa cannot work locally without their own work visa, which affects your household income.

Ask any prospective employer directly whether they sponsor dependants, how long it takes and what it costs. Our Visa Desk tracks country rules, and the Paperwork Desk explains the apostilles and translations you may need for birth and marriage certificates.

Schooling options for your children

Schooling is usually the biggest single decision, and the biggest potential cost, for teaching abroad with family. There are four main options.

International schools teach in English and follow British, International Baccalaureate or American curricula. They make it easy to move between countries or return to Ireland, but fees can be very high, often exceeding a TEFL teacher’s salary. They are realistic mainly when tuition is included in your package.

Local state schools are usually free or low-cost and offer full immersion in the local language and culture. Younger children often adapt quickly; older children may find it harder, particularly if they need to sit Irish exams later. In much of Europe, local schooling is a common and successful choice for Irish families.

Bilingual or private local schools sit between the two, often teaching partly in English at a lower cost than international schools.

Homeschooling or online schooling is used by some families, particularly for short stays or older children following an Irish or British curriculum. Check local law first, because homeschooling is restricted or not permitted in some countries.

Think about the age of your children and how long you plan to stay. Primary-aged children usually adapt to almost any setting. Teenagers approaching the Junior or Leaving Certificate may need more continuity, and moving them mid-cycle can be disruptive. If you plan to return to Ireland, check how your child’s schooling abroad will fit back into the Irish system.

Childcare and working hours

Teaching schedules and family life do not always fit together easily. Language schools often teach adults in the early morning, at lunchtime and in the evening, and children’s classes usually run after school, which means many TEFL teachers work exactly when their own children are home.

Jobs with school-day hours, such as international schools, government programmes and university posts, tend to suit families much better. If you take an evening teaching role, plan for childcare or a partner who will be at home during those hours. Affordable childcare is easier to find in some countries than in Ireland, and some families employ a local nanny or au pair, but rules, costs and cultural norms vary, so research before you arrive.

Online teaching can help balance things. A partner who teaches English online can work flexible hours from home and earn in euro or dollars. Our guide to online TEFL jobs covers the main platforms.

What about the non-teaching partner?

In many families, one partner teaches while the other looks after the children, works remotely or looks for local work. That can work well, but it is worth thinking through carefully. A dependant visa may not allow local employment, and moving away from family support, friends and a career can be hard for the partner who is not working.

Some couples both take TEFL qualifications so they can share the teaching and childcare, or so the non-teaching partner can pick up online or part-time work. Our article on how couples make it work when only one has a TEFL certificate or degree explores these options in more depth.

Where do teaching families tend to thrive?

There is no single best country for families, but some regions tend to suit them better.

Europe offers the easiest legal route for Irish citizens, short flights home and excellent local schools in many countries. Packages are less generous, so it works best for families who are happy with local schooling and a modest lifestyle, or where one partner has a better-paid role.

The Gulf states offer some of the most generous family packages, particularly in international schools, with housing, flights, health insurance and tuition often included, plus tax-free salaries. The trade-offs are summer heat, distance from home and a more structured lifestyle.

East and Southeast Asia offers family-friendly packages at international schools and some universities, low living costs in many countries and a high standard of safety in places such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Our guide to teaching English in Asia compares the main countries.

Safety, healthcare quality and the availability of English-speaking schools should weigh heavily in your decision. Our guide to the safest countries to teach English abroad is a useful starting point.

Irish payments and paperwork to sort before you leave

Moving abroad with children has knock-on effects at home. A few things to check before you go:

Child Benefit. Irish Child Benefit generally depends on your children living in Ireland, so you should tell the Department of Social Protection when you move. If you will be working in another EU country, that country will usually be responsible for family benefits instead, under EU social security rules. Outside the EU, payments usually stop. Check your situation with the Department before leaving.

Passports and documents. Make sure every family member has a passport with plenty of validity, and bring apostilled copies of birth and marriage certificates, which many countries require for dependant visas and school enrolment.

Health records. Bring vaccination records and any medical documents your children may need for school entry abroad.

Your Irish job. If you or your partner are permanent public sector employees, including teachers, check whether a career break is available. Our career break guide covers the options for Irish professionals.

Practical tips from families who have done it

Start planning early, ideally a year ahead, so you can apply during the main hiring season and line up schools for your children. Visit, or at least video-call, the school your children will attend and talk to other expat families there. Build in a financial cushion: deposits, school fees, uniforms and set-up costs can add up quickly before your first payday. And give your family time to adjust. The first few months are usually the hardest, especially for children leaving friends behind, but most families find their feet by the end of the first term.

Frequently asked questions

See the frequently asked questions section on this page for answers to common questions about teaching abroad with children.

Related reading

If you are a qualified teacher, start with our guide to international schools for Irish teachers. For the Gulf, read what Dubai and Abu Dhabi international schools require, and to compare salaries across countries, use the Salary Index.

Ready to start?

Whether you are the teaching parent or the partner looking for flexible work, a recognised TEFL qualification opens doors abroad. Our Level 5 TEFL diploma strengthens applications for the better-paid, more family-friendly roles, and the accredited 120-hour TEFL course is a flexible starting point. Both are studied online, so you can fit them around family life.