EPIK allows a joint application for teaching English in South Korea as a couple, but only if you’re married, and only because a limited number of joint applicant positions exist each intake, with no guarantee of landing in the same office of education even then. Hagwons, Korea’s private academies, don’t run a formal joint system at all, so unmarried couples or those targeting the private sector generally apply to the same employer separately and negotiate placement directly.

Key takeaways

• EPIK’s joint application route exists but is restricted to married couples, due to a limited number of joint positions each intake.
• Even a successful joint application doesn’t guarantee the same office of education; applying early and submitting complete documents first genuinely improves the odds.
• Unmarried couples, or those who’d rather target private academies, generally have more direct control by applying to the same hagwon employer together.
• Both partners need a bachelor’s degree and a TEFL certificate for the E-2 visa; there’s no couple-specific exception to this requirement.
• EPIK provides standardised housing per teacher, so married couples should confirm early whether that means one shared apartment or two separate allowances.
• Korea’s application cycles don’t run on a fixed calendar every year, so checking EPIK’s own current notice matters more than relying on a previous year’s dates.

How does EPIK’s joint application actually work?

EPIK’s own FAQ states plainly that joint application exists specifically because a limited number of joint applicant positions are available, and that this route is restricted to married couples. Practically, this means both partners submit as a linked pair rather than two independent applications, and EPIK will try to place married joint applicants in the same office of education, a regional administrative area covering multiple schools, though it stops short of guaranteeing the same school or even the same city within that office. EPIK is explicit that the odds of ending up together improve when both applicants apply early and get their final documentation in ahead of the deadline, since placement is influenced by the timing of a complete file, not just the application date itself.

What if we’re not married, or we’d rather try a hagwon?

Unmarried couples don’t have access to EPIK’s joint route at all, and since EPIK’s placement is a government process built around fixed regional quotas, there’s no informal workaround for that specific programme. The more direct path for unmarried couples, or for anyone who wants more say over the actual city, is the private hagwon sector: applying to the same academy chain or the same specific hagwon together, being upfront with the recruiter about wanting to be placed at the same location, and treating this as a direct negotiation with an employer rather than a government placement lottery. Hagwons vary enormously in how accommodating they are, so this is worth raising explicitly during the interview rather than assuming it will be arranged automatically.

Details reflect EPIK’s own published FAQ and general hagwon hiring practice; individual academy policy varies.

Do both of us need a degree and a TEFL certificate?

Yes, without exception. South Korea’s E-2 visa, required for both EPIK and hagwon roles, legally requires a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university for every applicant, plus citizenship from one of the seven countries Korean immigration recognises as native-English-speaking nations, which includes Ireland. A TEFL certificate of at least 120 hours is expected on top of the degree by essentially every employer. There’s no couple-specific relaxation of either requirement; if one partner is missing a degree or TEFL certificate, that partner individually won’t qualify for a Korean E-2 visa regardless of the other partner’s status.

How should we actually apply if we want to be placed together?

For EPIK, apply jointly as a married couple as early as the application window allows, have your notarised documents, including degree certificates and background checks, ready before the window even opens, and state your preference for the same office of education clearly on the application rather than assuming it’s automatically implied by applying together. For hagwons, target the same academy or the same chain, mention early in any interview that you’re applying as a couple wanting the same location, and get any placement commitment in writing in the contract rather than a verbal assurance from a recruiter.

Frequently asked questions

Where this fits with our wider coverage

This guide sits inside our wider look at teaching English abroad as a couple, and pairs with our full South Korea teaching guide covering EPIK, hagwons and pay in detail. If only one of you is qualified, see only one of you has a TEFL certificate or degree.

Ready to start?

Both partners need a degree and a recognised TEFL certificate for Korea’s E-2 visa. Our accredited 120-hour TEFL course covers the standard requirement, and the Level 5 TEFL diploma strengthens an EPIK or hagwon application. Both are studied online from Ireland.

Source: EPIK, official FAQ on joint applications and placement.