From The TEFL Institute of Ireland
THE HIRE WIRE
Every TEFL opening, salary and deadline that matters · Edition 1 · August 2026 · Web edition
Written by Katie Troy
TEFL & Travel Specialist at The TEFL Institute of Ireland
Welcome to the very first Hire Wire on tefl.ie. Every two weeks we bring you the openings, salaries and deadlines we are seeing across the TEFL world, with real dates from official sources and nothing invented. This first edition looks close to home, because right now the loudest hiring clock in the world is ticking in Central Europe.
The big one
Central Europe is hiring for a 1 September start, and the window is weeks wide
Every school year in Czechia and Hungary begins on 1 September. Both countries run official routes that place English teachers in state schools, and both are filling posts for that start date right now.
Prague and beyond: the state register that hands your CV to schools
Czechia’s Academic Information Agency, part of the state agency DZS under the Ministry of Education, keeps a register of English teachers from abroad and passes an updated list of applicants to public primary and secondary schools before the school year starts on 1 September, and again before the mid term in February. Registration is a simple online form and the scheme is free. Contracts run the full school year, 1 September to 30 June.
Pay is on the same basis as Czech teachers, which the state puts at roughly CZK 30,000 to 35,000 a month before tax, around €1,242 to €1,449. Not Dubai money, but Prague rent is not Dubai rent either, and a state school timetable leaves room for private students on the side.
Budapest: rolling applications, January is the realistic door
The Central European Teaching Program places teachers in Hungarian state schools on a rolling basis. This year’s September group is already at the arrival stage, with orientation in Budapest on 21 and 22 August, so the realistic entry point now is the mid year contract that runs January to June. You need a degree, a TEFL certificate and US, Canadian or UK citizenship, and there are no programme fees. Pay follows the same scale as Hungarian teachers. For context, the government puts average teacher pay at about HUF 850,000 gross a month, around €2,349, though that is a national average rather than a programme figure.
On the wire
Five more lines worth watching
Portugal: a funded assistant post with a hard deadline
The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award for Portugal is open for 2027-28, with five posts and a national deadline of Tuesday 6 October 2026 at 5pm Eastern Time. The stipend is €800 a month, rising to €1,689 where the host institution adds its share. US citizens only. Fulbright Portugal →
Türkiye: peak season, eyes open on pay
State schools open on 14 September, and private language schools and universities in Istanbul do most of their hiring in August and early September to match. No official body publishes a teacher salary figure, so treat any number in an advert with care. The legal minimum wage is TRY 28,075.50 net a month, about €516, and a credible offer should sit well above it with housing or transport help on top.
UAE: the last seats before 31 August
The academic year starts on 31 August, with staff back from 24 August, so Dubai schools are closing out their hiring now. Dubai private school teachers need a KHDA appointment notice for a named school, a degree and a year of recent experience. Abu Dhabi’s official ADEK portal is currently open to UAE nationals and residents only, so overseas applicants should apply direct to schools. KHDA calendar →
Mexico City: interviews happening now
The SEP school year begins on 31 August and teachers report a week earlier, so private and bilingual schools are interviewing through August. Pay varies widely by school and no official scale exists for the private sector. SEP calendar →
Spain: closed, but the smart move starts now
The NALCAP language assistant window shut on 30 June and no date has been published for the next call. The stipend is €800 to €1,000 a month. Spain rewards the prepared: have your degree paperwork, background check and TEFL certificate sitting ready the day the next window opens. Official NALCAP page →
The board at a glance
This edition’s wire, in one table
| Programme | Pay (local + EUR) | Deadline / timing | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIA register, Czechia | CZK 30,000–35,000 ≈ €1,242–1,449 | Lists go to schools before 1 Sep | OPEN NOW |
| CETP, Hungary | Hungarian state scale (national avg HUF 850,000 ≈ €2,349) | Rolling; January intake realistic | ROLLING |
| Fulbright ETA, Portugal | €800 or €1,689 / month | 6 Oct 2026, 5pm ET | OPEN |
| Istanbul, Türkiye (private) | Varies; legal floor TRY 28,075.50 net ≈ €516 | Schools open 14 Sep | PEAK |
| Dubai, UAE (private) | Varies; no official scale | Year starts 31 Aug | CLOSING |
| Mexico City (private) | Varies; floor MXN 9,582 ≈ €480 | Year starts 31 Aug | PEAK |
| ICETEX experts, Colombia | Set per host university | Closes 7 Aug 2026 | FLASH |
| NALCAP, Spain | €800–1,000 / month | Next call not yet published | CLOSED |
Every line checked against official sources on 5 August 2026. Salaries shown in local currency with euro conversions at the European Commission’s August 2026 rates.
Go deeper
From the TEFL.ie blog
Get hired
Three moves that win Central Europe
1. Apostille your degree now. Czech and Hungarian schools ask for legalised documents at contract stage and the apostille takes weeks, not days. Doing it in August beats couriering papers from a hostel in September.
2. Do not stop at the register. The AIA hands its list to schools before 1 September, but nothing stops you emailing schools directly too. A short note with your CV, sent before the list lands, puts your name in front of the principal twice.
3. Keep the CV to one page, European style. Exact dates, any tutoring or coaching at the top, and two referees with working phone numbers and email addresses. Schools hiring against a 1 September clock ring referees the same day.
Watch
How to get started teaching English online
Six minutes with Jess and Tara from our team on qualifications, equipment, where the students are and what beginners get wrong. Episode 2 of the Tune In With TEFL podcast.
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Your call
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PS. Nearly every opening above asks for a 120 hour accredited certificate. If that is the piece you are missing, our accredited TEFL courses are the place to start. That is all the selling you will get from us.
See you on the wire in two weeks,
Katie Troy
TEFL & Travel Specialist
“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is before the September term starts.”
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