How to Become an English Teacher in Germany

Why would you want to become an English teacher in Germany? Well...because teaching English in Germany can teach you a thing or two! It’s a unique way to develop an intimate knowledge of its incredible culture, all while building on your resume or career.

Teaching English in Germany as an American is a truly rewarding experience for those who desire to better understand the world while enjoying the best beer on earth. Seriously — it’s been a part of the culture since before the Roman Empire documented their exploration of the region, coming back with tall tales of taller blonde folks who guzzled beer all night and slept all day.

Its central location makes it a perfect home base for traveling Europe, and it yields multitudes of breathtaking architecture, landscapes, and vistas. While it’s easy to be enamored by the terrain, innumerable festivals, and delectable beer, there’s plenty to consider before deciding to become an English teacher in Germany. 

Now, why not learn exactly how to become an English teacher in Germany?

7 steps to become an English teacher in Germany

1. Pick where you want to teach

Germany is unassumingly diverse, with distinct regional differences to consider, and English teaching in Germany can take you to virtually any region. For example, if you’re a straight-laced business type who isn’t particularly concerned with youthful exuberance and nightlife, a city like Stuttgart in the Southwest would suit you perfectly. Schwabians (people from that region) are notoriously polarizing for their more conservative, money-oriented attitudes.

As a consequence, it’s not a haven for culture (e.g. live music, art, etc.). However, some of these characteristics are gradually becoming antiquated, and as younger generations take the helm, it’s completely possible such attitudes will be a thing of the past in coming years.

However, if you’re young and into generally young-people-things like going to concerts, a vibrant nightlife, and culture in general, then consider somewhere like Köln, Leipzig, Hamburg, and, of course, the oft-lauded Berlin. (Though there’s reason to believe the “epicenter of cool” has started migrating elsewhere.)

While these concerns may seem impertinent when figuring out how to become an English teacher in Germany, they’re something to consider to maximize the experience of teaching English in Germany as an American.

2. Have money saved up

This is the most crucial step for aspiring ESL teaching transplants: Have money saved. While enduring the bureaucratic nightmare of the visa application process (it’s water torture with paperwork), you can’t work. It’s common to wait three or more months for the visa, and there will be plenty added expenses.

While twenty euros a week is enough to eat if budgeted properly, that doesn’t account for public transportation, rent, the 17 euro/month radio tax, health insurance, etc. The cost of living is manageable (but naturally depends on the city itself), and prices are well-regulated. Beer ranges from 30 cents to one euro per bottle, and a week’s worth of quick, easy meals are about 10 euro.

Additionally, most steps of the visa process cost money. For example, it costs about 15 euro to register with the Rathaus and you’ll need to pay about seven euro for a passport photo. These little expenditures add up quick!

Also, be aware of the exchange rate. Your bank account quantified in dollars can seem diminutive converted to euros. The exchange rate fluctuates with such mind-boggling regularity that keeping up with it might induce vertigo. So be aware: the dollar can sometimes feel like scrap paper.

3. Hit the ground running

As soon as you touch down in Germany, you’ll be on a time crunch. Upon arrival, you’ll automatically be on a 90-day tourist visa (it’s unavoidable). You won’t be able to get the work visa until you’ve submitted the required documentation to the government. Ninety days can fly by though, so don’t waste time. It’s easy to lose a few days to beer and Schweinebauch (you’re human, after all), but stay focused.

4. Have the proper certification

Neither a college degree or teaching certification is necessarily a requirement to teach English in Germany, but it’ll be difficult to get work without a certification or degree. Getting a teaching certification to supplement your degree will help land you jobs, which is critical when fighting the clock to get your visa.

Look online for programs. There’s an abundance of TEFL programs to choose from, though getting CELTA certified is ideal. It’s internationally respected and provides great teaching strategy and methodology. Ultimately, neither a TEFL/CELTA certification or college degree is technically required, though finding work without at least a TEFL certification will be difficult.

5. Choose the right time of year

It’s best to move during autumn or late summer to begin teaching English in Germany. Summer’s a definite down season (the reason being everyone’s on holiday or luxuriating at a beer garden; you’ll learn Germans take their holidays very seriously), so work will be scarce, which makes it difficult to get the documentation needed for the visa.

It picks up during late summer and autumn, and late winter and spring. While there is a down period during the holiday season, it’s not as substantial as during summer. A typical school year runs all year-round, with these lulls and peaks being the primary changes.

6. Sort out your visa on your own or with your provider

The free-lance visa application requires:

• Rathaus (town hall) registration. Every town has its own Rathaus. After registering with the Rathaus, you’ll be expected to pay a radio tax (approx.15 euros) each subsequent month.
• An address. You’ll need an apartment before working. The application includes your landlord confirming your residence.
• Healthcare coverage. Schools aren’t responsible for your coverage. There are affordable options, such as Care Concept, which charges 50 euros per month.
• Letters of intent from at least two schools. Most schools are familiar with the requirements. It needs to specify monthly working hours and earnings. Some schools won’t want teachers without the visa already, while some won’t have enough work to justify giving a letter. Don’t give up! Berlitz schools are a great back-up plan, though there’s a caveat we’ll address later.

Most steps have additional charges. The final step (acquiring the visa) costs 100-150 euros. Rathaus workers communicate strictly in German, so familiarize yourself with Google Translate. It’ll require (tandems of) follow up emails, and it’s frustrating, but they’re doing it for accuracy to avoid misinformation — that’s what they say, anyway.

There’s an extension available if your 90-day visa is an insufficient amount of time. Under this temporary visa, you can’t leave the country until the real visa’s sorted.

7. Figure out your English teacher salary

Let’s talk compensation in Germany — because no one gets into teaching without expectations of immediate wealth, right?

It’s fairly straightforward. Firstly, you get paid hourly, and hours are contingent on local demand for English. Barring aberrations, most people’s English teacher salary in Germany will be similar, with the most common variances stemming from location. It varies from school to school, but the variance is usually just a few euros per hour.

Generally speaking, the pay is 23-25 euros per hour (with traveling expenses included for longer distances). If you’re offered anything less, it’s fair to be skeptical.

Teachers are usually paid at the beginning of the month, and it’s most often a direct deposit. You’ll need to either open up a local bank account (which you pay a monthly fee for) or go with an alternative like N26, which is free and easy to set up.

After getting your visa, you’ll receive your Steuernummer (tax number) in the mail. You’ll need it to get paid. Also, when submitting your payroll, it’ll get hectic — so stay organized. You have to submit different bills to different schools, and it can be time consuming.

8. Don’t sell yourself short

While it’s not ideal, schools like Berlitz (the McDonald’s of English teaching) are fairly easy to get the letter of intent from. The pay will be significantly less than most English teacher’s salaries in Germany (about 10 euros less per hour) due to lesson standardization, but it would at least be a starting point and a way to secure your status as a Deutschland resident.

Be aware that if you do decide to work for Berlitz, you’ll have to take classes to learn the “Berlitz method,” which is about a weeklong course, and you’ll have to pay for the train and accommodation for said classes if they’re not in town. You’ll be reimbursed after you work with them for about a year. So just be prepared to weigh your options — how much is indentured servitude worth to you?

Do you meet all the requirements to teach English in Germany?

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with how to become an English teacher in Germany, it’s important to determine if you satisfy all the requirements! And if you do, don’t hesitate to start.

We’re confident we’ve given you all the information you’ll need on how to become a teacher in Germany and embark successfully on this exciting phase of your life. If we didn’t cover something, reach out to our Online Advisor! We want to help you live your dream.

Save money before you start, and try to start as soon as you touch down (maybe with a beer in one hand and a wurst in the other), and persist through the seemingly unbearable bureaucratic inertia of the visa process.

An English teacher’s salary in Germany is more than enough to live comfortably (though it won’t be particularly extravagant or luxurious). You’ll be happy you followed through when you come out the other end providing people with an invaluable life skill and receiving an invaluable experience in return.

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