Teach English Abroad In Costa Rica

• BA/BS NOT Required for North Americans.
• BA/BS REQUIRED for other native Western nationalities
  Note* reason for this is accent preferences for Costa Rican schools.
• A short intro video is required for non-degree holders before approval.

No medical test is required.

Medical Disqualifiers
HIV
Dyslexia
Autism
Legally blind or deaf

Conditions That Require Discussion Before Approval
Bipolar
Epilepsy
Depression
Cancer
Anxiety

Notes
HIV not a strict disqualifier but we have previously looked into medications and they are very expensive

If taking any medication for mental health, must have doctor’s note. 

Dependents. No dependents can be accommodated on this program.

Pets: It is possible to bring pets on the program, however we discourage participants from traveling with a pet. If choosing to do so, the participant must bear all responsibility, logistics, and costs. We are unable to arrange or manage your entry into the country with a pet, nor can we guarantee support for pets at your placement. Moreover, bringing a pet may limit your placement and accommodation options, as finding suitable accommodations could become more challenging. It might also significantly increase your start-up costs.

Minor, visible tattoos are possible on this program but must be disclosed at signup and handled on a case-by-case basis.

From 22 and 45. 

Applicants outside of this age bracket can be considered on a case-by-case basis but should be sent for pre-screening. A short intro video is required for anyone outside of this age range.

Applicants must have a clean criminal background check with no criminal record, previous arrests or charges listed. 

If an applicant has minor offenses on their record, we will need to send you through for pre-screening.

Native English speakers from the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. 

Other nationalities can be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Strong preference for teachers from the US and Canada

A minimum of 120 hours of internationally accredited TEFL/TESOL certification required.

12 Months (renewable).

Limited placements for contract commitments less than a year.

Salary: (Degree holders) The average salary range is $1,000 USD - $1,800 USD per month (the total salary range is $700 USD - $2,000 USD per month. Please note it takes time to build up hours at schools, so participants may be paid less in their first few months). (Non-degree) $700 USD - $1,000 USD. 

10 - 15% saving potential. If teachers are placed in an academy with a lower number of hours or salary, the pay can be supplemented by online teaching.

Important Note: Most salaries are paid in US Dollars. 

Saving Potential:  $100 USD to $500 USD per month (depending on placement type/salary)

Benefits: Benefits depend on the school, but some might include paid leave, an annual bonus, paid for health care, accommodation, an annual flight home if returning to the school for a second year, and assistance setting up a bank account.

1. Is it essential to know Spanish? 
Whilst knowing Spanish is not a requirment for the program or to teach in Costa Rica, we have found that people who know some basic Spanish are better able to integrate into their community, which ultimately allows for a better experience overall.

2. Can I have a single room whilst on the course?
This would be an additional fee and can be accommodated depending on availability at the hostel during the intake.

3. If I do not get a work permit/visa, how long can I stay in Costa Rica for?
You can stay in Costa Rica for as long as your initial visa allows, which should be 180 days. Most people then leave the country to go to a neighbouring country, then enter back in, in order to get an additional 180 days.

4. What vaccines do I need to take before coming to Costa Rica? 
We recommend checking with your medical provider whether any vaccinations are recommended for travel to Costa Rica. You can also see more information here: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/costa-rica

5. With only my teacher salary, will it be enough due to the cost of living?
We strongly encourage participants to bring the amount we mention in our budget guides but to always budget a higher amount depending on their spending habits/lifestyle choices. Eating locally and ensuring you integrate into the local Costa Rican way of life can ensure that you are able to live comfortably off an average salary.

6. How about cell service? Is there a certain one provider we recommend?
We will supply you with a Liberty SIM card on Sunday evening ahead of the program start. 
We will send you a guide on how to get set up and how to add credit to your SIM and purchase a plan. This will also be covered on Monday, the start of the course.

7. How do you apply for a transit visa/ESTA?
To transit through the US, you will need an ESTA, you can apply online here: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

8. I have not received my apostilled birth certificate and criminal record check back and I am due to leave soon, would that be a problem?
This is not usually required as soon as you start at a school (if they are processing a work permit, not all schools do), and so it is totally fine if you arrive in Costa Rica without these items. You can always get them sent over to you when needed.

International/local Schools, Online Schools, & Language Academies

Placement Network: More than 150 schools across Costa Rica

Top 5 Benefits:

1. Guaranteed placement at a school within our trusted network of partner schools.
2. 24/7 support, both pre-arrival and whilst in the country.
3. Comprehensive and exciting in-country cultural orientation.
4. Insight and guidance into the interview process and questions with our partner schools. 
5. Lifetime placement guarantee within our network.

Adults, Kindergarten, Elementary and High School

Teaching English solely,  homeroom teacher teaching multiple subjects in English or a teacher of a specific subject, such as Science. Participants must be open to teaching multiple subjects. 

Popular locations are: San Jose, Guanacaste, or remote 

Preferences are requested but placement location is NOT Guaranteed 

Generally 20 - 30 hours per week. Depends on the school type. Can be as low as 10 - 12 hours initially for online or language academy schools. Hours usually build up to 20 or more after an intial period of time.

Language Academies: 4 - 10 students

Online Schools: One-on-one or small groups

International/Local Schools: 10 - 30 students, depending on the school

We typically provide one qualified job offer that most closely matches the teacher's preferences.

If there is more than one position available at the time, we will present other options. However, it is unlikely as schools typically move fast to fill positions, so we get them in quickly, and they are filled quickly.

If a teacher rejects the well qualified offer, then we may provide additional placements, but this will depend on teacher openness and flexibility. 

Our terms and conditions state that we will provide one quality position, and any further offers are at our discretion. 

If a teacher rejects a well-qualified offer, they must be patient and prepare additional funds, as we cannot say when the next placement will be available.

Language Academies & Online Positions: Schools generally hire throughout the year based on how many new students they have signing up. The highest demand for teachers and peak hiring time is in December (for a January start). The second peak time is in July for an August start. In the fourth quarter of the year placements quiet down significantly.

International Schools: There are two different calendars that schools in Costa Rica operate on - the Costa Rican school calendar that runs from February to December, or the North American calendar which runs from August/September to June/July. International school positions are most commonly available at the start of each of these school years.

Slower hiring intakes are usually outside of the school start times. March, April, June and August are usually slower hiring months.

Tourist Visa:

Participants obtain a 180-day tourist visa on arrival. The main requirement for the tourist visa on arrival is an onward journey ticket to show immigration they are leaving the country within 180 days. 

Participants can obtain another 180-day tourist visa by leaving the country on a visa trip and coming back in with another onward journey ticket.

Other requirements that are not frequently asked for:

Proof of economic means, with a minimum of US$100.00 (one hundred US dollars) per month or partial month of legal stay in the country.
No impediment to entering Costa Rican territory.

Housing Onsite TESOL - Shared room. Single rooms are available at an extra cost.

Housing during Orientation week (if you already have TEFL) - Shared room. Single rooms are available at an extra cost.

Housing once at Placement - It's common for landlords to ask for the first month's rent as well as 1 to 2 months of rent as a deposit. Rent varies between $350 USD to $800 USD per month.

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Placement Program Startup Costs - $2,000 USD to get teachers through to their first paycheck.
In country TEFL + Placement Startup Costs - $2,800 USD to get teachers through to their first paycheck.
*Some intakes might require participants to budget more due to holidays, such as the November intake. Placements are usually only mid to late January.
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Health Insurance - teachers should purchase travel insurance that covers them for a minimum of 90 days in Costa Rica.

Create a teacher profile (Professional looking photo, resume and cover letter in our template, and an intro video.)

Submit documents, such as degree, insurance, TESOL/TEFLcertificate, criminal record check. Schools may require additional documents such as an apostilled birth certificate and background check.

We coordinate interviews with school partners.

Once a school is interested in the person, the placement team will coordinate an interview or introduce the participant to the school directly. After the interview, if the school wants to offer a position, the person will be notified and can decide to say yes or no. If they accept, they are officially placed.  

Placement Program: 80% placed before arrival.

Onsite TEFL & Placement Program:
10-20% placed prior to arrival, 80-90% placed whilst on the course or shortly after.

Factors that determine placement before arrival or once in country include, but not limited to:
Time of year, peak hiring times
Speed of document collection
Teacher flexibility regarding placement preferences
Interview performance
School breaks and/or long holidays

One Week Culture, Language Orientation: In-class one week culture and language program upon arrival in country, including:

Town walking tour
Visit to Las Musas waterfall
Animal rescue centre visit
Coffee tour
Cooking class
Sugarcane mill tour 
Spanish language classes 
Potential practicum experience