Teach in Estonia

ESL and certified teachers interested in applying for teaching jobs in Estonia can expect to find teaching positions in the Estonian public school system as well as private language schools and international schools across the country. The demand in Estonia has been steadily growing over the past number of years for fluent English speaking teachers, as more and more Estonians want to learn English. Competition for English teaching jobs in Estonia is also comparatively low, making Estonia an attractive option for many teachers looking for jobs abroad.

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Teaching in Estonia

Options for teaching in Estonia

Typically, teachers abroad will find the most teaching job opportunities in larger towns and cities in Estonia, particularly in the capital, Tallinn, where most of the international schools and private language schools are located.

Primary and secondary schools in Estonia

Primary and secondary schools in Estonia look for fluent English speaking teachers to provide English language lessons for their students.
To find work as an expat teacher at an Estonian public school, you will need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree, as well as a teaching certificate.

Universities in Estonia

Third-level institutions throughout Estonia offer English courses for their students, so it’s possible to find a job teaching English at a university. To be considered for these roles, teachers will need to be certified and have previous teaching experience.

International schools in Estonia

There are a number of bilingual English international schools for children of expats in Estonia that recruit teachers abroad. The biggest schools include the International School of Estonia and the Tallinn International Kindergarten. International schools in Estonia usually require teachers to be certified in their home country and have a minimum of two years’ relevant teaching experience.

Private language schools in Estonia

There are lots of private language schools in Estonia that offer English language courses in introductory English, advanced English and business English.

Salary and benefits while teaching in Estonia

Salary and benefits for teachers in Estonia vary greatly from school to school. Having a Bachelor’s degree and an internationally recognized teaching certificate such as a TEFL certificate offers English language teachers the best chance to maximize their salary and benefit packages.

Teaching Benefit Type	Teaching Benefit Details
Yearly Salary	$1,250/month on average.
Working Hours	23 – 34 hours a week, depending on the grade level being taught.
Relocation Allowance	International schools will often cover your costs, including airfare and initial accommodation.
Vacation	June – September, as well as national holidays in the fall, Christmas and spring.
Health Insurance	Private medical insurance benefits vary from school to school.
Contract Duration	One year.

Teaching in Estonia – Hiring

The school year in Estonia runs from September until June. While job applications to international and private language schools in Estonia are accepted throughout the year, the most popular time for hiring teachers runs from September to January.

Qualifications to teach in Estonia

Ideally, teachers looking for jobs at private language schools in Estonia should have, at minimum, a Bachelor’s degree and an internationally recognized TEFL certificate to stand the best chance of finding a job teaching in Estonia.

The University of Toronto’s TEFL online certificate can give you the edge over other candidates applying to teach English abroad in Estonia.

Visas for teachers in Estonia

As Estonia is an EU member state, EU nationals don’t require need a visa to live or work in the country and can often have an easier time finding a teaching job in Estonia.

If you’re a non-EU citizen, you will need to apply for a visa to teach in Estonia. In this case, it’s worth securing a job offer prior to your arrival in the country. Your employer should also be able to help you to with your visa documents, as well as arranging private health insurance and money to cover your initial living expenses.

Living in Estonia

Salaries vary across schools in Estonia. As the cost of living is fairly low, however, teachers in Estonia can expect to live a comfortable lifestyle.

Things for teachers to do in Estonia

Due to its small size, any destination in Estonia is just a few short hours away for teachers wanting to travel. As well as being easy to explore, there’s lots of ways teachers can spend their free time in this beautiful country. Estonia also has the advantage of being a great base for teachers to explore other parts of Europe. Estonia is just a short ferry trip away from Sweden and Finland, and you can even catch a bus to Berlin!

Teachers in Estonia can experience a unique mixture of beautifully-preserved medieval towns and cities, baltic beaches, lakes and rolling countryside. Many parts of the country are sparsely populated, and avid nature lovers and hikers are sure to fall in love with the wilderness of Estonia’s extensive forestry and national parks.

When you’re not working, the picturesque city of Tallinn is well worth a visit. A perfect mix of the old and the new, with its UNESCO-protected Old Town of winding cobblestone streets and medieval castles and churches, Tallinn also has a buzzing nightlife and plenty of restaurants where you can try the delicious contemporary Estonian cuisine.

Experience teaching in Estonia

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Estonia at a glance

Country information

Capital: Tallinn

Language: Estonian, with Russian as a minority language

Population: 1.325 million

Currency: Euro

Government: Parliamentary Republic

Major religion: Lutheran

Climate: Temperate

Quick facts

Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, offers free public transportation to visitors and residents across the entire city.

Leading the pack, Estonia was the first country to introduce online voting way back in 2005!

Almost half of Estonia is covered in forest!

Estonia is a very digital society and the birthplace of Skype.

Estonia ranks second in the world for adult literacy.

Estonians actually celebrate two separate independence days - one on February 24th that was established after the first World War, and the other on August 20th after the country declared its independence from the Soviet Union.