Teach English in Colombia

Not strictly. Many language institutes hire without a degree, so you can teach in Colombia on a TEFL alone. A degree isn't required to get started, but it strengthens your application and unlocks the best-paid university and international-school roles. Your 120-hour TEFL is included.

Yes — a 120-hour TEFL is the credential institutes and universities expect, and it's what gets you hired and trusted by private students. Ours is live, observed and part of your program.

There are two main routes. The M (Migrant) work visa requires a confirmed job offer from a school or university and is valid for up to three years. The Digital Nomad Visa (Visa V) is designed for teachers earning in euros or dollars remotely — ideal for our online roles. After arriving, you register with Migración Colombia and get your cédula (national ID) within 15 days.

Language institutes pay around COP 3.4–4.2 million a month (about $850–$1,050), with universities and international schools paying more, and corporate/BPO English at $15–$25 an hour. Local pay is break-even. As a TEFL Madrid graduate you can also teach online for our academies and add up to €1,500 a month in euros.

It's very affordable. Comfortable living runs about $600–$1,000 a month sharing a flat, including EPS health cover. Bogotá and Medellín's popular neighbourhoods cost the most; Cali, Cartagena and the Coffee Axis are cheaper. Euros earned online go a very long way here.

Colombia is far safer than its 1990s reputation, and Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Cartagena all have established, safe expat-teacher communities. It still calls for normal big-city awareness — the local rule is "No Dar Papaya" (don't give an opportunity). We include a practical safety orientation on arrival.

Yes. Most teachers start with no experience. Your live 120-hour TEFL covers methodology, lesson planning and hands-on practice in real classrooms before you teach on your own.

No — classes are taught entirely in English. But Spanish helps enormously with daily life, and Colombia is a wonderful place to become fluent. As a Spanish academy, we can support you in both languages, and B1 Spanish is achievable within a few months of immersion.

Hiring peaks in November–January, and institutes hire year-round thanks to steady turnover. Teachers usually interview in person, so being on the ground in Bogotá or Medellín makes a real difference.

Bogotá has the biggest job market; Medellín is the top digital-nomad city and ideal for teaching online. Cali, Cartagena and the Coffee Axis are also popular and more affordable. We help you find a safe, central flat-share that fits your budget.

Yes — and it's our biggest advantage. As a TEFL Madrid graduate you teach online for TEFL Madrid and Exam Madrid, earning up to €1,500 a month in euros from anywhere in Colombia. Colombia's US-aligned timezone (UTC−5) makes online teaching seamless: you earn hard currency and spend in cheap pesos — the strongest geo-arbitrage in Latin America, and something no other guide can offer.

Yes — and for a Spanish speaker it's a natural next step. Through our Iberian Global Route you can move to teach in Spain with TEFL Madrid, with student-visa support, job placement and relocation, in a country where you already speak the language. Your online euro income travels with you.

One of the best in Latin America. You get a warm, welcoming culture, eternal-spring weather, very low costs, a strong online market in your US timezone and a second income in euros — an ideal, well-supported launchpad into international teaching.