Teach English in Romania
Teaching English in Romania can be a rewarding experience, no matter where you want to live in Romania. I taught English while living in Mangalia, a seaside town, and Bucharest, the capital city. The first thing you need to decide is whether or not you want to teach English remotely while living in Romania or whether or not you want to teach English to Romanians in person.
Teach English online while living in Romania
Personally, I suggest the former: living in Romania and teaching online.
Romanians still earn the lei. They don’t have lots of money to spend on English lessons. So, you’re more likely to make a stable income from teaching online to students with higher average incomes. For example, Romanians living abroad and earning the Euro or the dollar. Make globalism work for you.
Romania’s Digital Nomad Visa
Romania has been offering a digital nomad visa to workers since December 2021. The visa gives you permission to stay in the country for up to 9 months and over.
While I was living in Bucharest, I became close to a lovely couple who both worked for online English companies. They taught for VIPKid at the time (back before the new Chinese regulations gutted the industry) and itutorgroup. I visited their lovely apartment right across from magazinul Unirea and felt these teachers were living the dream. Combined, they probably earned 2K a month (1K each, I would guess) and that is a lot in Romania.
Living in Romania
I was earning 1.5K in Bucharest and my dentist told me she earned less than me in her private practice. So, you can absolutely live a great life teaching English online while living in Bucharest.
Check out Reddit to read more comments from digital nomads living in Romania right now. Brasov is quite popular with digital nomad workers because the region is so beautiful, cheap, and has very fast and reliable internet
The internet is excellent across Romania, making it a very good option for remote work of all kinds. I had a satellite in Maangaaalia by the sea, and I used DIGI when I was in Bucharest. Vodafone hot-spotting worked fine as a backup, too.
Teach English in Romania locally
Romania is a country that is rich in history and culture, and there is a high demand for English teachers in Romania. Most educated Romanians speak excellent English and are always looking to improve.
So, the remainder of this post is about teaching English to Romanians locally. Language schools, private institutions, and public schools are all potential employers. Private tutoring is also an option, particularly in larger cities such as Bucharest and Constanta.
That means, in schools or building a private tutoring business in person. It is actually quite difficult to get employed at a private school to teach English in Romania. British high schools in Romania hire English teachers, but they don’t pay much more than online English companies, to be honest.
Qualifications and Requirements
In order to teach English in a Romanian school, you will need to have a bachelor’s degree and a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification.
Some schools may require a CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification.
Additionally, having a background in education or teaching experience can be beneficial, but it is not always required.
Finally, note that some schools may require you to have a work permit or a visa before they will hire you.
Working Conditions at Romanian Schools
The working conditions for English teachers in Romania can vary depending on the school or institution.
The cost of living in Romania is generally lower than in many other European countries. This means your salary will be lower, but you will still be able to live comfortably.
Culture and Lifestyle
From the ancient architecture of Transylvania to the vibrant nightlife of Bucharest, there is always something new to discover in Romania. Also, Romanians are generally friendly and welcoming to foreigners.
In terms of lifestyle, Romania offers a mix of urban and rural environments. The country is also known for its beautiful natural landscapes, including the Carpathian Mountains and the Danube Delta. The beach, by Vama Veche, can be really fun. It used to be a hippy paradise with nude beaches but is more of a mall culture party town, now. Either way, it is still fun.
Fun Things to Do
In Bucharest, my daughter and I spent a lot of time paddle boating by the local parks or ice skating on the same lakes in the winter. The 4 lei (roughly one dollar) hot wine in plastic cups they were selling around the ice-skating lake was definitely my favorite part, while my daughter enjoyed all the cotton candy and popcorn. We went on mountain van life tours (and I taught English from our van), and we camped at the beach. I didn’t enjoy the nightlife party scene too much, but it is definitely there.
In conclusion, teaching English in Romania can be a very rewarding experience. I know because I’ve done it. So, whether or not you are teaching online or teaching ESL in person, Romania is an excellent destination for English teachers. If you have a passion for teaching and a desire to explore a new culture, give Romania a whirl.
I wrote a bunch of posts about living in Romania, so you might want to look at them for a better view of life in Eastern Europe before you go, too.
