Teaching English in Brazil: The Ultimate Guide - 2026

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Teach English in Brazil

South America’s largest country has great opportunities for English teachers, a fascinating way of life and street parties like nowhere else!

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Brazil is the fifth biggest country in the world, accounting for about half the landmass of South America. While Portuguese is the official language, over 220 distinct languages are spoken nationwide. Whether in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, SãoPaulo, Belo Horizonte or elsewhere, English teaching opportunities are abundant in this vast and exciting country.

While English is the most widely spoken and learned foreign language in Brazil, rates of English proficiency aren’t amazing, and the standards of English education in Brazil can vary wildly based on region, the type of school, and the individual economic circumstances of the learner.

To help you get started teaching English in Brazil, we’ve put together a quick guide with everything you need to know – from where to find job postings, to the requirements, salary information for 2025, and the demand for English teachers in the country.

Requirements to teach English in Brazil in 2026

Brazil is an exciting prospect with so much to offer English teachers. Still, you can’t just walk in and expect to be given a job. Let’s look at the teaching requirements so you know exactly what’s needed to teach English in Brazil.

Teaching certifications

TEFL certification is crucial if you want to teach English in Brazil. You must have completed 120 hours or more of a TEFL certification course to be eligible for jobs. Some employers will ask candidates to have a Level 5 TEFL course on their CV.

Once you've completed a foundational TEFL certification course, we recommend taking an advanced TEFL course if you’re looking for specialised teaching jobs in Brazil. TEFL courses like English for Academic Purposes are a good place to start, as studying abroad is popular among Brazilian students, particularly at English-language institutions.

Business English is another popular course. It’s become increasingly common for Latin American employers to train their employees in English, especially in the financial and communications fields.

Degree/no degree

Technically, you don’t need a degree to teach English in Brazil. However, having a bachelor’s degree will open up more opportunities since many employers prefer graduates. Teachers without degrees can typically find work in language schools or through tutoring, as opposed to private or international schools.

Experience

You don’t need to have worked as a teacher to find TEFL job opportunities in Brazil. However, like a degree, employers often prefer experience, and qualified english teachers will usually earn more with at least six months of experience.

Conversely, teaching positions in private and international academies usually require extensive experience.

Native/non-native English speakers

You don’t need to be a native speaker of English to teach in Brazil. While some employers ask specifically for teachers from English-speaking countries, this tends to be in international schools which follow a specific British, American or IB curriculum.

Having an IELTS or TOEFL certificate can significantly help non-native English speakers. For non-native speakers teaching English abroad, Latin America stands out among other popular TEFL destinations, as most employers are less concerned about where a teacher comes from.

Visa

You’ll need a VITEM V to work as an English teacher in Brazil in 2025. These visas are sponsored by a Brazilian employer, which has to prove to Brazil’s Ministry of Labour that no Brazilian teachers are available for a particular teaching job. As a result, there are limitations with this particular type of visa. That said, some get processed, and success varies by region.

To meet the requirements for any kind of visa in Brazil, you need:

A passport valid for at least six months
A recent colour photograph
An online visa application form, completed, printed, and signed.
A notarised criminal background/police record certificate (if you’ve lived in different countries over the previous year, you’ll need records from each country)
Notarised copies of your birth certificate

Tourist visa

Another option is teaching in Brazil on a tourist visa. Some teaching jobs in Brazil allow teachers to work on tourist visas. Some employers will encourage teachers to go on “visa runs” during term breaks to renew a tourist visa, but this type of visa carries immense risk. (A visa run is when a person leaves and re-enters a country to restart the duration of a visa.)

Working on a tourist visa will limit teachers regarding the kind of bank account you can open. Also, schools can get into trouble, and you can be deported if you’re working on an expired tourist visa.

Necessary language skills

Having B1-level proficiency in Portuguese can be a significant advantage. Not only does it help English teachers during the visa process, but it will also impress employers who want teachers who can work in different environments.

Download our teaching English in Latin America guide

Public schools

It’s important to point out that teachers from Brazil usually teach English in Brazilian public schools. That said, there are jobs within state education for foreign English teachers, and these jobs typically come with excellent security and guaranteed benefits for public sector workers.

To work in Brazil's public schools, ESL teachers usually need a bachelor’s degree, a high-quality TEFL certificate, some experience, and at least basic Portuguese.

International/private schools

Teachers with master’s degrees, significant English teaching experience, and excellent TEFL certification will find that private and international schools offer the best opportunities.

International schools provide the highest salaries and benefits, followed closely by private schools. Private schools often prioritise Portuguese proficiency, as the student population is primarily Brazilian. Portuguese fluency is less essential in international private schools, which teach a global student population.

Private language schools

Found all over Brazil’s busiest metropolitan areas like Brasília, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, language schools are an excellent way for newer teachers to find English teaching jobs. To work in a language school, candidates require a high-quality TEFL certificate and ideally some teaching experience, though new TEFL teachers can find jobs in these institutions.

Universities

You’ll need at least a master’s (or even a Doctorate) and years of academic experience to land the top jobs at Brazilian universities. However, higher education is still worth discussing as an opportunity for TEFL teachers.

Brazilian universities offer English language and literature degrees, and some universities even offer courses in English.

Entry-level jobs include teaching assistants or translators. Universities prefer teachers who are proficient in Portuguese. Additionally, Brazilian students will naturally gravitate towards ESL teachers with abilities in both languages.

Private tutoring

If you’re keen to work one-on-one or with small groups, private tutoring is an option for teaching English in Brazil. However, freelance tutoring won’t get you into Brazil - for visa reasons, English teachers need a firm offer of employment.

Completing TEFL courses in Business English and English for Academic Purposes will be extremely useful for finding tutoring work in Brazil's biggest cities. Business English, particularly, can help teachers find work in major industrial and economic centres.

Salary, benefits and cost of living

In state schools, teachers are entitled to public sector employee rights and benefits, which include guaranteed holidays (30 days after a year of service), 13th month bonuses, and transportation vouchers.

How well does teaching English in Brazil pay? English teaching salaries in Brazil average R$3,839 - R$4,336 (£538 - £608 / $693 - $783) per month. Salaries for teaching jobs in Brazil tend to be highest in major cities like Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, and SãoPaulo.

Country	Avg. monthly salary	Degree required	Start of term	Teaching experience	Housing & flights included	Suitable for non-native English speakers	Age restrictions
Teach in Brazil	3,839 BRL £538 GBP $693 USD		February				None

Type of School	Monthly Salary	Typical Benefits
Public Schools	R$4,867 - R$7,205 (£651 - £964 / $843 - $1,249)	State pension Sickness benefits Maternity pay Family allowance
Private Language Schools	Around R$6,873 (£930 / $1,210)	Performance bonuses Assistance finding accommodation (not guaranteed)
International Schools	R$5,833 - R$8,333 (£791 - £1,130 / $1,026 - $1,466)	Comprehensive health insurance Accommodation Flights
Universities	Around R$8,018 (£1,086 / $1,411)	Fewer hours Opportunities for professional development
Private Tutoring	Around R$37 - R$75 (£5-£10 / $6.50 - $13) *per hour	Flexibility

Cost of living

Take a look at the table below to get a better idea of the average living costs in the Brazil:

Restaurants	BRL	USD	GBP
Inexpensive restaurant meal
Domestic beer (0.5 litre)
Regular cappuccino
Water (0.33 litre)
Markets	BRL	USD	GBP
Regular milk (1 litre)
Loaf of white bread
Regular eggs (1 dozen)
Apples (1 kg)
Transportation	BRL	USD	GBP
One-way ticket (local transport)
Monthly pass (regular price)
Taxi start (normal tariff)
Gasoline (1 litre)
Utilities	BRL	USD	GBP
Electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage (for a regular apartment)
Regular prepaid monthly mobile tariff with 10GB+ data
Internet (60 Mbps, unlimited data, cable/ADSL)
Clothing and shoes	BRL	USD	GBP
Pair of jeans (Levis 501 or something similar)
Summer dress in a chain store
Nike running shoes (mid-range)
Men's leather business shoes

Resources for teaching English in Brazil

What else do you need to know about teaching English in Brazil? You need to be on top of jobs boards and information about finding rewarding work in the country, which is where our English teaching jobs in Brazil page, and the TEFL Org Jobs Centre come in handy.

Reading about teaching English in Latin America is also a good idea. This way, you can explore the wider region and see how teaching English in Brazil compares to neighbouring countries like Argentina and Chile.

Are you ready to teach English in Brazil?

A diverse and beautiful country with incredible biodiversity and fantastic music, making the move to teach English in Brazil is becoming increasingly popular with TEFL teachers who want to experience a totally new lifestyle.

Once you’ve met the other requirements, looked for jobs, and brushed up on your TEFL qualifications, you should be ready to go! A few other important points to keep in mind when looking for English teaching jobs in Brazil this year:

Peak hiring months are between March and August.
A standard full-time contract will involve 20 to 25 teaching hours a week, which, depending on your prep time, will leave you with enough free time to enjoy life in the country or to take on private students if you want to make more money.
The hiring process in Brazil can feel old-fashioned. You’ll need an offer of employment to get into Brazil, but once you’re there, going offline is sometimes the most effective method (in other words, it can be easier to find teaching jobs in Brazil by visiting local schools and universities directly with your CV!)

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about teaching English in Brazil in 2025.

Q. Are English teachers in demand in Brazil?

Yes, English teachers are needed in Brazil, from the biggest cities like Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia to the smallest villages. According to EF, Brazil has poor English proficiency, especially in rural areas.

Q. How much do English teachers make in Brazil?

English teachers in Brazil earn an average salary of R$3,839 - R$4,336 (£538 - £608 / $693 - $783) per month. Salaries can differ based on teaching experience and the type of institution you work in. Universities and international schools will often pay a lot higher than the average.

Q. What qualifications do I need to teach English in Brazil?

If you've completed a TEFL course of 120 hours or more and have some proficiency in Portuguese, you can find work. Employers will often look for candidates with experience teaching, and at least a bachelor's degree.

Q. Do I need to speak Portuguese to teach English in Brazil?

Having a B1 level of Portuguese or higher will help significantly in your Brazilian job search, and if you can, it’s advantageous to take Brazilian Portuguese proficiency exams before heading over.