Our Orientation Program takes place in Krakow, but we cooperate with schools all over the country, so you’ll likely be teaching in another city.

If you need to travel to and from Krakow to participate in an Orientation Program, we will cover the costs of this.

Yes. All of the language centers that we work with for this program like to speak directly with our teachers. Most interviews are conducted via Skype or Zoom in the months prior to the semester’s start.  You may also be asked to conduct a trial class at the school when you arrive.

In the unlikely event that you are not offered a job, your Community Manager will continue to work with you to find a suitable school through our network.

Although schools will always make the final call on who they hire, the schools that we work with trust our program to provide quality teachers. Our Community Managers and program directors have many years of experience in the Polish ESL job market, and can see what it takes to pass interviews with our partner schools and language centers. We accept only a limited number of teachers to match the expected job openings.

It is important to note that our job guarantee provided with the Placement Package only applies only to teachers who meet our program requirements, as listed on this page. We reserve the right to refuse to offer this package and give a refund if we believe (at any point) that you do not meet the listed requirements.

Unfortunately, this is very difficult. To work at a public school, the Polish Ministry of Education requires teachers to hold Polish teaching credentials, which includes being fluent in the Polish language and completing a licensing course in Polish. For this reason, the overwhelming majority of foreign teachers in Poland work at language centers.

If you are interested in a more “ordinary” school teaching experience with the classic daily school routine, we do offer placements at private preschools and primary schools.

Finding work at a university is possible if you are highly experienced and qualified. They will typically want to see at least a Master’s Degree in English or a related subject and a few years of experience. Some teachers have found this type of work through with our Freelancing Visa, however, due to the highly specialized nature of this type of work, we do not offer such placements as part of this program.

Almost all schools in Poland will expect you to commit to working with them for the entire academic year (until late June). We require this in order to deliver our placement guarantee for the Placement Package. Teachers looking for shorter term options can come in the winter hiring season and find half-year contracts, though schools will typically give preference to teachers who show interest in staying longer.

Of course, there’s nothing to say you can’t stay longer than a year! Many teachers have stayed with their schools for many consecutive academic years, and others have gone on to work elsewhere in Poland (as a teacher or otherwise) through one of our freelance work visas.

Absolutely! We love to welcome couples and/or groups of friends to our program. If you’re coming with the Placement Package, we cannot guarantee that you’ll be placed at the same school as your friend or partner, though we do our absolute best to accommodate the natural desire for couples and groups of friends to work in the same city.

Absolutely! We love seeing applications from teachers who have already made the jump into life overseas.

However, if you are not an EU citizen, you may not be able to get a visa before you arrive, as it is not always possible to obtain a Polish visa in a third country. Check with the Polish embassy in your current country to see if it will be possible to obtain a visa without having to return to your home country.

If you hold a passport from a country that enjoy visa-free travel to the Schengen Area, such as USA, UK, Canada, and Australia, also have the option to go directly to Poland and apply in-country if you are unable to apply for a visa in the country you’re in. Though it’s a slightly more complicated process, it is doable and we help dozens of teachers every year through this process.

Yes! A Bachelor’s Degree is not requirement for this program.

Though you will be working as a teacher, which means you must be able to demonstrate a level of academic and professional competence which schools and students will be expecting. If you do not hold formal education, then we will ask you to demonstrate in your interview and application that you can speak, write, and work at the equivalent level of an education person.

You must have completed high school/secondary education, as this is a requirement for the visa.

Candidates without a TEFL certificate or other recognized ESL qualification will only be considered for this program if they possess significant prior ESL teaching experience.

While teaching experience isn’t required, it is a huge plus. Most Polish schools want to see that you’ve had some sort of experience in the classroom. Maybe you’ve been a sports coach, academic tutor, or lead corporate training sessions.

While not a hard requirement, this is the type of stuff we’re looking for on your application, especially if you are interested in our Placement Package, and having even a bit of experience will greatly increase your chances of landing your first choice placements.

Our program is open to all nationalities. It is not your passport that’s important, but your English proficiency.

Though we will never outright reject a candidate on the basis of nationality, if you come from a non-English-speaking country and require a work visa, please see our visas page for more information, as there may be some visa complications.

You must be a legal adult (18+), but there is no upper age restriction. Age discrimination is illegal in the European Union, and any school advertising a preference for teachers of a certain age is breaking the law.

This depends on how fluently and clearly you can speak English. If your level of English is anything below perfectly fluent or if you have a clearly noticeable non-native accent, we, unfortunately, cannot accept you on this program.

Poland, like the rest of Europe, has a very high level of English proficiency. There is no shortage of local teachers who can speak C1 or even C2 English with have advanced degrees and loads of teaching experience. For us to be able to consider you, you must offer something that no Polish teacher can offer: a native comprehension of the English language.

If you can speak English with a native proficiency and a neutral accent, and can prove it in your interview, we will gladly accept you regardless of your nationality and linguistic background.

Our support staff will work with you to find suitable accommodation near your school as soon as you are placed. In many cases, your school director will be able to recommend places based on where their teachers in the past have lived.

We highly recommend sharing an apartment to cut down on costs. Many teachers make friends with others on the program and split an apartment together, while others find shared apartments with local students or other young working professionals. No matter what, our staff is here to help you find a good deal.

Just like the locals, of course! Navigating Polish cities is very easy, as all have well developed and reliable public transportation systems, with buses, trams, and in the case of Warsaw, a metro. Cities offer transit passes for around €20-30 per month depending on the city. Having a car or motorbike isn’t necessary, and is rather uncommon for those in the big cities.

Some Wizards who choose to live near their school are lucky enough to be able to walk to work.

Not at all! Not only do all Wizards on the program quickly bond with each other during the pre-course orientation week, but you will also quickly get to meet the other Wizards working in your city through our Facebook group and regular social events.

All cities in Poland where we have Wizards working in are very cosmopolitan and have vibrant expat scenes. These communities of fellow foreigners are usually very friendly, with Facebook groups and regular meetups to welcome newcomers to the city. The Polish people are also very friendly and welcoming to foreigners, just make a few trips to a social bar or cafe and you’ll see for yourself! The level of English spoken by Poles is very high, so the language barrier is rarely a problem when meeting locals. In many cities, Community Managers also organize language exchanges and other social events, which are a perfect opportunity to mingle with locals, expats, and fellow Wizards.

That’s fine – the dates listed here are for our full-week Orientation Programs, which are not mandatory. We run weekend Orientation Programs throughout the year where you’ll receive the same support from our professional staff, and of course, have a lot of fun!

Bear in mind that if you wish to receive the job guarantee of our Placement Package, you must arrive in Poland and be able to start around the time of a scheduled full-week program, as these are the peak hiring seasons where we can guarantee placements. But if you prefer to come a week or two later, that’s fine.

This varies slightly from job to job, but the typical salary for an ESL teacher in at language schools Poland is around 50 to 100 PLN (about €12 to 25) per hour before tax, and the jobs through this program are usually no different.

Each month you’ll typically earn between 5,000 and 10,000 PLN (about €1000 to €2200) per month, with the average being around 7,000 PLN. This is more than enough to live on comfortably in Poland.

English Wizards can never guarantee any exact remuneration levels, as this is discussed directly with your school, and will depend on many factors including your experience and qualifications. 

Pay and salary matters are discussed directly between you and the school, so we at English Wizards can only provide advice and estimates.

Language schools generally pay on an hourly rate, with full-time salaries landing between 3500 and 8000 PLN per month before tax. The standard tax rate in Poland is 17%, however depending on a number of factors, your rate may be slightly higher or lower. Payroll is almost always processed monthly, with taxes taken out before payday.

We understand payroll matters can be a bit complicated when you move to a new country – but don’t panic! Once you’ve been offered a job at one of our partner schools, our support staff will be happy to look over everything to make sure you’re not getting ‘tricked’ anywhere and there are no hidden surprises in your contract.

As you will be primarily teaching adults, teenagers, and kids at language centers after their ordinary work or school hours, your work hours will typically be in the late afternoon and early evening. You may also have to work some mornings for “in-company” classes, as well as the occasional Saturday. Most teachers will work between 20 and 25 classroom hours per week, with additional time necessary for preparing lessons, marking coursework, and light administrative duties.

If you get a placement at a preschool or primary school, then hours will typically resemble more traditional school hours, and you’ll likely work Monday to Friday.

In most cases, yes.

While the guaranteed placement on this program only lasts until the end of the academic year, if your performance has been top-notch and you would like to stay for another academic year, the vast majority of schools will be happy to let you return. Alternatively, many Wizards who choose to stay in Poland longer will transition to the Freelance Program for their second academic year. In addition, we’ve many Wizards go onto stay in Poland and find work in other fields outside of education…with Poland’s booming economy, options are plentiful!

There are no additional program fees to stay an extra year (or longer!), and extending your legal residence in Poland can be done from within the country.

Yes, the Poles love holidays! Most schools will typically have 1-2 weeks off around Christmas time, as well as 2-3 weeks off in February as fall semester ends and spring semester begins. There are also usually 1-2 weeks off in April around Easter.

Keep in mind that, depending on your contract, you may or may not be paid for holidays, so this is something to keep in mind when planning your budget.