Teach English in Madrid
Get TEFL certified in Madrid, then teach in one of Europe's liveliest cities. 180-hour TQUK-accredited course, 1-year university student visa for non-EU teachers, guaranteed paid placement, and 7 months of evening Spanish lessons across the year. No degree required for EU citizens.
Change your life — and others' — through teaching abroad.
Bring meaning and fulfilment by developing your leadership, teaching, and organisation skills. Let others be grateful for your contribution, while you grow in ways you never expected.
"Madrid is Spain at full volume.
If Barcelona is the Mediterranean dream, Madrid is the proper Spanish capital — bigger market, better salaries per hour, real Spanish (not Catalan), and a city that genuinely doesn't sleep. The 1-year university student visa is one of the cleanest routes into Europe for a non-EU teacher.
And the teaching market is huge: kindergartens, teens, university students, adults, business pros, in-company classes, private tutoring. You'll never run out of work."
What's included in the Madrid program
Everything you need for a year of legal, paid teaching in the Spanish capital.
180-hour Level 5 TEFL (TQUK-accredited)
2 weeks intensive in-person training in Madrid + 65 hours online prep. Plus an Advanced Certificate in TEFL via Universidad Europea del Atlántico.
1-year University Student Visa (renewable for 2nd year)
Lets non-EU teachers live, study and work legally in Spain. EU citizens skip the visa entirely. Working Holiday option for some bilateral countries.
€15–20 / hour, €1,200–1,500 / month full-time
Higher hourly rate than Barcelona. Most teachers do 20–25 teaching hours/week with 4-day work weeks common.
4 weeks intensive Spanish + 7 months of evening lessons
20 hours/week intensive Spanish at the start of the year, then 7 months of evening classes at a Cervantes-accredited school. You leave the year speaking real Spanish.
What your TEFL course looks like
Mapped out so you know exactly what you're walking into.
65 hours online prep
PPP lesson framework foundations, classroom management basics, grammar primer, the four skills. Done before you fly.
Culture & intensive Spanish
Welcome lunch, walking tour, Spanish market visits, tapas, flamenco. Plus 20 hours/week of intensive Spanish to get you started.
Live teaching practice
2 weeks intensive in-person TEFL training. You teach 6 real classes with feedback, observe 6 peer classes, and watch 6 model classes (4 online, 2 in-person). Real students from A1 to C1.
Placement + ongoing Spanish
Guaranteed paid placement. 7 months of evening Spanish lessons continue alongside your teaching schedule. Daily job alerts from 300+ school network.
Everything we include in your Madrid program
We handle the friction so you can focus on the work.
Thousands of people sent abroad
Here are some of their stories — straight from teachers who lived it.
Sound like your kind of place?
Tell us you're interested and we'll send the full program PDF.
Why Madrid
Madrid is Spain's biggest English-teaching market — language academies, public schools, universities, in-company classes, and a thriving private-tutoring scene. The capital pays a higher hourly rate than Barcelona, the city is more affordable, and you'll be speaking real Spanish (not Catalan) within months.
What teaching in Madrid is really like
Madrid's market is the biggest in Spain. You can teach at private language academies, public schools (ELA assistant positions), universities, community centres, in-company classes, or do private one-to-one tutoring. Most teachers blend several.
Hours are 20–25 a week, with 4-day work weeks common. Most classes run Mon–Fri afternoons (3pm–9pm) — when school finishes and adults arrive from work. Some Saturday morning options. Class sizes are 4–12 with plenty of 1-on-1.
You teach a real mix: kindergarteners, teens, university students, adults, business pros. The Madrid market wants near-native English (CV, intake video) and a willingness to learn Spanish. Tax on training/internship contracts is just ~2%.
Where you'll teach
Madrid and surrounding towns. The metro and Cercanías rail are excellent — most teachers stay car-free.
Most placements in academies and 1-on-1. Higher rents but you walk to work. The city centre after dark is unmatched.
Cheaper rent, excellent metro/Cercanías to the centre. Many teachers settle here in year two for the savings.
Alcalá de Henares, Móstoles, Getafe. Smaller cohorts, lower rent, sometimes better-paying academies.
This could be you in a few months.
We'll walk you through every step — visa, flights, accommodation, and landing your first teaching job.
What it really costs to live in Madrid
Honest numbers on what teachers spend and what they save.
Shared flat from €350–500. Studio near the centre €700–800. Outer districts are noticeably cheaper — public transport is excellent.
Mercados (markets) are cheap. Menú del día (lunch menu) is €10–14 with a drink. Eating out is fine on a teacher salary.
Abono Joven (under-26) or monthly metro pass. Madrid's transit is one of Europe's best.
Spain is a quality-of-life year, not a savings year. Most teachers cover costs and travel. Side tutoring (€15–25/hr cash) is very common and roughly doubles take-home.
We tell you this upfront — the ones who plan for it love their first year.
Hours build over the first 1–2 months. Most teachers start with a partial schedule and grow into 20–25 hours/week. Plan financially for the ramp.
We strongly recommend bringing $3,000–$4,000 USD (about €2,800–€3,700) on top of any program fees. EU citizens have lower startup costs (no visa fee, no Spanish course needed). Health insurance is mandatory for the student visa — about $700–$900 USD for 14–15 months.
Christmas (~1 week) and Easter (~1 week) are typically unpaid. Side income from private tutoring is huge in Madrid — €15–25/hr cash, very common, and helps a lot through the lean weeks.
What life is really like as a teacher in Madrid
Madrid is the real Spanish capital. Lunches at 2:30, dinners at 10, the city's busiest hour is 11pm. The Retiro park on a Sunday afternoon. Tapas in Cava Baja. Real Madrid or Atlético on Saturdays. Free museum days at the Prado.
Weekends mean cheap trains — Toledo (€20 round-trip), Segovia, Salamanca, the Sierra. Or fly anywhere in Europe — €30 to Lisbon, €50 to Paris, €80 to Italy. The 1-year visa (renewable to 2 years) gives you Schengen mobility too. Most teachers extend.
Madrid is the program for teachers who want the proper Spanish experience. The market is bigger than Barcelona, the rate per hour is higher, and the city's energy is unbeatable. It's not a savings program — it's a year-of-your-life program.
"It's 9:30 on a Tuesday morning. You're finishing a small in-company class for engineers in a glass office in Castellana. Coffee at the bar across the road costs €1.30. Your next class is at 5pm — a teenager whose accent has audibly improved over three months. Between now and then: lunch at 2:30 (menú del día, €11), an hour reading in the Retiro, a quick stop at your evening Spanish class. By 11pm you're at a tapas bar with two graduates from your TEFL cohort. Saturday: Toledo on the AVE."
A Tuesday in month sevenTEFL Heaven vs doing it alone
An honest look at your three options for getting into a Madrid classroom.
- ✕No accredited TEFL certificate
- ✕No live teaching practice
- ✕Find your own school + visa route
- ✕No employer contacts
- ✕Arrival in Madrid = on your own
- ✕Support when things go wrong: none
- ~120-hour online cert (not TQUK Level 5)
- ✕No live teaching practice
- ✕No visa support
- ✕No job guarantee
- ~Forum access / generic advice
- ✕No in-country team
- ✓180-hour Level 5 TEFL (TQUK-accredited)
- ✓Real classroom teaching practice + uni-issued certificate
- ✓Full 1-year student visa & document guidance
- ✓Guaranteed placement + 300+ school network
- ✓4 wk intensive + 7 mo evening Spanish included
- ✓17 years of in-country experience behind you
What you get that a standalone Madrid school can't give you
The Madrid course is delivered by our partners on the ground — chosen because they hold a track record of 100% qualified placements and an Advanced Certificate via a European university. Behind it: a family-run global network built since 2007, with placements across Czechia, Japan, Vietnam, Mexico and more.
If Madrid is your first teaching year but not your last, we've already placed your next move. And if things go sideways — visa hiccups, contract issues, anything — you've got a team you know, not a reception desk.
Teachers who pick Madrid over Barcelona tend to be…
✓ This fits
Wanting the bigger Spanish market and a higher hourly rate. Drawn to the capital's energy and proper Castilian Spanish. Comfortable with mixed-age teaching (kids to business pros). Open to building a portfolio of academy + private tutoring + in-company classes. Want the 1-year university visa with a 2nd-year renewal option.
✗ Pick a different program
You want the Mediterranean and the beach (Barcelona). You want maximum savings (Korea, Vietnam, Japan). You want full-time hours from day one (Madrid ramps slowly). You can't handle a city that genuinely doesn't sleep.
2026 start dates
Madrid has frequent intakes for both Non-EU and EU tracks. Non-EU visa-route applicants need 4–5 months lead time. EU applicants can move much faster.
Visa-route applicants need 4–5 months lead time · book early
Non-EU visa-route applicants should book 4–5 months ahead — visa processing takes time. EU citizens can move with 3 months' lead time.
FAQ
Do I need a degree?
For the Non-EU year-long visa program: yes — a Bachelor's degree (any subject) plus your transcripts. For the EU-only TEFL course: no degree needed. Native or near-native English is required as a placement-relevant teaching skill. No prior teaching experience or Spanish needed before you start.
How much will I earn — and can I save?
€15–20/hour net, €1,200–1,500/month full-time (most teachers do 20–25 hours/week). Tax is just ~2% on training/internship contracts. Side income from private tutoring (€15–25/hr cash) is very common and roughly doubles take-home for many teachers. Spain is more about lifestyle than savings.
How much money should I bring?
$3,000–$4,000 USD (about €2,800–€3,700) on top of any program fees. EU citizens have lower startup costs (no visa fee, no Spanish course needed). First-month costs: rent + 1 month deposit, transport pass, sim card, food, insurance.
How does the visa work?
Non-EU: 1-year University Student Visa via a partner European university. Lets you live, study and work legally in Spain. Renewable for a 2nd year. EU citizens: no visa needed. Working Holiday is also possible for citizens of countries with a Spanish bilateral agreement (case by case). No visa trip required either way.
Where will I live?
Housing is not included in the program fee for Madrid (unlike Barcelona). Our partners help you find a place. Shared flat from €350–500/month. Studio near the centre €700–800. Outer districts are noticeably cheaper. Health insurance is mandatory for the visa (about $700–$900 USD for 14–15 months).
Who will I teach?
A real mix — kindergarteners, teens, university students, adults, business pros. Most jobs blend several age groups. Class sizes 4–12 typically, plus plenty of 1-on-1 tutoring.
How is the TEFL course structured?
180-hour Level 5 TEFL, TQUK-accredited. ~65 hours of online prep before you arrive, then 2 weeks intensive in-person training in Madrid. You teach 6 real classes with feedback, observe 6 peer classes, and watch 6 model classes. Plus an Advanced Certificate in TEFL via Universidad Europea del Atlántico.
Can I stay longer than a year?
Student visa is renewable for a 2nd year (so you can stay 2 years total). Working Holiday cannot be renewed. Many teachers extend by switching to a work contract or moving within the Schengen area.
What about non-native English speakers?
EU citizens with C1+ English may apply. Native or near-native (bilingual) English is the placement-relevant skill; we'll review individual cases honestly within a day.
What's not included?
Flights, health insurance (~$700–$900 for 14–15 months), visa fees (paid to your consulate), long-term housing (you find your own — our partner helps), daily living costs. We'll send you a full itemised breakdown when you enquire.
The Madrid Full Program PDF
When you enquire, we'll send you the full Madrid program PDF — start dates, what's included, arrival logistics, visa checklist, monthly salary + cost breakdown, and a sample week in the classroom. Sent straight to your inbox.
Send me the Madrid details →Our team handles Madrid enquiries
Replies within 24 hours — usually same day. We'll be honest about visa lead times, the slow hours ramp, and what realistic earnings look like in your first 3 months.
Let's get you teaching in Madrid.
We'll walk you through the next steps — start date, visa, flights, and everything else. Takes about 10 minutes.
No pressure, no commitment — we'll just answer your questions.
— Mike Maitland, Bangkok