Where Can Teachers Over 65 Teach Abroad? | Ask Teach Away

Hi there,

We love to hear from a teacher still passionate about teaching after many years in education!

We’ll be honest right at the start: it is challenging for teachers 65+ to find a teaching job abroad, but with that being said, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible!

For schools abroad, their ideal candidate is young, single, and ready to drop their life at home at the drop of a hat to move abroad. 

Some schools do seek experienced teachers over new college graduates, but they still have preference for candidates on the younger side.

The good news is, if you are seeking a leadership position, such as a principal, there will be more opportunities open to you as these positions require experienced candidates. 

Beyond the preferences of any individual school, the rules around work visas by country need to be taken into account. 

Many countries have rules about approving a work visa for an employee over a certain age. For example, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Thailand, Turkey, and others do not approve work visas for applicants 60 years of age and older. 

Other countries such as Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and Hong Kong have a limit of 65 years old for their work visas.

There are countries that don’t have official guidelines around age for work visas, but anecdotal information from past applicants indicates older teachers face difficulties obtaining visa approval.
So what does this mean for a candidate such as yourself? We recommend doing research into visa guidelines for any country you’d like to teach in. If you find they don’t have strict rules regarding age, then apply to schools in that region and wait to hear back.

There are countries eager for qualified teachers and will not be concerned about your age and do not have age limits on work visas. Our experience shows that most of these countries are in South and Central America, and Africa.

Good luck with your search!