Can I do a TEFL course in France without a visa?
Americans, Brits, Canadians, New Zealanders and nearly all non EU passport holders do NOT need any visa to come to France to do our 4 week TEFL course. You just come as a tourist for up to 3 months, and do our course as part of your time here.
How long should I stay on in France after the 4 week TEFL Toulouse course, if I come as a tourist?
3 months still leaves you with up to 2 months after our course to travel around France. Why not spend a few weeeks choosing your dream French location for teaching English in the future? Travelling and accommodation in France is cheap out of season. Some people teach online as they are travelling. It would be a shame to just come to Toulouse for 4 weeks and then leave again straight away. It’s a busy 4 weeks!
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I’m non EU and want to teach English in France for a year or more
This page is for you! If you would like stay for more than 3 months and teach English in France for a year or more, this is what you need to know:
- You can only apply for visas while still in your home country, and it takes up to 3 months for them to come through. Apply for the TEFL course now to get the ball rolling?
- Most long stay visas mentioned below can be renewed without needing to go home
- Since Brexit there has been a huge demand for native English speaking teachers in France0000000
- What follows is a guide, and may contain inacurracies. Visa rules vary from country to country, and change all the time
Quick overview: Here’s how to get a long stay visa for France by being a student here
What are the main ways for Americans to live and work in France?
Apply for our TEFL course, and get accepted (hopefully!)
Book an intensive French course in Toulouse, to start asap after our TEFL course ends. Here are the best options:
Langue Onze – in a beautiful part the city centre. If you book 6 months of intensive French with them, you get a 500 euro cashback from us on your TEFL course once everything is paid for.
Alliance Francaise – whose intensive courses are less expensive as they are a little outside the city centre. You get a discount with them if you are booked on a TEFL Toulouse course!
Both courses have a great social programme – eg cheese and wine tasting, visits to local villages – and good reviews. Just contact us and we will put you in touch with our contacts in both places.
Bear in mind that you should book for at least 6 months, and you can normally purchase more months when you are here without the need to return home.
You have French lessons every morning and so are free in the afternoons to teach English* You’ll get a student visa which also allows you to work up to 20 hours a week. Of course both course providers above will help you with this. Bear in mind that most teachers only work about 20 – 25 hours a week anyway.
*Sometimes vice- versa
Can I renew a student visa once I am in France?
Yes – you can usually buy more months of French to extend your visa once you are in Toulouse, without the need to go home. You could alternatively apply for a business start up visa (see below) to
How do I combine a French course with my TEFL Toulouse course?
You always do our TEFL course in month 1, then start your French courses after you finish with us. That is so that you are employable as a teacher while you study!
First of all you need to see our course dates and apply for our course to make sure we can accept you, before you make too many plans. All the course dates are on this application form.
We will then put you in touch with our contacts at Alliance Francaise or Langue Onze depending on your preferences. They have integrated our course into theirs and are accustomed to the paperwork involved in you needing too arrive a month or more early to do the TEFL Toulouse course
However, it is very important that you re-iterate this to them, that you will be coming a month early to do our course. You’ll also need to show the right papers to the visa issuing authorities back at home, and in case anyone asks, stress that learning French is your main reason to visit France (as opposed to teaching English!)
When applying for a visa make sure with your local French consulate you get one that allows you to work for 20 hours a week while you are studying.
When you visa comes though, get on the plane and come to TEFL Toulouse!
How can I work in France if I don’t want to do a French course?
The following is of particular interest to Brits, who can easily pop back to the UK to apply for a visa:
- Do our 4 week TEFL course here in Toulouse
- Go home and apply for the “VLS-TS Entrepreneur Independent Professional” visa https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/self-employed-person-or-liberal-activity
- For the complete list of what is needed see here
It may be cheaper than French courses, but on the downside, you’ll need to show the French authorities that you have the equivalent of 21,000 euros (ie minimum wage of about 1400e a month) in your bank account.
*Interestingly,we recently heard about an ex trainee who wasn’t asked to show funds in her account when applying for this visa. It turns out she had done our course along with 6 months of French courses (see above). During her 6 months she taught English happily in Toulouse, and it seemed that this satisfied the French authorities that she was already financially stable here in Toulouse.
Can Irish people do a TEFL course and then teach in France?
Yes, you don’t need to be looking at this page! Ireland is part of the EU, so you can just go ahead and apply here and study, live and work in France with no restrictions. Well done Ireland for staying in the EU!
Can I get a working holiday visa to teach English in France?
Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders under 30 years old (35 for Canadians) benefit from “Working Holiday Visas” so can easily come and teach English in France for a year and do it all legally. We have quite a few who come and do our 4 week TEFL course in Toulouse and then stay for 11 months or more! You just apply through your local French Consulate or Embassy. Here is the link. Just ask – we can put you in touch with people who have done this with us too.
Can Canadians teach English in France?
Yes, you can do our TEFL course and stay on and work! For Canadians who are under 35, the working holiday visa allows you to work on a contract and can be extended after a a year without going back to Canada! It seems that Canadians get it easier than anyone! Have a look at the Consulate General of France for more information about this visa.
Can Australians teach English in France?
Yes, you can do our TEFL course and stay on and work! Australians have to be under 30 to be eligible for the working holiday visa, and unlike Canadians, their visas cannot be renewed in France. But Aussies can still come for a year to study and work on a contract! See Campus France for more info or here
Can New Zealanders teach English in France?
Yes, and you can do our TEFL course and stay on and work! New Zealanders seem to be very welcome in France and work on a contract! We have had a lot of you over the years on our course. The French Embassy NZ website has more information about this visa.
I’m too old for a working holiday visa. Can I still teach English in France?
Yes, but you will have to go for one of the student visa options above (ie study French here or start an English teaching business)
How did Brexit affect Brits teaching English in France?
As of Jan 1 2021 Britain was no longer part of the EU, so Brits became like Americans, only allowed to visit France for 90 out of any 180 day period, and not allowed to work here officially. Many Brits who already lived in France (such as Jonathan the director of TEFL Toulouse) already had French residency but for new arrivals it was “holidays only”.
However, in 2025, with the new Labour government, agreements will almost certainly be reached as both countries need each other’s workforce. One can easily imagine the introduction of one year extendable contracts for trained, native English speaking EFL teachers in exchange for the same rules for French chefs in Britain, for example. So you might want to get TEFL trained with us and then wait for the rules to relax!
If I do the TEFL Toulouse + student visa course / VLS – TS visa, what sort of teaching work can I expect?
You set up as a freelancer usually (we show you how) and hourly rates are from 20 – 40 euros an hour. You’ll be teaching a mix of kids, adults, business English and exam preparation groups normally – a bit of everything!
You will probably be working for 2 or 3 language schools and topping up wiht private lessons eg https://www.superprof.fr/s/anglais,Toulouse,43.6048462,1.442848,1,37941.html
Rents are quite low in Toulouse – you can get a room in a shared flat for about 500e a month, or your own small flat for about 700.
And all in the Toulouse sunshine of course!
What if I pay for my TEFL course but then my visa is denied?
We provide a full refund of all you paid us minus a 50e admin fee upon written proof (by the visa issuing authority in question) of visa denial.
How about housing and bank accounts. Will TEFL Toulouse help me?
Of course. We can help with both of these things, and have a huge network of local ex trainees too.
Important note:
- Remember that visas can only be applied for in your home country, and you should leave at least 2 months for them to come through.
- Please check with your local French Consulate or Embassy for the latest information and rules