A lot of young South Africans are living the dream, teaching English to non-English speaking students across the world. If you have your hopes set on teaching English, just having a TEFL certificate won’t cut it, you will need to have your documents apostilled (e.g. for South Korea) or authenticated and attested (e.g. for Vietnam or Thailand) before you can even start applying for a job. But exactly what is required for TEFL apostille and which processes will you have to follow? How you can simplify the whole process? All this is answered below and also on our attestation page.
There is a set “TEFL apostille” pack of documents needed for teaching English overseas.
Why do TEFL certificates and other documents need attestation or apostilles?
When working overseas or abroad, South Africans (or any nationality for that matter) have a number of documents that are requested of them, to prove and verify their identity, qualifications, clear criminal record and so on. These documents are usually issued by a South African institution, which means that another country may not “trust” their validity right away.
Why do you need a TEFL Apostille Pack for teaching English abroad?
If you plan to teach English abroad, you will need a variety of personal, professional, and academic documents ranging from passports to transcripts to apply for a job, as mentioned above. While there is some documentation that can only be done once you reach your destination country, there are a few important documents that you will need to have ready before you depart from your home country.
Depending on the destination and specific job you are applying for, the documents required to land a job might vary. Although there will always be variations, here’s a brief rundown of the type of documents you will usually or often need to teach English abroad:
• A passport (valid for the correct time period)
• A work visa/s (valid for the correct time period)
• An International CV or Résumé (which might need to be translated into the local language for the country where you plan to teach)
• Your TEFL/TESOL/CELTA/DELTA Certification (which might have to be notarised, authenticted and/or apostilled)
• A SAPS Police Clearance Certificate (which might have to be authenticated, attested and/or apostilled)
• Verified (or apostilled) academic qualification certificates such as degrees or diplomas
• Authenticated or apostilled health certificates
• Reference letters from various institutions
What is in a “TEFL Apostille Pack” for those wanting to teach English?
The term “TEFL Apostille Pack” is a term we use to describe a discounted service we offer to those who have the “standard 3 documents” for TEFL teachers. The authorities of the country you intend on teaching in will usually need the following:
• An original SAPS Police Clearance certificate attested for their country
• An original TEFL certificate (either from South Africa or abroad) attested for their country
• A degree from a university attested for their country – we can assist if it is from a South African educational institution
The above may not refer to all the documents you will need in order to apply for an English teaching job abroad. It is simply the most common grouping of documents – a police clearance, TEFL certificate and degree. Apostil.co.za is able to prepare all these documents for you in a very short space of time for a fair cost. See our pricing and get in touch.
A note on apostilles and notarisations
It is frequently noted that documents required for TEFL and teaching English abroad need to be internationally notarised or apostilled. Depending on which country you are planning on teaching in, your documents might have to follow the Notary Public / Commissioner of the High Court Route, or for countries that form part of the Hague Convention, apostilled.
Understanding the difference between notarisations and certifications
Notarisations and certifications both require the authentication of official documents that are intended to be used outside of the Republic of South Africa. Although the difference between notarisation and certification can often seem blurry, there is a line between the two. Notarisations are done by a Notary Public. Certifications (or verifications) have to be done by the government department or authority that issued the certificate.
How much does it cost to get a TEFL Apostille Pack?
Hello I’m Leigh, I’m currently out the country and I return next month on the 17th of July 2018 and I leave for China the 4th of September 2018. May I please have the total cost of the TEFL package as I don’t have enough time. Thank you