Before we begin, please note that 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, as if you were visiting on holiday. Just pop over for 5 weeks?
Or stay for longer – 3 months still leaves you with 2 months after our course to travel and work online as you would if you were on vacation. Why not travel around and choose your dream French location for teaching English?
If you would like stay for more than 3 months and teach English in France and then read on. The basics:
- You can only apply for visas while still in your home country, and it takes around 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 France
- 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
Can Brits and Americans teach English in France?
Yes, and here are the main ways:
1) Applying for the “VLS-TS Entrepreneur Independent Professional” visa
Apply for a 12 month visa by proposing a business as a freelance English teacher. Note that you can apply for this visa if you are already in France on another visa.On the downside you’ll need to show you have the equivalent of 21,000 euros in your bank account, and
- do our course to show France that you are serious about your project -apply here
- submit a business plan (we can help you with this)
- get the ball rolling as soon as possible as it can take 6 months for everything to come through. It’s all done through your nearest French consulate or embassy (google it)
- For the complete list of what is needed see here
There is a lot of information about this here
Convincing your local French consulate of your business plan shouldn’t be too hard to do if you are a native speaker of English, as these are now in very short supply due to Brexit. Doing our TEFL course in Toulouse is the heart of your business plan, so of course we’ll help you with the procedure. You can get started here
2) Do a student visa French course in Toulouse immediately after getting TEFL certified at TEFL Toulouse
French courses at the Alliance Francaise here in Toulouse. This is going to work out at about 590 euros a month and is ideal for those who are looking for the best value option and “start any time” dates.
The other French course we work with is Langue Onze in the city centre. Their courses are more expensive at around 850euros a month but if you want to be in in beautiful part of the city centre then this is the option for you.
Both courses have a great social programme and good reviews.
In both cases 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 need to ask for a student visa which also allows you to work up to 20 hours a week.
It’s important to note that although doing a French course makes you legally allowed to work outside your study hours, that doesn’t mean that getting contracts with language schools is guaranteed. Many people who come via the student visa scheme teach informally or online. The main thing that the student visa does is enable you to legally live and work in France for the time that you are studying.
When you apply for your visa make sure that it is one that allows you to work for up to 20h a week – rumour has it that some don’t.
Can I renew a student visa once I am in France?
Yes – usually. Once you have booked a minimum of 4 months of French courses (see above) then you can usually buy more and extend your visa once you are in Toulouse. But do check this with your local French consulate. Rules change all the time and it probably depends on your nationality.
What’s the cheapest student visa French course in Toulouse?
There are also 9-month courses at University Jean Jaures in Toulouse which are extremely well priced at only around 500e a YEAR but places are limited and courses begin every September only.
The application form appears online for a short time every year, usually in early January to early March. You can’t apply early or late because the app form page won’t be live. Here is the link https://defle.univ-tlse2.fr/home –
Unfortunately they have so many applications that they don’t have much time for enquiries and the website isn’t very clear. You might not hear if you have been accepted until May or later.
How do I combine a French course with my TEFL Toulouse course?
First of all you need to see our course dates (see this link) and apply for our course to make sure we can accept you, before you make too many plans. Contact Langue Onze or Alliance Francaise (depending on your budget) to make sure they have a course running very soon after ours finishes.
contact@alliance–toulouse.org – ask for Maggy
info@langueonze.com – ask for Lise
The Alliance Francaise and Langue Onze are accustomed to the paperwork involved in you needing too arrive a month or more early to do the TEFL Toulouse course, it’s very important that you mention this to them.
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!
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. 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, 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, what sort of teaching work can I expect?
Foreign students enrolled in French institutions can work for 20 hours a week. Although this doesn’t sound like much, that is really not far from a full teaching timetable of contact (ie in class) hours. At around 20 euros an hour, 20 hours would make you 400 euros a week. Rents are quite low in Toulouse, eg 400 to 700e a month.
As mentioned above, it’s important to note that although doing a French course means you’re legally allowed to work outside your study hours, that doesn’t mean that getting contracts with language schools will be straightforward. Many people who come via the student visa scheme teach informally or online. The main thing that the student visa does is enable you to legally live in France for the time that you are studying.
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