TEFL jobs in Brazil

Yes, but on a VITEM V. Irish citizens visit Brazil visa-free for up to 90 days, per the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, while paid teaching needs the VITEM V temporary work visa from the Ministério das Relações Exteriores. Teachers typically earn $800–$1,300 (€687–€1,116) a month; the 2026 minimum wage is R$1,621.

What Irish teachers should know first

Irish citizens do not require a visa to visit Brazil as a tourist for periods of up to 90 days, according to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. This is where Irish readers should ignore most of what is written online: American teachers have been through several rounds of visa reinstatement for Brazil in recent years, and advice written for them does not describe your position. What the two nationalities do share is the important part — a tourist entry is not permission to work, and it never has been.

The route to legal paid teaching is the VITEM V, the temporary work visa issued by Brazil’s Ministério das Relações Exteriores through its embassies and consulates, including the Brazilian Embassy in Dublin. The sequence matters: the work authorisation is granted in Brazil by the Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública on the strength of an employer’s application, and only once that authorisation exists can you collect the VITEM V at a consulate. In practice this means a Brazilian school has to want you enough to file paperwork before you fly, which rules out a good number of the casual language-school jobs you will see advertised.

On pay, our audited range for English teachers in Brazil is $800–$1,300 a month, or roughly €687–€1,116. For context, Decreto nº 12.797/2025, published by the Presidência da República, set Brazil’s national minimum wage at R$1,621 a month with effect from 1 January 2026. A full-time teaching contract at the lower end of our range sits meaningfully above that statutory floor, which is why teaching in Brazil is generally a live-well-save-little proposition rather than a hardship posting. Ask any school whether the offer is a CLT contract with the benefits that carries, or freelance hours paid per lesson — the difference is large.

Why are English teachers in demand in Brazil?

Brazil’s size and its weight in international trade have created steady, year-round demand, usually on a shorter working week than Irish teachers expect.

Brazil is the largest country in South America, and this has given it the weight it needs to become something of an economic powerhouse on an international scale. This has led to the rise in demand for English teachers in Brazil. The good news is that it offers you an excellent standard of living with a relatively short working week of around 25 hours, meaning you can still get out and explore everything that Brazil has to offer in your spare time.

What is life in Brazil like outside the classroom?

Varied, sociable and physically enormous — the country is diverse enough that your experience of it will depend heavily on which city you land in.

When most people think of Brazil, they see sambas, street carnivals and football players. Of course, all of these are true, and it is a truly fascinating place to explore. The locals are very friendly, and the culture has a heavy Portuguese influence. But you will find people there from all over the world, making it very diverse. There are lots of traditions, art and music to explore, and the local food is a fusion of many different cuisines, all worth tasting. There are over 2000 beaches in Brazil, and you will also find the largest rainforest, the Amazon.

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, with a population of around 200 million and about 1 million coming from Asia. One of the most famous landmarks is the Christ Redeemer statue which is found in Rio de Janeiro and considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world; definitely, something to visit while you are teaching English in Brazil. Read on to discover everything you need to know about teaching English in Brazil, including finding work, visa requirements, salary and more.

Next steps: browse current openings on our teach English abroad jobs hub, compare Brazil with teaching English in Chile and teaching English in Colombia, and qualify before you go with our TEFL courses in Ireland.

Talk to a real person

No obligation and no sales pitch. Tell us what you want out of the year and we will tell you honestly whether Brazil fits.

he good news is that living costs are low in Brazil. The cost of living and salary compare well to each other. You will find that employers do not offer many benefits, so you will need to fund your flights and cover your housing costs. It is a good idea to take temporary accommodation to start with while you look for a longer-term apartment. Generally, you will find that another TEFL teacher who is leaving will vacate a perfect apartment, and you can keep costs lower by sharing with other English teachers in Brazil. The cost of living will pretty much use up your salary from month to month, so saving isn’t really an option. However, you could consider tutoring to top up your income and give you a bit of spending money.

It is cheaper to shop for groceries and prepare meals than it is to eat out, and the advice is to live like a native and avoid imported goods as these will always be more expensive. Local markets are good so get to know where your nearest is. Fried food is popular, as are fish dishes with freshly caught fish on offer at the markets. Sweet treats called brigadeiros, made from condensed milk and cocoa, are totally amazing for those who have a sweet tooth, so be sure to check them out.

In order to provide the most accurate cost of living figures, we use numbeo.com, the world’s largest cost of living database, updated regularly.