Teaching English in Greece means working evening hours at a private language school, called a frontistirio, in Athens or Thessaloniki for most of the year, with seasonal resort and island work filling the gap over summer. Pay is modest by western European standards, typically €700 to €1,100 a month, but Irish and EU passport holders can work legally with no visa process at all, which is the country’s real advantage over non-EU destinations.
Key takeaways
- Irish and EU citizens can live and work in Greece with no visa or work permit, only a residence registration after arrival.
- Most teaching jobs are in frontistiria, private after-school academies that run afternoon and evening classes for children and teenagers.
- Typical academy pay runs approximately €700 to €1,100 a month, often supplemented by private one-to-one lessons.
- Athens and Thessaloniki carry the most academy jobs; the islands offer short, intense summer seasons in resort schools and camps rather than year-round teaching.
- A recognised TEFL certificate of 120 hours or more is the baseline most academies ask for; a degree helps but is not always required for private academy work.
- The school year runs September to June, so most hiring happens in late August and September, with a smaller January intake.
What is it actually like to teach English in Greece?
Teaching English in Greece is overwhelmingly a frontistirio job. These private, after-school academies exist in almost every Greek town and city because Greek families see English fluency, and a Cambridge or IELTS certificate, as essential for university and work. Classes run from around 2pm to 9pm on weekdays, since children are in state school during the day, so the working pattern suits people who like a slower morning and don’t mind evening finishes. Class sizes are typically small, eight to twelve students, and the focus is heavily exam-driven, preparing teenagers for Cambridge First, Advanced and Proficiency exams that carry real weight for Greek university entry and civil service points.
Outside the academies, a smaller but steady stream of work exists in summer camps and resort hotels on islands such as Crete, Corfu and Rhodes, plus adult and business English tutoring in Athens for professionals who need English for work. Online teaching from a Greek base is also common among people who want the lifestyle without tying themselves to one school’s timetable.
Do you need a degree to teach English in Greece?
Not always. Greek state schools generally require a university degree for their foreign-language assistant placements, but the private frontistirio sector, where most jobs actually are, is more flexible. Many academy owners prioritise a recognised TEFL certificate, ideally 120 hours or more, along with a friendly, exam-savvy teaching style, over a degree on its own. A degree still strengthens an application and is often expected for the better-paying academies in central Athens, so it is worth having if you can, but it is not the hard barrier it is in some Asian or Gulf markets.
How much do English teachers actually earn in Greece?
Academy pay in Greece is genuinely modest. A full-time frontistirio teacher typically earns approximately €700 to €1,100 a month, usually on an hourly rate translated into a set number of contracted hours. Private one-to-one lessons, arranged directly with families, often pay noticeably better per hour than academy classes and are a common way teachers top up their income. Summer resort and camp work is usually paid as a seasonal package that includes accommodation and meals, which changes the maths considerably since living costs drop close to zero for the summer months. Cost of living is the other side of the equation: rent in Athens is low by western European standards, so the euro figure stretches further than the same number would in Dublin, Paris or Amsterdam.
Which Greek cities and islands actually hire the most English teachers?
Athens has by far the largest concentration of frontistiria and the widest range of academy and private tutoring work, followed by Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city, which has a smaller but still active academy scene and a lower cost of living than the capital. Patras and Heraklion (Crete) also carry year-round academy jobs on a smaller scale. The islands work differently: Crete, Corfu, Rhodes and the Cyclades hire heavily for the May to September tourist season, in resort activity programmes, children’s clubs and summer language camps, but very few of these roles run through the winter, so island work suits people looking for a summer rather than a full academic year.
| Location | Typical pay (approx.) | Job type | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | €800 to €1,100/month | Frontistirio, private tutoring, business English | Year-round, Sept to June academic year |
| Thessaloniki | €700 to €1,000/month | Frontistirio, some adult English | Year-round, Sept to June academic year |
| Islands (Crete, Corfu, Rhodes) | Seasonal package, often with board | Resort schools, kids’ clubs, summer camps | May to September only |
Figures are typical ranges reported by teachers and recruiters and will vary by school, experience and hours contracted.
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Read the full reviewWhat visa or work rights do Irish and EU teachers need for Greece?
This is where Greece has a clear edge over non-EU destinations. As an EU member state, Greece allows Irish and other EU citizens to enter, live and work with no visa and no work permit. The only administrative step is registering for a Greek tax number (AFM) and, if staying longer than three months, a residence registration certificate, both straightforward processes once you have a local address and, usually, a job offer or contract in hand. This removes the sponsorship uncertainty that comes with teaching in Asia or the Gulf, where a school has to arrange and pay for your visa before you can start. For non-EU teachers the picture is considerably harder, since Greece does not have a dedicated TEFL work visa route and most schools will not sponsor one.
How do you actually find a teaching job in Greece?
Most frontistirio hiring happens directly: academy owners post roles on Greek TEFL-specific Facebook groups, on their own websites, and through word of mouth among the existing foreign-teacher community in a city. Recruitment agencies exist but are less dominant in Greece than in, say, Spain or South Korea, so a proactive approach, emailing academies directly with a CV and a short cover note in August or January, tends to work better than waiting for job board listings. Arriving in Athens or Thessaloniki in person for a week of interviews before the September term starts is still a genuinely effective strategy, since many owners prefer to meet a teacher before offering a contract.
Frequently asked questions
Most frontistiria expect a recognised TEFL certificate of at least 120 hours. It is not a legal requirement in the way a teaching licence is for state schools, but academies use it as their main filter for quality, and it strengthens pay negotiations.
Yes. Greece is an EU member state, so Irish citizens can enter, live and work there with no visa or work permit, only a tax number and a residence registration once settled.
A frontistirio is a private after-school academy, found in almost every Greek town, where children and teenagers take English classes in the afternoon and evening alongside their regular state schooling, often to prepare for Cambridge or IELTS exams.
Late August and early September, just before the academic year starts, is the main hiring window. A smaller second intake happens in January. Summer island and resort roles are usually recruited from around February to April.
Not usually. Island roles in resorts, kids’ clubs and summer camps are almost entirely seasonal, running roughly May to September, so most teachers who want island life combine it with winter work in Athens, Thessaloniki, or online teaching.
No. Frontistirio classes are taught in English and most schools prefer an English-only classroom. Basic Greek helps with day-to-day life and administration, but it is not required to get hired or to teach.
Where this fits with the rest of Europe
Greece sits alongside Spain, Italy, Poland and France as one of the EU countries where Irish teachers can work with no visa admin at all, though the trade-off against western Europe is lower pay for a lower cost of living. For a wider view of how Greek pay compares with the rest of the continent, see our guide to real salaries for Irish teachers abroad, and our roundup of the best countries to teach English from Ireland. If safety and ease of settling in solo are a priority, Greece is also covered in our safest countries to teach English abroad solo guide. And if you are still weighing up TEFL against TESOL or CELTA before you book a course, our TEFL vs TESOL vs CELTA comparison is worth reading first. You can browse every one of our destination guides on the teach English jobs pillar page.
Ready to start?
A recognised, Ofqual-regulated TEFL certificate is the single biggest thing Greek academies ask for. Our accredited 120-hour TEFL course covers the baseline most frontistiria expect, and our Level 5 TEFL diploma gives you a stronger application for the better-paying academies in central Athens. Both are studied online, at your own pace, from Ireland.
Sources: European Commission, Your Europe: residence rights for EU citizens; European Commission, Your Europe: working in another EU country; Embassy of Ireland, Athens.
