EPIK Application Guide: Eligibility, Steps, Visa (2026)

EPIK (English Program in Korea) places foreign English teachers in Korean public schools through the metropolitan and provincial offices of education. This guide follows EPIK's own website, which we read on 6 October 2026, and replaces an earlier version of this article that carried a 2026 timeline that has now passed and a few figures that did not match EPIK's pages.

Two companion guides go deeper: EPIK pay scale and allowances and EPIK required documents. For dates see when EPIK opens and what the calendar looks like.

Who is eligible

EPIK states that teachers must be citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States or South Africa. Indian citizens can apply under the CEPA agreement if they also hold a valid teaching certificate in English education, which a TEFL or TESOL certificate cannot replace.

You also need:

- A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited university in one of those countries.

- Schooling in English from about 7th grade through university. Applicants from places where English is not the main language of instruction, such as Quebec or parts of South Africa, must submit letters from their schools as proof.

- A teaching licence, an education degree, or a major in teaching, TESOL or second language studies. If you have none of those, you need a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certificate of at least 100 hours from an accredited programme. You can apply before you finish it, as long as it is complete no later than six weeks before your expected arrival date.

- Good physical and mental health, good English, and willingness to adapt to Korean life.

- If you are a Korean man under 35, completed military service or an official waiver.

EPIK also notes that all positions exist only when the offices of education request them. Being eligible does not guarantee a placement.

Three ways to apply

EPIK's how-to-apply page describes three routes, and the steps after you apply are the same on each:

1. Directly through the EPIK office. You create an account and submit the online application.

2. Through an MOU/MOA organisation. EPIK listed 22 partners as of 3 March 2026, including CIEE, Greenheart Travel, The TEFL Academy and several universities. Each handles your application and documents and passes them to EPIK.

3. Through an official recruitment agency. Same flow, with the agency as your coordinator.

Whichever you choose, the interview is with EPIK itself and is held online.

The steps, in order

1. Submit the application (direct, MOU/MOA or agency).

2. If it passes initial screening, you are invited to an online interview with EPIK.

3. If you pass, you submit your required documents. See the documents checklist.

4. EPIK recommends your application to an office of education, which makes the final decision on placement. You are notified through your coordinator.

5. You receive the documents for your visa and apply at a Korean embassy or consulate.

6. You attend EPIK's mandatory orientation and then start your contract.

EPIK describes its timeline as a general reference that is subject to change. Placements are made while spots remain, so documents that arrive late or incomplete can cost you a place.

The E-2 visa

You need an E-2 visa before you arrive. EPIK says you cannot attend orientation or work without it, apart from holders of F-4 or F-6 status and Korean passport holders. The visa documents are sent only after an office of education has issued you a contract. EPIK lists the passport, contract, Notice of Appointment and E-2 application form as the core items and tells you to ask your consulate about anything else. It says processing depends on the consulate and usually takes at least 14 business days. Our E-2 visa guide covers the visa itself.

Orientation and mandatory training

EPIK lists four required programmes: a 15-hour online pre-orientation (before you arrive or just after placement), a main orientation of 30 to 45 hours right after arrival, any additional orientation, and a 15-hour online in-service course once you are teaching. The orientation period is unpaid and not counted as employment, and EPIK says lodging and meals are free during it.

The job

EPIK describes the work as assisting and co-teaching English classes with a Korean co-teacher, running conversation classes, preparing materials and helping with extracurricular activities and English camps. The contract is one calendar year and EPIK asks you not to apply unless you can commit to all of it. You work eight hours a day, five days a week, and instructional time is capped at 22 hours a week unless the office or school requests more, in which case overtime applies. Class periods are normally 40 minutes in elementary, 45 in middle and 50 in high school. You may be assigned to more than one school, and you will not know the grade level until after you arrive. Summer and winter breaks are about a month each, and EPIK says you may be required to teach camps during them, so read the vacation clause in your contract.

If you do not get placed

EPIK publishes no acceptance rate, so ignore any number you see for it. Teachers who do not place commonly look at hagwons (private academies), which hire all year. Compare offers with our Korea salary breakdown and the Korea country guide, and see current openings. If you are an employer or recruiter in Korea, post a job here.

Stay on top of new openings

Set up a job alert so Korea openings reach you when they are posted, or use the ESL Careers iPhone app to browse on your phone. Our TEFL interview prep course helps with the interview stage.

Sources

- EPIK: Eligibility (read 6 October 2026)

- EPIK: How to Apply (read 6 October 2026)

- EPIK: Duties and contract (read 6 October 2026)

- EPIK: Mandatory training (read 6 October 2026)

- EPIK: Application timeline (read 6 October 2026)