For schools and employers
Hire English teachers in Cambodia
The region's most accessible work authorisation, and what that means for who applies.
Cambodia has the most accessible entry requirements of the major Southeast Asian teaching markets, which makes hiring fast and the applicant pool wide. The consequence is that screening matters more here than anywhere else on this list: the constraint is not finding applicants but identifying which of them can actually teach.
No applicants in 30 days? Full refund.
324
teacher profiles open to work and searchable right now
79
applications sent through the board in the last 30 days
What it costs to hire in Cambodia
Housing is not provided and salaries sit below Vietnam and Thailand, with international schools in Phnom Penh the exception. Because the barrier to entry is low, employers who invest in training and a stable timetable retain teachers considerably longer than those competing on rate alone.
Visa sponsorship and your obligations
Work authorisation is comparatively accessible, and the employer is involved in the business visa extension and work permit position. Requirements are lighter than neighbouring countries but they do exist and they change, so confirm the current position with the relevant Cambodian authority rather than relying on what was true a few years ago.
When to recruit, and how long it takes
Hiring runs year round with rises around term starts. Roles can be filled quickly, which is genuinely useful for covering an unexpected departure.
What the contract has to spell out
State guaranteed hours, the rate, paid holiday, who bears work permit costs and notice. Because the market has a high proportion of inexperienced teachers, spelling out what support and training you provide is an effective way to attract the ones worth keeping.
How this goes wrong
Hiring on availability rather than on evidence of teaching ability, then replacing the person a term later. The wide applicant pool is an advantage only if you screen properly: ask for a demonstration lesson. The cost of that is an hour; the cost of not doing it is a term.
Questions schools ask
- What are the requirements to hire a foreign English teacher in Cambodia?
- They are lighter than in neighbouring countries, with the employer involved in the visa extension and work permit position. They are not nonexistent and they do change, so confirm the current requirements with the relevant Cambodian authority before contracting.
- Why do we get so many applicants in Cambodia?
- Because the entry barrier is the lowest in the region, so the applicant pool includes many people without teaching experience. That is workable, but only if your screening is real. A demonstration lesson separates the field far better than a CV does here.
- How do we retain teachers in Cambodia?
- Stable timetables, guaranteed hours and actual training. Rates are low across the market, so pay is not the lever. Employers who develop inexperienced teachers rather than churning them build the only durable staffing advantage available in this market.
- How quickly can we fill a role?
- Quickly, often within weeks, which makes Cambodia a practical market for covering an unexpected departure. Spend the time you save on screening rather than on shortening the process further.
Immigration and licensing requirements change. Confirm the current position with the relevant ministry or authority before you contract a teacher.