This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy through them, Teach-Travel-Learn may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only link services I've used or would use myself.
Last updated: November 2026. This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Requirements change, so confirm with official sources and your school before you apply.
The money nobody mentions in the job offer
A teaching contract abroad often looks generous: flight paid, housing provided or subsidised, health cover included. All true, and still I've watched new teachers arrive with almost nothing in the bank and spend their first month stressed about money instead of settling into the classroom.
The gap is timing. Most of your costs land before you leave and in the weeks before your first paycheck. Schools often reimburse some of them, but reimbursement comes later. After over a decade of moving between countries, here's the budget I wish someone had handed me.
Your moving budget, line by line
Typical 2026 costs for a US citizen:
FBI background check: you pay. $18 to the FBI, or about $43–$68 with an FBI-approved channeler, which returns electronic results in 1–3 business days.
Apostille on the FBI check: you pay. $20 per document from the US Department of State. Federal documents go to the State Department, not your state.
Apostille on your degree: you pay, sometimes reimbursed. $0–$40 per document at your state; most charge $10–$20. Notarise first. A service charges about $60–$250 per document to handle it, most $100–$200.
Embassy legalisation (non-Hague countries, e.g. UAE): you pay, sometimes reimbursed. UAE: AED 150 (about $41) at the embassy, then AED 150 at the foreign ministry. Saudi Arabia has accepted apostilles since December 2022.
Medical check: you pay, sometimes reimbursed. Varies too much to average, and many countries repeat it on arrival.
TEFL certificate, if required: you pay. Most accredited 120-hour online courses cost about $200–$600.
Recruitment membership, if used: you pay. Search Associates $100 a year; ISS EDUrecruit Premium $75 a year. Optional, and mainly for licensed teachers.
Flight: usually paid by the school. Ask whether you book and get reimbursed.
Insurance gap before school cover starts: you pay. About $45–$65 per 4 weeks for under-40s (SafetyWing Essential); prices rise with age.
Cash until your first paycheck: you pay. Common targets are $1,700–$2,800 for Japan and $2,000–$4,000 for China; less where housing is provided. First pay can take 4–6 weeks.
Add it up and most teachers moving with an offer in hand should plan on roughly $2,000–$4,500 in cash available, depending on the country, whether housing is furnished, and how much the school reimburses. That's a planning range from the lines above, not a promise.
1. Documents: the first spend, and the slowest
Your background check and degree apostilles are usually the first costs and the longest wait. By mail, the full chain can take two to four months, so start the day you accept an offer. I walk through every step in How to Get an FBI Background Check Apostilled While Living Abroad. If you need to post documents, use a tracked courier rather than standard mail.
2. Insurance for the gap
School health cover often starts on your contract date or after you arrive, not the day you fly. If you travel early, stop somewhere on the way, or your cover has a waiting period, a month of travel-medical insurance is cheap protection.
3. A phone that works when you land
You'll need data at the airport to message your school contact, call a taxi or open a map. A local SIM usually needs your residence card, which can take weeks. An eSIM bought before you fly bridges that gap.
4. Moving money without losing it to fees
You'll pay overseas fees from home before you leave, and later you'll send money home: student loans, a mortgage, savings. Bank wires and card conversions often hide a poor exchange rate. Use a transfer service that shows the real rate and the fee up front, and compare it with your bank on the same amount.
5. Luggage: what's worth shipping
Check how many checked bags your school's flight allowance covers. Teachers almost always bring more: books, classroom favourites, winter clothes. Compare airline excess-baggage prices with a door-to-door luggage service before you go, especially for a second or third bag.
6. Cash for the first month
This is the line people underestimate. Before your first paycheck you may be paying a housing deposit or utility set-up, buying furniture or kitchen basics, commuting, and eating out while you learn the shops. Some schools offer a settling-in allowance or an advance. Ask in writing what it is and when it's paid.
Questions to ask your school before you sign
Is the flight booked by you or by the school? If by you, when is it reimbursed?
Is housing provided, furnished, or an allowance? Is there a deposit?
Which document and medical costs are reimbursed, and with what receipts?
When does health cover start?
When is the first payday, and is there a settling-in allowance?
The answers can change your cash needs by thousands of dollars, so they're worth one polite email. For the full process from recruiters to contracts, see my Guide to Teaching Overseas.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I save before teaching abroad?
With a job offer, plan on roughly $2,000–$4,500 in available cash. Countries with provided housing sit at the low end; where you rent your own place and pay a deposit, aim higher.
Does the school pay for my flight?
Usually, for international schools and many government programmes. Check whether it's booked for you or reimbursed later.
Can I get the costs back?
Often some of them. Keep every receipt, and ask HR which ones they reimburse before you spend.
Sources: FBI fee: 28 CFR 16.33 · US Department of State apostille fee (DS-4194) · State apostille fees · HCCH: Saudi Arabia joins the Apostille Convention · UAE attestation fees · Online TEFL price averages · Search Associates membership · ISS EDUrecruit Premium · SafetyWing 2026 pricing · Savings targets: Japan, China, South Korea · Apostille service prices: US Legalization, APVI, VisaRite