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Ready To Teach In Spain? Questions To Ask Before Signing A Contract
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December 4, 2025
The excitement of jetting off to a sunny Spanish coast or busy city makes it easy to overlook key questions worth asking before you sign on the dotted line.
Meet Lauren! She’s an experienced TEFL teacher who has taught in different language academies in Spain for more than six years. She knows what’s what when it comes to getting a TEFL job in Spain.
So, before you sign anything, read Lauren’s suggested key questions to help you make sure your job matches your expectations when teaching in Spain.
TEFL teaching can be a wonderful choice — the work can be incredibly rewarding, you get to experience life in a new country and meet people from all walks of life.
It can also be challenging. Over the years, I’ve seen a wide range of contracts and setups — some fantastic, some less ideal.
These differences exist with any job, but when you’re relocating to a new country, it’s helpful to be aware of how things work so you feel confident before you start.
Read: How To Become An ALT In Spain: Teach English Abroad
Asking the right questions in a TEFL interview
Asking the right questions in an interview can help ensure you’re comfortable with your new role before you relocate.
Before I started teaching in Spain, I assumed that I’d have a full-time contract with a specific number of teaching hours, paid breaks, planning and admin time, and opportunities for professional development organised and paid for by the language school.
These types of jobs are less common in language academies in Spain.
Bear in mind, Lauren is speaking from her experience in Spain. It isn’t intended to be a reference for language academies in other countries or other teaching positions in Spain.
Contracts vary between 12 – 13 hours to 32 hours a week.
A typical contract is an indefinido fijo discontinuo: a permanent contract for certain parts of the year. This means that your contract is suspended during the summer and restarts the following academic year when the academy reopens.
It’s worth planning ahead financially, as most teachers aren’t paid during the summer break.
The reason for these contracts is the seasonal nature of the TEFL industry, particularly in Spain.
During the summer in Spain — August (and sometimes July) — the majority of businesses close down. This is true not only of language academies but in other industries too.
During these months, the majority of people in Spain take leave and go on holiday. Because of this, the language learning sector goes on a break, so to speak. There aren’t any learners to justify keeping language academies open.
Read more: Ways To Work & Live In Spain As A Foreigner
Also, many language academies focus pay on teaching hours, which is a common setup.
This is common in language academies around the world. If you’re only paid for your teaching hours, you might be paid a lower hourly rate for lesson planning or marking. CPD sessions may or may not be paid. It all depends on the school.
I recognise that it doesn’t seem to be the norm here. Personally, I prefer positions that pay for planning time and breaks, especially for long-term roles.
Read more: What To Expect In A TEFL Contract
Some language academies have 15- to 30-minute breaks between lessons, which are usually unpaid. Over a week, this can add up when you factor in admin like report-writing, marking, and lesson prep.
If you’re planning on staying in Spain long-term, it’s worth looking around for a job that offers paid planning time. These positions aren’t as common, but they do exist.
Professional development opportunities aren’t offered at many language academies, but this varies from place to place.
I’ve worked in a tiny academy where teachers could attend a couple of conferences a year, paid for by the school, and another where their professional development totalled one meeting at the start of the term.
For the most part, teachers who want to develop professionally have to do so on their own.
If your school or employer doesn’t offer enough CPD opportunities, you can:
✅ Attend conferences
✅ Read books
✅ Listen to podcasts
Questions to ask in a TEFL job interview
I usually start with general questions to learn more about the language academy first.
Questions about teaching hours and support
- What’s the timetable like?
- How many classes there are in a day?
- How long is each class?
- What is the maximum number of students for each group?
- What types of courses are there?
- Whether students follow a coursebook or if there’s an in-house curriculum
- Are there any available resources?
- Are there any exam groups?
- Are students expected to complete homework?
These are just handy questions to get a better understanding of what the job might look like on a day-to-day basis and whether it’s a good fit for you. A school with many Young Learners and no craft supplies would be challenging!
Read more: How to Teach Spanish Young Learners Effectively
With these questions out of the way, you can move on to the more “serious” questions.
❓ Will the salary listed in the job advertisement appear on your payslip?
The most important question to ask is whether the entire salary amount listed in the job advert will be on your nomina (payslip).
I know of a few teachers who’ve had half of their salary appear on their monthly payslip and the rest handed to them in cash!
In Spain, employer contributions are quite high. This practice seems fairly common as a way of reducing costs for employers.
In 2025, employer contributions are around 30.57% of the gross salary. Some employers structure contracts differently to manage contributions, such as offering freelance roles or adjusting reported working hours. Teachers should review contract terms carefully to ensure clarity.
Check out how contributions to things like social security are structured in your contract, as this can affect certain benefits later.
If your contract does not state your full salary and only part of it gets paid in cash, ask for clarity.
Top tip: If your contract is not in English, find a way to translate it before signing so you understand the fine print.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about your salary.
Read more: TEFL Contracts: Your Complete Checklist
❓What is the net salary?.
If the interviewer doesn’t mention it and the salary on the job advert is listed as the gross amount, ask what the net salary is to avoid any surprises.
❓ Can I speak to a current or past employee?
You can ask the teacher about living in the area, working at the school, and if they had a positive experience. Generally, employers have been happy to pass on my details to other teachers or, even better, the person I will be replacing.
Of course, you might not get the full story from present or former employees, but the fact that the employer is confident enough that their staff will recommend the place is a good sign.
If they’re not willing to give you anyone’s details, this might be a red flag.
Read more: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Teaching English In Spain
How can you tell if a TEFL job offer is legit?
You can:
✅ Ask for a copy of the Spanish contract before you arrive.
It’s relatively easy for potential employers to send a contract. They tend to follow a strict template and should have spaces for your name, address, social security number and foreign identification number.
It should also state the type of contract and details of the timetable and salary.
Even though you can’t complete it and sign it until you arrive, having the chance to go through it and ask questions BEFORE you move is important.
Depending on your home country, you often need a work contract to get your foreign identification number and social security number. So, the absence of a contract suggests that the school isn’t operating as transparently as it should.
✅ Always check that your salary is clearly stated and not “según el convenio” (according to the agreement). The legal minimum wage for teachers in language academies can be low, and chances are you’ll be earning more.
Read more: How Much Can You Save Teaching In Spain?
The phrase según al convenio refers to the collective agreement for private language academies, which sets the legal minimum wage for teachers. If your contract doesn’t list a specific salary, you could end up being paid only the minimum.
✅ Ask for a compromiso de contratación (a document stating the employer’s intention to hire you), which usually states working hours, salary and when employment will start. It makes finding housing easier, as many landlords will ask to see an employment contract.
✅ Look the employer up online. There are lots of websites and platforms where teachers share their work experiences.
✅ Ask to speak to current or past teachers and/or the person whose role you’ll be taking over.
✅ Ask if the school is a member of a language association, such as ACEIA (Asociación de Centros de Enseñanza de Idiomas de Andalucía/Association of Private Language Schools in Andalusia). To be a member of these organisations, you must show that you are operating legally.
Signs a job is the right fit:
- Your contract is sent before you arrive.
- Your salary is clearly stated in the contract.
- Positive reviews.
- Reasonable hiring timelines (as opposed to constant advertising).
- Willingness to connect you with employees, past and present.
- A clear and active online presence.
- No requests for money. (A legitimate school will not ask you to send them money to secure a job or to pay for a visa.)
Read more: 9 Reasons Why Teaching in Spain Feels Like A Dream Job
Differences between being a freelancer (autónomo) and a contracted employee in Spain
My roles in language schools have always been as a contracted employee. I haven’t encountered many freelance teaching roles advertised.
As a freelancer, you’re responsible for your own taxes and social security, so your rates should be higher.
Most freelancers have an asesor/a (advisor) who’ll give you templates for invoices, file your taxes and help with paperwork for a monthly fee.
Contracted employees in language academies usually don’t have to worry about monthly tax and social security deductions, as these are automatically deducted from their salary.
However, even contracted employees may need to do the yearly declaración de la renta (annual tax return), depending on their salary or if they’ve earned over a certain amount from two or more employers during a tax year.
If offered a freelance contract, ensure it is viable.
You have to pay social security monthly. While it’s a lower rate in your first year as a freelancer, it increases after that, so you’ll need to earn enough to cover this cost.
Read more: How To Find Private English Students
Look out for whether the job description mirrors that of a contracted employee. If so, you should receive the same rights and benefits.
Advice for new teachers in Spain
I think the best advice I can give is to ask as many people as possible who have experience teaching in language academies in Spain to share their stories.
You can:
- Look at online forums if you don’t know anyone who has taught here.
- Ask your contacts if they know anyone who’s worked as a TEFL teacher here and would be willing to talk to you.
The more information you have, the easier things will be!
I’ve been here for seven years – Spain is a beautiful place and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Read more: Teach English in Spain: What Are The Requirements?
Do your homework, trust your instincts and have a fantastic time!
The paperwork and asking the right questions might not be fun, but they make your teaching experience way smoother.
Once the admin is sorted? Spain’s sun-soaked, siesta-friendly, tapas-for-breakfast lifestyle is all yours.
So if teaching in Spain sounds like your cup of café con leche, why not kick things off with our Young Learners Top-Up Course or our Level 5 TEFL Course and get a taste of teaching before you even step on Spanish soil?
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The TEFL Academy was the world’s first TEFL course provider to receive official recognition from government regulated awarding bodies in both the USA and UK. This means when you graduate you’ll hold a globally recognised Level 3 (120hr) Certificate or Level 5 (168hr) Diploma, meaning you can find work anywhere and apply for jobs immediately.
