Teach Abroad Programs for New Graduates: JET, EPIK, NALCAP, TAPIF & Internships Compared

The best teach-abroad programs for new graduates are government-run placements like JET (Japan), EPIK (South Korea), NALCAP (Spain), and TAPIF (France), plus paid TEFL internships in Asia, and the right one for you depends mainly on your target region, your budget for the first few months, and whether you want a full salary or a smaller stipend. All four government programs accept graduates straight out of university with no teaching experience, and a paid internship is often the fastest route in if you want to start within weeks rather than waiting for a once-a-year application cycle.

This guide compares JET, EPIK, NALCAP, TAPIF, and paid internships side by side so you can see pay, hours, contract length, and eligibility in one place before deciding where to apply first.

Key Takeaways

• JET (Japan) pays the most of the four government programs, starting around 4,020,000 JPY a year, but has a single annual application window that closes in November for the following year.
• EPIK (South Korea) pays roughly 2.0-2.8 million KRW a month, provides free housing, and runs two intakes a year, making it the most flexible government option for timing.
• NALCAP (Spain) and TAPIF (France) pay stipends rather than full salaries, roughly 800-1,000 EUR and about 790 EUR a month respectively, and are best suited to graduates prioritizing lifestyle and part-time hours over savings.
• A paid TEFL internship is the fastest way in if a government program's application window has closed, since internships run on rolling admissions rather than once-a-year cycles.
• All four government programs require only a bachelor's degree in any subject, so your major does not need to be English, Education, or Linguistics.

Teach Abroad Programs for New Graduates: Master Comparison Table

The table below lines up the four major government programs against a paid TEFL internship. Figures reflect published 2026 program rates; always confirm current numbers on the program's official page before applying, since government pay scales and application windows shift year to year.

Sources: EPIK official salary and benefits page, JET Programme USA contract information, France Education International TAPIF recruitment notices, and Spain's Ministry of Education NALCAP program page; figures independently cross-checked for this article, July 2026.

JET Program: Teaching in Japan

The Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme places university graduates as Assistant Language Teachers in public schools across Japan on a government salary rather than a stipend, which makes it the best-paying option on this list. First-year JET participants earn approximately 4,020,000 JPY a year, rising with each renewed year of the contract, and the placement runs as a genuine one-year employment contract rather than a part-time assistantship.

The trade-off is timing and placement control: JET runs a single application cycle each year, typically opening in September and closing in mid-November for a summer start the following year, and you cannot choose your prefecture. If your target country is Japan and your timeline is flexible enough to wait for the annual window, JET offers the strongest combination of pay and structure of any program here. Full program details, eligibility, and the current application cycle are covered in our dedicated JET Program Japan guide.

EPIK Program: Teaching in South Korea

The English Program in Korea places graduates in public schools nationwide with a monthly salary of roughly 2.0 to 2.8 million KRW depending on qualifications and region, plus free furnished housing, which meaningfully lowers your cost of living compared with the stipend-based European programs. EPIK also runs two intakes a year, one starting around February/March and one around August/September, giving new graduates more flexibility than JET's single annual window.

A TEFL certificate of 100 or more hours strengthens your placement level and starting salary, though it is not always mandatory if you hold a related degree or teaching license. If timing flexibility matters to you as much as pay, EPIK is generally the easier government program to fit around a graduation date. See our full EPIK application guide for the level-by-level pay scale and how to apply.

NALCAP: Teaching in Spain

The North American Language and Culture Assistants Program places participants in Spanish public schools for roughly 14-16 hours a week, receiving a monthly stipend of 800-1,000 EUR depending on the region, plus health insurance, for placements running from around October to May or June. NALCAP is markedly more accessible on paper than JET or EPIK: you do not need a completed degree, since current university sophomores and above can apply, and no TEFL certificate is required to be accepted, though having one strengthens an application and is genuinely useful once you are in the classroom.

Because the part-time hours and modest stipend mean NALCAP works better as a lifestyle-and-language-immersion year than a savings vehicle, it suits new graduates who want extensive free time to travel and study Spanish alongside a light teaching schedule. Full eligibility, regional stipend differences, and this year's application timeline are in our NALCAP Spain guide.

TAPIF: Teaching in France

The Teaching Assistant Program in France places university graduates and current students as English assistants in French public schools for a fixed seven-month contract, from October 1 to April 30, working 12 hours a week across up to three schools, for a stipend of approximately 790 EUR a month plus health insurance through the French national healthcare system. Like NALCAP, TAPIF's part-time schedule leaves plenty of room for travel and independent study, and the fixed short contract length makes it a genuinely low-commitment way to test teaching abroad before deciding on a longer-term move.

Eligibility requires at least three years of higher education completed and an age range of 20-35 at the start of the program, with intermediate French proficiency (roughly B1 level) also required, which makes TAPIF the one program on this list with a real language prerequisite beyond English. Full requirements and this year's application dates are in our TAPIF program guide.

Government Programs at a Glance: Hours, Housing, and Language Requirements

Paid TEFL Internships: The Fast-Start Alternative

If a government program's application window has already closed for the year, or you would rather start teaching within weeks instead of months, a paid TEFL internship is the most realistic alternative. Internships place new graduates in schools across destinations including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, and Germany, typically bundling a TEFL certificate, placement support, and in-country orientation into a single package rather than requiring you to navigate a foreign government application on your own.

Internships are especially useful for three groups: recent graduates who want to test whether teaching suits them before committing to a full academic-year contract, first-time travelers who want a structured, beginner-friendly landing rather than solo trip planning, and career changers who want to sample teaching without letting go of other options for a year or more. Because internships run on rolling admissions rather than a single annual deadline, they are also the practical fallback for graduates who missed the JET or TAPIF windows and still want to start teaching abroad this year. Full destinations and what a typical internship includes are in our TEFL internships abroad guide.

Which Program Should New Graduates Choose?

The right program depends on what you are optimizing for: pay, timing flexibility, lifestyle, or speed of getting started. If maximizing salary and structure matters most and you can plan a year ahead, JET is the strongest option; if you want strong pay with more scheduling flexibility, EPIK's twice-yearly intake is the practical pick. If your priority is lifestyle, part-time hours, and immersive language learning over savings, NALCAP or TAPIF fit better, with the caveat that TAPIF requires intermediate French. If you want to start soon and are not tied to a specific government timeline, a paid internship removes the single-deadline risk entirely.

What You Need Before Applying to Any of These Programs

Across all five routes, a few requirements come up repeatedly, so it is worth preparing them regardless of which program you pick first:

• A bachelor's degree (any subject) for JET and EPIK; at least some completed university study for NALCAP; at least three years of higher education for TAPIF.
• A clean criminal background check, since every government program and most internship providers require one before departure.
• A TEFL certificate, generally 120 hours, which is effectively required for EPIK to reach a good salary level, strongly recommended (though not mandatory) for NALCAP and TAPIF, and typically included in paid internship packages.
• Reference letters, usually two to three, often including at least one academic reference if you are applying straight out of university.
• Enough savings to cover the first one to two months before your first paycheck or stipend arrives, since none of these programs pay significantly in advance.

For a broader view of how teaching pay compares once you are actually placed, whichever program you choose, our TEFL Market Report tracks current teacher pay across dozens of destinations so you can see how these government stipends and salaries stack up against private-sector teaching jobs.

Application Timeline: Planning Your Graduation Year

Because these programs run on different calendars, the program you should apply to first often depends on when you graduate, not just where you want to go.

Many graduates who miss JET's single annual window use a paid internship as a bridge year, gaining classroom experience and a stronger application before reapplying to JET or EPIK for the following cycle.

Common Mistakes New Graduates Make When Applying

Most rejections and dropped applications come down to a handful of avoidable errors rather than being genuinely unqualified for the role. Watching for these before you submit anything improves your odds noticeably.

• Applying to only one program. Because JET has a single yearly deadline and TAPIF and NALCAP can pause or cut regions with little notice, as happened to parts of Spain's program in recent cycles, applying to a backup option in parallel protects you against a program-level disruption you cannot control.
• Underestimating reference lead time. Academic references in particular can take professors several weeks to write during exam periods, so request them as soon as you know you are applying rather than a week before the deadline.
• Skipping the TEFL certificate because it is "not required." NALCAP and TAPIF do not mandate one, but a certificate materially strengthens your placement, your classroom confidence on day one, and your competitiveness if a program is oversubscribed that year.
• Not budgeting for the gap before first pay. None of these programs pay significantly in advance, and flights, visas, and initial housing deposits are due before you have earned anything, so arriving with one to two months of living costs saved avoids a stressful first few weeks.
• Assuming placement location is guaranteed. JET and EPIK in particular place you where the program needs teachers, not necessarily your requested city or region, so go in prepared to be flexible on location if pay and structure are your main priority.

Ready to Choose Your Teach Abroad Program?

Whichever route fits your graduation timeline and goals, getting TEFL certified first strengthens every one of these applications, from EPIK's pay scale to a paid internship's placement options. Explore Premier TEFL's accredited courses and start building your application today.