The first month teaching abroad combines immigration paperwork, a new workplace, housing, banking, transportation, and unfamiliar classrooms. The easiest way to stay in control is to separate urgent tasks from important tasks. Use this checklist as a framework, then adjust it to the official requirements of your destination and your own immigration status.
Keep originals in your carry-on and store secure digital copies separately. Your exact list will vary, but it may include your passport, entry permission or visa documents, employment contract, degree and authentication records, background check, insurance information, prescriptions, passport photos, school address, housing details, and emergency contacts.
Confirm that your housing is safe and matches the agreement. Photograph existing damage, test locks and essential appliances, and report problems in writing. Learn the nearest clinic, pharmacy, convenience store, and safe transport route to work.
Arrange reliable phone and data service, but compare contract length, cancellation terms, and identification requirements before committing. Set up a translation tool and download offline maps for your neighborhood.
Ask your employer for a written timeline covering local registration, residence documentation, work authorization, health insurance, tax, banking, payroll, and any required medical examination. Procedures vary widely, so rely on official government guidance for your destination rather than an old social-media post.
Confirm which documents the school is submitting, what you must do personally, and when you are legally permitted to work. Keep copies of applications and receipts. Do not leave original documents with a school longer than a legitimate procedure requires.
Request an orientation that covers more than the textbook. You need to know:
Ask to observe experienced teachers before being expected to copy local routines. Save important instructions in writing, especially when they affect pay, hours, or student safety.
Your first paycheck may arrive several weeks after your first day, and setup costs can be higher than expected. List fixed costs such as rent, utilities, transport, phone, insurance, food, and loan payments. Add one-time costs such as bedding, kitchen supplies, residence fees, deposits, and commuting cards.
Confirm the payroll date, gross salary, expected deductions, and method of payment. Keep an emergency reserve separate from daily spending when possible.
Choose simple routines that you can repeat: how students enter, where materials go, how homework is collected, how you regain attention, and how class ends. Learn student names early and keep brief notes after each lesson about timing, difficulties, and what to adjust.
Avoid rebuilding every lesson from scratch. Organize adaptable warm-ups, review games, extension tasks, and early-finisher activities. Ask colleagues which resources are approved and which classroom strategies fit the school culture.
Compare your actual schedule, duties, housing, and support with the contract and interview. Small misunderstandings are easier to resolve early. Send concise written questions and keep a record of agreed changes.
Verify that required registrations and enrollments are progressing. If a deadline is approaching, follow up before it becomes urgent.
Calculate your true weekly time, including preparation, commuting, meetings, grading, and events. Identify tasks that consume time without improving student outcomes and ask experienced colleagues how they handle them.
Build a life outside work: establish a regular grocery route, exercise option, social connection, and weekly check-in with family or friends. Culture adjustment is easier when basic routines are stable.
At the end of the month, confirm that you understand your pay, legal status, benefits, schedule, housing responsibilities, and school expectations. Note unresolved problems, who owns each next step, and a deadline for follow-up.
Global School Scout tip: Keep researching after arrival. Compare your school with verified profiles and teacher experiences on Global School Scout, and share accurate branch-level information that can help the next teacher make a better decision.
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