Teach In Spain Program
Apply Now for Fall 2026 Start Dates
Immerse yourself in Spanish culture while teaching English in the region of Madrid, one of the world’s most energetic and cosmopolitan cities.
As a language and culture assistant in Madrid public schools, you’ll facilitate cultural exchange and help your students practice conversational English. You’ll make a difference in the lives of students while expanding your own view of the world.
With three-day weekends every week, there’s plenty of time to explore Madrid’s diverse neighborhoods, learn Spanish, or travel with friends throughout Spain and the rest of Europe.
CIEE will support every step of your Teach in Spain adventure, with expert visa guidance, a comprehensive orientation, and assistance from CIEE staff in Madrid. You’ll also meet other CIEE teachers before departure and during orientation so you can build a support network of new friends in Spain.
Program Highlights
- Guaranteed placement as language assistant in the region of Madrid
- Part-time schedule and 3-day weekends so you’ll have time to explore
- €1,000 monthly stipend to cover living expenses
- 4-day CIEE orientation in Madrid with 4 nights of hotel accommodation and cultural activities
Check out Teach in Spain FAQs to learn more!
Boost your Spanish level before starting teaching, with CIEE’s Teach in Spain Immersion programs that offer two weeks or four weeks with a Spanish homestay and language classes geared to your level.
TERM | ARRIVAL DATE | END DATE | COMPENSATION | DEADLINE |
Spring 1 Semester 2026 | January | Late June | 1000 Euros/month | July 1st |
Fall 2 Semesters 2026 | Late August or September | Late June | 1000 Euros/month | March 1st |
About Our Program Fees
Founded in 1947, CIEE is the leading intercultural exchange organization.
As a non-profit, CIEE relies on program fees to provide participants with placement assistance, international insurance, orientation, and support before and after arrival. The $2,650 program fee is paid in two installments:
- $500 commitment deposit after acceptance ($1,000 if TEFL is included)
- Remaining balance due 4-5 months before arrival
Build teaching skills and confidence by adding a CIEE TEFL certification $1,000 ($1,195 VALUE)
What's Included
- Guaranteed placement in region of Madrid
- Support before you depart, including expert visa guidance and online preparation course
- Support after you arrive from CIEE staff in Madrid
- Airport pickup and transportation to your orientation hotel on arrival day
- Four days of orientation with topics including housing, banking, residency, health & safety, and more
- Four nights of hotel accommodation during orientation
- Cultural activities during orientation
- Private Spanish health insurance with no deductibles or copayments, and 24/7 emergency assistance
The Destination
Madrid is the cultural heart of Spain. Teachers in Madrid have the opportunity to visit world-renowned art museums, explore diverse neighborhoods, and meet with friends at its countless parks and tapas bars.
School placements are located in the Region of Madrid, in urban areas and towns up to 120 minutes away from the city center via public transit. Teachers arrange their own housing, so they can choose to live near their schools, or commute from further away, giving everyone the option of living in the city center.
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. No matter where you choose to study abroad with CIEE, our staff will be on hand throughout your program to provide advice, resources, and support.
The Take-Aways
Compensation
Monthly stipend of €1,000 in Madrid to cover basic living expenses.
Preparation
Job placement, visa application guidance, an online pre-departure course, 4-day in-country orientation, cultural activities.
Assistance
24/7 support from CIEE staff in Madrid, health insurance and emergency assistance, resources for finding housing.
Program Blogs
Life After Graduating: Why I’m Teaching English in Spain (and how you can too!)
After graduating from university in 2024, I wasn’t sure which path to take but I knew I didn’t want to jump straight into a traditional career. Instead, I chose to teach English in Spain — and in this post, I’ll share why teaching English abroad might be the right decision for you too.
How to Know You’ll Be a Successful Teacher Without Prior Experience
I wasn’t a teacher before teaching in Madrid. In fact, a lot of us weren’t. If you haven’t taught before, here’s exactly why you should do it abroad.
Job Description
While teaching in Spain, you’ll serve as a Language and Culture Assistant (Auxiliares de Conversación) in a public school in the region of Madrid. The primary responsibility of Language and Culture Assistants is to help students develop their English language skills. You’ll do this by organizing discussions and activities in English that relate to the topics students are learning in their classes.
Language and Culture Assistants are also responsible for facilitating cultural exchange and teaching students about other cultures. You’ll have the chance to share the cultural traditions and holidays that are important to you. For example, you might organize fun activities related to Halloween.
You will assist local, lead teachers and will collaborate with them to design activities in English that support their lesson plans. Exact responsibilities can vary, but you will not be responsible for grading or the independent supervision of students.
Learn More About Teaching in Spain With CIEE
Compensation
CIEE Language and Culture Assistants in Madrid receive a monthly stipend of 1,000 Euros. For most participants, this is adequate to afford a modest lifestyle, living with one or more flatmates. We will provide you with advice on monthly budgets and how to find an apartment. Most program participants also teach private English classes, either through their school or independently.
If you’re careful with spending, you’ll have some money for fun and to explore Spain. If you're planning trips to other countries in Europe, make sure to bring extra savings from home.
CIEE participants have paid holidays from Christmas to Three Kings Day (roughly two weeks) and at Easter/Semana Santa (one week). Schools will be ready to share exact dates by mid/late September, when their calendars are approved for the school year.
Schools
CIEE teachers are placed at public schools participating in a governmental bilingual initiative, including pre-K, kindergarten, primary, secondary, and vocational schools. Most schools are outside Madrid's city center, in the Community of Madrid's other cities and small towns. If you are placed at a school in a small town, it is possible to live in the city center and commute to your school by public transit. For our main start date in the Fall, location and age-group preferences are considered by CIEE, but we are not able to guarantee specific placement preferences. Our January start date has a smaller number of positions. This means it's not practical to consider placement preferences, so applicants must be flexible and ready to be placed anywhere in the Madrid region.
Workload
As a Language and Culture Assistant in Madrid you’ll teach 16 classroom hours per week and have a 4 day work week. In addition to your classroom hours, you may be required to spend a few hours attending planning or professional development sessions each week. Many Language and Culture Assistants also enjoy participating in sports clubs or other extracurricular activities at their schools. You’ll enjoy 3-day weekends with either Monday or Friday off so you’ll have plenty of time to travel, learn Spanish, or participate in local clubs and organizations. For teaching assistants, the fall semester runs from early October to just before Christmas, and the spring semester runs from early January until late June.
Qualifications
Teaching experience and Spanish language skills are not required for the position, but having some background in teaching and Spanish language skills will be helpful. Some ways to enhance your language skills are signing up for CIEE's Spanish Immersion program and learning some of the language before you arrive. You can also enhance your teaching skills by getting TEFL certified with CIEE.
Can I participate if I don't have a US passport?
Our program's visa and residency instructions are specific to US citizens. Other English-speaking countries have different procedures. For that reason, we don't accept applicants who don't have US passports.
Requirements
- Native-level English fluency
- A bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited English-language university in the U.S. or Canada
- Muse have a U.S. passport, valid at least 12 months beyond the program start date, with 3+ empty pages
- Must be under 60 years old on January 1 of the desired academic year
- Applicants for our program may NOT have served as a Language and Culture Assistant in Spain for any part of the preceding academic year (Oct-June)
- Must be willing and able to use buses, subways, and/or commuter rail to commute to assigned school.
- A candidate with a criminal record showing a single arrest or charge for DUI, driving without a license, or underage possession of alcohol may, at CIEE's sole discretion, be judged eligible for participation, provided that the charge is dated at least two years prior to the program start date. Multiple arrests or charges, or charges of any other type, will render a candidate ineligible for our program.
PLEASE NOTE: because the Spanish visa process is lengthy and inflexible, it is NOT possible to plan other international travel in the three months before your program begins. You MUST be in your home country during that time.
PLEASE NOTE: As of May 2025, Spanish immigration law no longer allows Teaching Assistants to sponsor visas for dependent children and spouses.
TEFL Certification
Boost your teaching skills and confidence before traveling to Spain with CIEE’s 150-Hour TEFL Certificate course. This premium online TEFL course includes:
- 130 hours of online coursework you can complete from anywhere
- 20-hour teaching practicum to give you practice teaching
- Small class sizes so you’ll build relationships with other classmates planning to teach abroad
- ACCET accreditation recognized by US Department of Education
“This course opened my eyes to the world of TEFL. While I do not have a degree in education, I feel more prepared to teach English in Spain this year. The course provides you with plenty of practice, guidance, and resources to help you succeed in the classroom!” Ashlynn H., Teach in Spain Participant. Read more of Ashlynn’s reflection on the TEFL certificate course.
Add TEFL Certification to your CIEE Teach in Spain application and receive a $195 discount!
Our Team
Lauren Massey
Teach Abroad Manager
Lauren taught English in South Korea for two years and later lived in Thailand and Nepal for a year and half. She loves guiding others on their teaching adventures abroad.
Emma Devens
Teach Abroad Advisor
Emma studied abroad in Budapest, where she fell in love with travelling and learning from other countries and cultures. She then taught English in Moscow and Shanghai for a few...
Laura Canadillas
IN-COUNTRY SUPPORT
Laura worked in various social services positions in France, Scotland and Thailand, before she came back to her hometown, Madrid, to support CIEE teachers in Spain.
Ready to change your life?
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