The International Schools Review Forum

I was looking at postings for some international schools in the EU. Some of these schools mentioned that they cannot hire anyone with an EU passport as an overseas hire.

Is this a policy that is specific to certain schools? Or is this common in the EU? Based on your experiences, how significant is the difference between being an overseas hire and local hire in the EU?

Would the difference be that I have to pay for my own flight to get there? Would I still make the same money? There really should be more transparency about what it means to be a local hire.

In this situation, is it also possible to just not use my EU citizenship and therefore use my non-EU passport to work there?

Thanks in advance for the help.

A local hire normally means you are a citizen of the EU and it will not include flights, accommodation and international medical insurance.

In general, there is less of a difference in pay and conditions in Europe compared to say Asia or the ME. Some schools employ the best teachers they can find, but why bother bringing in someone to the EU when there are thousands of Teachers that don't need a visa and the like.

There is generally no difference between the overseas and the local hire except in the initial relocation package. My experience is that EU schools do cover relocation, but not annual flights home and that they offer the same medical insurance to all hires--often the local public insurance. So it's often a matter of rules re: visas as to whether you are a local or an overseas hire. But of course schools vary wildly.

Thank you Thames and sciteach. I assumed the disparity between local and expat in Europe was pretty minimal but wanted to be sure.

Not having a relocation package is still not a great situation. My EU passport is not my primary passport that I have used for travel and visas. I only have it because of background and I have never lived in that EU country. It's unfortunate that that could be used against me in the hiring process.

Whether it’s “used against” you depends on perspective. Some schools won’t hire anyone without an EU passport. At least you’re in with a chance.
And you still have all the agency in the world to decide which offers are worth your “yes”. Reject any offer you don’t approve of.
What you don’t have is agency to work wherever you want on the terms you set. Wouldn’t that be a more fun world to live in!?

If I wanted a job in Europe, I'd prefer to have an EU passport than not have one. Think of it as opening 5 doors for every one that closes....

Its pretty common actually. Most EU ISs have some form of union or labor regulation that requires equal treatment (coin and benefits) among like workers, and they often use the passport as the determining factor not physical location in determining LH from OSH.

Its not something you can choose though. Its not the same scenario when traveling that you can choose which passport you want to travel on. You cant choose which passport your going to work on. If you have an EU passport your considered an EU citizen for this purpose regardless of if you have another passport thats not an EU passport.

The EU generally doesnt provide housing, your healthcare is whatever the national plan is and in the vast majority of cases the salaries are the same. The only real difference is a flight benefit and more importantly your tax situation.

If you want to teach in the Eu having an EU passport is like having a golden ticket. Many ISs will not or can not hire someone without valid working papers for the country or an EU passport.

PsyGuy wrote:
> Its pretty common actually. Most EU ISs have some form of union or labor
> regulation that requires equal treatment (coin and benefits) among like
> workers, and they often use the passport as the determining factor not
> physical location in determining LH from OSH.
>
> Its not something you can choose though. Its not the same scenario when
> traveling that you can choose which passport you want to travel on. You
> cant choose which passport your going to work on. If you have an EU
> passport your considered an EU citizen for this purpose regardless of if
> you have another passport thats not an EU passport.
>
> The EU generally doesnt provide housing, your healthcare is whatever the
> national plan is and in the vast majority of cases the salaries are the
> same. The only real difference is a flight benefit and more importantly
> your tax situation.
>
> If you want to teach in the Eu having an EU passport is like having a
> golden ticket. Many ISs will not or can not hire someone without valid
> working papers for the country or an EU passport.

Interesting. My school in the EU has no problems with non-EU passports. Almost half of our teachers are non-EU. This has been the case in the other EU schools where I've worked too, so I don't think that it is true that non-EU passport holders are at a significant disadvantage in all EU countries.

@angelica1981

Well they are. While Im sure your experiences are valid, you can easily go to a jobs board such as TES, which is free to access, and examine EU vacancies and find that quite often the requirements list possession of valid working papers or an EU passport as one of the job requirements.

PsyGuy wrote:
> @angelica1981
>
> Well they are. While Im sure your experiences are valid, you can easily go
> to a jobs board such as TES, which is free to access, and examine EU
> vacancies and find that quite often the requirements list possession of
> valid working papers or an EU passport as one of the job requirements.

I don't think that the fact schools posting on TES want EU passports means that all or even most schools have that restriction. The TES is a UK site, so it makes sense that schools only wanting EU passport holders post there.

There are plenty of schools in the EU with non-EU passport teachers.

@angelica1981

Why the UK isnt part of the EU.

No there arent, they comprise a small minority.

PsyGuy wrote:
> @angelica1981
>
> Why the UK isnt part of the EU.
>
> No there arent, they comprise a small minority.

It isn't now, but it recently was, and I think schools long accustomed to using it are continuing to do so.

Sorry, but you are wrong on this one. I've been in the EU for a long time and know a lot of people at many schools here. I am sure some of the smaller schools that are struggling the most financially may be reluctant to hire non-EU teachers because of the expense and hassle, but the majority are happy to do so.

@angelica1981 - nope, @psyguy is right on this one.

Schools may wish to continue as though the UK is part of the EU. I might wish that.

The reality is that it's not and it's what governments decide, not what schools would prefer, that counts here.

secondplace wrote:
> @angelica1981 - nope, @psyguy is right on this one.
>
> Schools may wish to continue as though the UK is part of the EU. I might
> wish that.
>
> The reality is that it's not and it's what governments decide, not what
> schools would prefer, that counts here.

I am not an EU citizen and I work at an IS in the EU. It was easy to get this job and the process for obtaining a work visa was smooth and efficient because the school is accustomed to making it happen. The school contacted ME through SEARCH, and they were well aware of my non-EU passport prior to inviting me to interview. I am not a shortage subject teacher. Most of my colleagues here are not EU citizens, either.

And our school is not atypical. I/we know MANY non-EU citizens working at international schools in the EU both in the same city and in the country and countries around us. Sorry, but it just isn't true that these schools are recruiting EU citizens first. I think the bigger, most competitive schools in the EU are primarily concerned with obtaining native English speaking, highly qualified teachers from a range of countries. I can't speak for the tiny, cash-strapped schools for which obtaining visas, etc would be more of a hardship.

I am sure there are many non-EU passport holders on this board who are working at EU ISs.

@angelica1981

No its not. Its not about what ISs want or prefer or are used to doing, its about governments and the rules (laws) and regulations.

No its not. EU vacancies on SA are a small percentage of their vacancies about 15%. Non-EU citizens and those not already in possession of valid working papers are at a great disadvantage in obtaining EU positions. There are exceptions and Im sure your convinced with your @Thames Pirate tale of how easy it is to get employed in the EU, its just not the case and this is true for all ISs.