International schools hire teachers on a yearly cycle. Most of them start the school year in August, and they hire for it many months before. If you apply at the right time, you have far more jobs to choose from.
This guide explains the main hiring cycle, the recruitment fair dates for the 2026-27 season, the rules in Dubai and Abu Dhabi about when you can leave a school, and the dates for the teaching programmes in Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. Dates were checked on the official or organiser pages in October 2026.
The main cycle: a year ahead for an August start
Search Associates, a recruitment organisation that runs job fairs for international schools, describes the cycle like this (Search Associates):
- Schools “now begin recruiting up to 1 year in advance”. They start posting jobs for the next school year in August.
- A few candidates accept jobs in late October. More are hired in November and December.
- January and February are the busiest months. Search Associates calls it “a tidal wave”.
- Hiring slows from March, but late vacancies continue to appear until August.
| Months | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| August to September | Schools start to post jobs for the next August. Prepare your CV, references and documents. |
| October to December | Hiring starts. Some schools interview and make offers early. |
| January to February | The busiest months for interviews and offers. Most job fairs take place. |
| March to August | Fewer jobs, but late vacancies still appear. |
You can see this on schools’ own career sites. For example, in early October 2026 the Dubai school group Taaleem was already advertising teaching jobs marked “AY 2027-2028” on its careers site, which is the school year that starts in August 2027.
Recruitment fairs in 2026-27
Some schools hire at recruitment fairs, in person or online. These are the dates the organisers publish for this season.
Search Associates fairs
Search Associates says: “All fairs are in person and available by invitation only to member schools and candidates registered with Search Associates” (Search Associates).
| Fair | Dates |
|---|---|
| Singapore | 13 to 15 November 2026 |
| Istanbul (held in Dubai) | 28 to 29 November 2026 |
| Melbourne | 3 to 5 January 2027 |
| Bangkok | 8 to 10 January 2027 |
| Hong Kong | 15 to 17 January 2027 |
| London (January) | 15 to 17 January 2027 |
| Cambridge, USA | 22 to 25 January 2027 |
| Toronto | 6 to 7 February 2027 |
| London (March) | 13 to 14 March 2027 |
| Doha | 10 April 2027 |
ISS iFairs (online)
International Schools Services (ISS) runs online fairs called iFairs, for “educators, school leaders, counselors, librarians, learning support specialists, and school staff” (ISS). The next dates are:
- 24 October 2026
- 5 December 2026
- 20 February 2027
- 20 March 2027
You do not need a fair to get a job. Many schools post jobs on their own websites and hire through their own application forms. On this board, every job links to the school’s own careers page.
Contracts: how long, and when you can leave
Most offers in this cycle are for a contract that starts in August. Some official and school pages state the contract length:
- Abu Dhabi: ADEK’s school employment policy says employment agreements for full-time teaching staff “shall be based on a minimum term of 2 years” (ADEK Employment Policy).
- Hong Kong NET Scheme: native-speaking English teachers are appointed “on a two-year contract basis normally starting in mid-August” (EDB).
- One school example: Shanghai American School lists a “Two-year initial contract” for overseas hired teachers and a “One-year initial contract” for locally hired expat teachers (Shanghai American School).
Other schools set their own terms. Read the contract for the length, the notice period and what happens if you leave early.
Leaving a school in Dubai: the end-of-term rule
If you already teach in a private school in Dubai, KHDA rules decide when you can move. To take a job at another school, a teacher must (KHDA technical guide):
- Resign and serve the full notice period in their employment contract.
- Leave on the last day of an academic term (or semester, for US curriculum schools), “and at no other time”.
- Complete and submit the KHDA Exit Survey.
If a teacher does not meet these conditions, KHDA will not issue an Appointment Notice for a new school for 90 days. KHDA calls this the 90-day rule.
Leaving a school in Abu Dhabi
ADEK’s policy says that ending the contract of leadership and teaching staff “is not authorized during the school term without prior approval from ADEK”. This applies to resignations as well as dismissals (ADEK Employment Policy).
So if you teach in the UAE now and accept a new job, plan your resignation date around the end of a term.
Other calendars: Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Australia
Not every country starts the school year in August. Government teaching programmes also have their own fixed dates.
| Country or programme | When you apply | When you start | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan, JET Programme | October to November or early December (the deadline varies by country) | Departure in July or August | JET |
| Korea, EPIK (fall term) | February to July | Late August | EPIK |
| Korea, EPIK (spring term) | August to January | Late February | EPIK |
| Hong Kong, NET Scheme (2026/27) | Deadline was 24 April 2026 | Normally mid-August | EDB |
| Australia, New South Wales public schools | Varies by school | Term 1 2027 starts on 28 January (Eastern division) or 4 February (Western division) | NSW Education |
Some more detail:
- Japan: the academic year in principle begins on 1 April and ends on 31 March (MEXT). For JET, the embassy sends a first notice in January, interviews are held in February, and results come in late March to April. JET says the timeline “is simply a guideline and is subject to change” (JET).
- Korea: EPIK holds online interviews from April to July (fall term) or October to January (spring term). Orientation and the contract start in late August or late February (EPIK).
- Hong Kong: the NET Scheme recruits once a year for a school year that starts in August. The 2026/27 deadline was 24 April 2026 (EDB).
Our guide to teaching English in Japan and Korea explains JET and EPIK in full.
A simple plan for the season
This plan follows the cycle above for a job that starts in August 2027:
- October 2026: update your CV. Ask two or three referees if they agree to give a reference. Check that your degree and teaching certificates are ready to be attested if the country needs it.
- October to December 2026: apply for jobs you like as soon as they appear. Early jobs can close before the busy months.
- January to February 2027: expect most interviews and offers. Ask each school for the full package and contract in writing before you accept.
- March to August 2027: keep looking if you have no offer. Late vacancies still appear.
- If you teach in Dubai or Abu Dhabi now: check your notice period, and plan to leave at the end of a term.
Frequently asked questions
When do international schools hire teachers?
Most international schools hire about a year ahead for a start in August. Search Associates says schools start posting jobs in August, hiring grows in November and December, and January and February are the busiest months. Hiring slows from March, but late vacancies continue to appear until August.
Do I need to go to a job fair to get an international school job?
No. Fairs are one way to meet schools, but many schools post jobs on their own websites and hire through their own application forms. Search Associates fairs are by invitation only, for its member schools and registered candidates. ISS runs online iFairs on set dates during the season.
When can I leave my school in Dubai to move to another school?
Under KHDA rules, you must serve your full notice period, leave on the last day of an academic term, and complete the KHDA Exit Survey. If you do not meet these conditions, KHDA will not issue an Appointment Notice for your new school for 90 days.
How long is a teaching contract at an international school?
It depends on the school and the country. In Abu Dhabi, ADEK says contracts for full-time teaching staff have a minimum term of 2 years. Hong Kong NET contracts are normally two years. Shanghai American School offers overseas hires a two-year initial contract. Always check the contract itself.
When should I apply for JET or EPIK?
JET applications are usually accepted from October to November or early December, with departure in July or August. EPIK has two intakes: apply from February to July to start in late August, or from August to January to start in late February.