Teacher Movesby Expat Teacher's LoungeRead your teaching contract before you sign.
Check that seven things are in writing: salary, housing, flights, medical cover, end-of-service pay, notice terms and visa costs. If it isn't in the contract, it isn't guaranteed.
By Mpume (Edwina) Shangase, 18 years in classrooms across four countries.
A question teachers ask us · TikTok
I received an offer and the contract was 4 years long😳 nooo, I can’t be stuck with the same salary for 4 years. Is this normal in Qatar?
- Seven things in writing: salary, housing, flights, medical cover, end-of-service pay, notice and early-exit terms, and visa costs.
- Promises don't count. If it was said in an interview or an email but isn't in the contract, ask for it to be added.
- Your passport stays with you. A school can hold it briefly for visa paperwork, not keep it.
- Ask in writing, once. Most schools expect a few questions before you sign.
The 10-minute contract check.
Open your contract and go through it clause by clause. For each line, check that the answer is written down, not just said.
| Clause | What to check | A question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | The currency, whether it is paid over 10 or 12 months, whether it is before or after tax, and where you sit on the salary scale for your experience. | "Is the salary paid in 12 monthly payments, and is it before or after tax?" |
| Housing | Provided by the school or an allowance. If provided: size, location, furnished or not, shared or not, and who pays the utilities. If an allowance: whether it covers a real rent where you will live. | "Can you share the size and area of the housing, and who pays the bills?" |
| Flights | Flights at the start and end of the contract, any annual flight home, and whether they include your partner and children. A ticket or a cash allowance. | "Are flights included for my dependants, and how often?" |
| Medical cover | Who is covered, whether dependants are included, dental and maternity cover, and any exclusions for existing conditions. | "Can I see the insurance summary for me and my family?" |
| End-of-service pay | How it is calculated, whether it is based on your basic salary only, and when you would lose it. | "How is end-of-service pay calculated, and on which part of my salary?" |
| Notice, probation and early exit | How much notice each side must give, how long the probation period is, and what you would repay if you leave early (flights, recruitment or visa costs). | "What exactly would I repay if I left in year one?" |
| Start date, visa and documents | Your start date, who pays for the visa, medical checks and document attestation, and what happens if your visa is delayed. | "Who covers visa and attestation costs, and is my start date fixed?" |
Also look for tuition places if you have children, a shipping or settling-in allowance, professional development, and your teaching load and extra duties.
Contract red-flags checklist.
Most school contracts are fair. Tick any of these you see, and get a clear answer in writing before you sign.
- Vague housing. "Accommodation provided" with no detail on size, location or who pays the bills.
- Large penalties for leaving early, such as repaying flights, recruitment costs and visa fees all at once.
- Salary or end-of-service pay held back until conditions that are not spelled out.
- The school keeping your passport. Treat this as a serious red flag (see below).
- A fee to secure the job. You are asked to pay a recruitment or placement fee for this offer.
- A low basic salary with most of the pay in allowances. Where end-of-service pay is based on basic salary, this shrinks it.
- No mention of summer pay, so you can't tell whether you are paid for 10 months or 12.
- Duties that are not described, such as weekend or after-school work with no limit.
- The contract doesn't match the offer. The salary, start date or benefits differ from the offer letter or what was agreed.
- A different employer name. The company on the contract is not the school that interviewed you, with no explanation.
- Pressure to sign immediately, with no time to read the contract or ask questions.
Seeing one does not always mean walking away. It means getting the answer in writing first.
End-of-service pay in the Gulf.
Many Gulf countries require an end-of-service payment (often called gratuity) when you leave, and it is usually worked out from your basic salary, not your full package. Two examples, as of October 2026:
- United Arab Emirates: after at least one year of continuous service, 21 days' basic salary for each of the first five years and 30 days' basic salary for each year after that, capped at two years' wages. Allowances such as housing and transport are not included.
- Qatar: after at least one year of service, a minimum of three weeks' basic salary for each year worked.
Why the split matters: two offers with the same total pay can leave you with very different end-of-service payments. A contract can offer more than the legal minimum, so check what yours says.
Your passport stays with you.
A school may need your passport for a short time to process your visa or residence permit. It should come back to you as soon as that is done.
Keeping it is not allowed. In the UAE, the labour law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021) says the employer must not withhold a worker's official documents. Qatar's government has said employers who confiscate passports face a fine of QR25,000 for each case. If a contract says the school will hold your passport, ask for that clause to be removed.
Recruitment fees.
The International Labour Organization's fair-recruitment principles say no recruitment fees or related costs should be charged to workers or jobseekers. Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay to secure a specific job offer.
That is different from a recruitment service that charges teachers a registration fee for access to job listings or recruitment fairs. Read what you are paying for before you pay.
Before and after you sign.
- If anything was agreed by email or in an interview, ask for it to be added to the contract.
- If the contract comes in two languages, ask for a translation of anything you can't read, and which version applies if they differ.
- Keep a signed copy, the offer letter and every email about your terms in one folder.
- Check that your visa application, offer letter and contract all show the same employer, job title and salary.
Sources
- UAE Government: End of service benefits for private sector employees
- Gulf Times: Qatar Labour Law, Article 54 on gratuity
- Legal 500: Can an employer keep your passport in the UAE?
- Qatar Government Communications Office: statement on worker protections
- ILO: General principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment
This page is general information, checked in October 2026. It is not legal advice. Labour laws and school terms differ by country and change over time, so confirm anything important with the school in writing, and with a licensed lawyer in that country if there is a dispute. The Contract Review Session is practical guidance from an experienced international teacher, not legal advice.
Ask for changes
without losing the offer.
Salary bands at many schools are fixed, but your placement on the scale often is not. If your experience is not reflected, say so.
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Ask once, in writing
One polite email with everything, not a string of messages.
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Pick your top two or three
The changes that matter most to you or your family.
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Explain why
"My partner and two children will be relocating with me" is a good reason to ask about family flights.
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Know what is often flexible
Start date, family flights, housing size and where you sit on the salary scale for your experience.
Get a second pair of eyes.
Support for the offer in front of you.
Contract Review Session
US$77A 45-minute Google Meet call. Your contract is reviewed before the call, then we go through it line by line.
Teacher Moves Assessment
Choose "Get a teaching contract reviewed" and get three short emails on checking and negotiating your offer.
My first year in Qatar
Including why housing and salary looked different from the contract.
Teacher Moves community
Ask teachers who have signed with schools in your region what to expect.
These are the questions teachers ask before they sign.
From the comments on our free Qatar package and contract videos.
What teachers say
these videos are valuable. Thanks for sharing.
I here in Qatar & its really useful for me.. Hope to see you here
What teachers ask us
Real questions from the comments. If one sounds like yours, you're not the only one.
As a South African does it include family packages?
Public comments on our YouTube and TikTok videos, copied word for word, spelling included. Names are shortened for privacy. They are about our free videos, not reviews of paid services. Each card links to the video it was posted on.
Frequently asked questions.
Can I negotiate an international teaching contract?
Often, yes. Schools expect a few questions. Start date, family flights, housing size and your placement on the salary scale are the terms most often adjusted. Ask once, in writing, and explain why.
How long is a typical international teaching contract?
Many international schools offer an initial contract of two years, sometimes renewable year by year after that. Check the length, the notice period and the renewal terms in your own contract.
What is end-of-service gratuity?
A payment many Gulf employers must make when your contract ends, usually based on your basic salary and years of service. In the UAE it is 21 days' basic salary per year for the first five years; in Qatar the legal minimum is three weeks' basic salary per year.
Is it normal for a school to keep my passport?
No. A school may hold it briefly to process your visa, but it should be returned straight away. UAE law says employers must not withhold workers' official documents, and Qatar fines employers who confiscate passports.
Should I pay a fee to get a teaching job abroad?
Be careful. International fair-recruitment principles say workers should not pay recruitment fees. A registration fee for a recruitment service or job fair is different from paying for a specific offer, so check what the fee covers.
What if the school promised something that isn't in the contract?
Ask for it to be added before you sign. The signed contract is what counts if there is a disagreement later.
What happens if I need to leave the contract early?
It depends on your contract and the country's labour law. Check the notice period and any repayment clause for flights, recruitment or visa costs before you sign, so you know the cost in advance.