You’ve landed the job, sorted your visa, and booked your flight. Now comes the question that keeps every new ESL teacher awake at 2am: what on earth do I pack? Moving abroad for a year (or more) into a country you may never have visited is a genuinely hard packing problem. Pack too much and you’ll battle excess baggage fees and cluttered apartments; pack too little and you’ll arrive without essentials. This guide gives you a comprehensive, climate-aware packing list and tells you what to leave behind.
The Golden Rules of Packing for a Move Abroad
Before we get to specific items, internalize these principles:
- Pack for 2 weeks, plan for a year. You’re not packing for the whole contract — you’re packing to arrive comfortably and survive the first weeks.
- You can buy almost anything locally. Clothes, toiletries, household goods are available everywhere ESL teachers go. Don’t over-pack basics.
- Bring what’s hard to find locally. Specific medications, your preferred deodorant, large shoe sizes, modest clothing if you’re tall — these are worth the suitcase space.
- Documents are more important than clothes. A missing document can derail your visa; a missing t-shirt is a 10-minute fix.
- Leave room. You’ll bring things back, and you’ll buy things when you arrive.
Luggage Strategy
Most international flights include 1–2 checked bags (23kg/50lb each) plus a carry-on and personal item. A sensible setup:
- 1 large checked suitcase — clothes and bulky items
- 1 carry-on suitcase — essentials, electronics, documents
- 1 backpack or tote — passport, valuables, in-flight items
Some teachers ship an extra box ahead via surface mail (slower but cheaper than excess baggage). Check customs rules first.
The Essentials: Documents and Money
These go in your carry-on, never checked luggage:
- Passport — with visa
- Original degree + apostilled copies
- Original TEFL certificate
- Apostilled background check
- 2–3 sealed transcripts
- Reference letters on letterhead
- 6+ passport photos (multiple sizes)
- Signed contract (physical copy)
- Printed school and recruiter contact details
- Emergency cash — $300–$500 in USD, in small bills, for the first days
- 2 credit cards (ideally one with no foreign transaction fees) and a debit card for ATM withdrawals
- International driving permit (if you might drive)
- Medical records — vaccinations, prescriptions, glasses prescription
Make digital copies of everything and store them in cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox). Email copies to yourself too.
Electronics
- Laptop — Your lesson-planning lifeline
- Smartphone — Unlocked, so you can use a local SIM
- Universal power adapter — Check the plug type for your destination
- Power bank — Essential for travel days and unreliable grids
- Headphones with microphone — For online tutoring and video calls home
- External hard drive — Back up your teaching materials and photos
- E-reader — Books are heavy; e-readers are not
- Spare charging cables — They break at the worst times
Voltage note: Most modern electronics (laptops, phones) handle 100–240V automatically. But hair dryers, straighteners, and other heating devices often don’t — check the label or buy locally.
Clothing: Climate-Specific Advice
Your clothing depends heavily on where you’re going. Here’s guidance for the major ESL destinations:
East Asia (South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan)
Four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid; winters are cold (especially Korea and northern China/Japan).
- Layering basics: t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, sweaters
- A warm winter coat (buy locally if you’re arriving in summer)
- Business-casual teaching clothes (collared shirts, blouses, slacks, knee-length skirts)
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Modest workwear — avoid low necklines and very short skirts
Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia)
Hot and humid year-round. Lightweight, breathable fabrics are essential.
- Lots of lightweight cotton or linen clothing
- Moisture-wicking undergarments
- Sandals and breathable shoes
- Light sweater or cardigan for air-conditioned classrooms (they run cold)
- Modest workwear — shoulders and knees covered in many schools
- A light rain jacket for monsoon season
Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia)
Extremely hot outdoors, freezing air-conditioning indoors. Conservative dress code.
- Loose, modest clothing that covers shoulders, arms, and knees
- Lightweight fabrics for outdoor heat
- Warmer layers for indoor AC
- Closed shoes for work
- Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, long-sleeve cover-ups
Europe (Spain, Italy, etc.)
Varies by region. Mediterranean summers are hot; winters are mild to cold.
- Smart-casual work wardrobe
- Layering pieces for seasonal variation
- Comfortable walking shoes (cobblestones destroy flimsy shoes)
- One nice outfit for evenings out
Latin America
Highly variable by altitude and region. Mexico City is mild; coastal areas are tropical.
- Casual, comfortable workwear
- Layers for altitude changes
- Rain gear for wet seasons
What to Pack for Special Body Types
If you fall outside local norms, pack more:
- Tall or plus-size: Clothing in larger sizes is hard to find in East Asia. Bring enough work clothes to last.
- Large feet: Shoes above US women’s 8 or men’s 10 are scarce in many Asian countries. Bring 2–3 pairs of quality shoes.
- Larger bra sizes: Difficult to find in East Asia. Bring what you need.
Health and Toiletries
Bring enough of these to last the first month while you find local equivalents:
- Prescription medications — A 90-day supply plus copies of prescriptions (translated if needed). Some medications (e.g., ADHD stimulants, certain antidepressants) are illegal or restricted in countries like Japan and the UAE — check before you travel.
- Birth control — Bring a supply; availability varies
- Glasses and contacts — Bring spares. A current prescription is essential for replacements.
- Preferred deodorant — Many Asian countries sell different formulations; Western-style antiperspirant can be hard to find
- Sunscreen — Especially if you’re pale-skinned heading to the tropics; bring a starter supply
- Basic first-aid kit — Band-aids, painkillers, antacids, cold medicine
- Hand sanitizer and wet wipes
Teaching Supplies
Most schools provide textbooks and basic materials, but consider bringing:
- A few props — Flashcards, small toys for young learners, a puppet (surprisingly useful)
- Stickers and small rewards for young learners
- A grammar reference book — “English Grammar in Use” (Murphy) is the gold standard
- One or two ESL activity books for inspiration
- A good notebook or planner
Don’t over-pack teaching materials — you’ll build a library locally and online.
Comfort Items (Bring a Few)
A little piece of home helps with culture shock. Pick 3–5:
- Photos of family and friends
- Favorite snacks (a few, not a suitcase-full — they’ll be gone in a week)
- A favorite book or two
- Spices or condiments you can’t live without (hot sauce, specific tea)
- A small comfort item from home
What NOT to Bring
- A year’s supply of toiletries. You’ll find equivalents or adapt.
- Bulky towels or bedding. Provided with housing or cheap locally.
- Large appliances. Voltage and plug differences make them impractical.
- Books you might read. Bring an e-reader instead.
- Too many shoes. Three or four pairs is plenty.
- Fancy clothes unless you have a specific need. Most ESL contexts are business-casual at most.
- Anything illegal in your destination. This includes certain medications, e-cigarettes (banned in Thailand, Singapore, and others), CBD products, and pornography. Research before you pack.
- Unnecessary sentimental items. A few are good; a boxful is clutter.
What You Can Buy Locally
In virtually every ESL destination, you can easily buy:
- Clothes (in local sizes)
- Toiletries (with some exceptions noted above)
- Household goods, kitchenware, bedding
- Basic electronics and accessories
- Food (obviously)
- Furniture
Save your luggage space for the things you genuinely can’t replace.
The First-Week Survival Kit
Pack a small “first 48 hours” kit at the top of your suitcase, in case your bags are delayed or you arrive exhausted:
- Change of clothes
- Basic toiletries
- Phone charger
- Medications for 2 days
- Snacks
- Copy of important documents
Final Packing Checklist
- [ ] All documents in carry-on (passport, visa, degree, TEFL, references)
- [ ] Emergency cash and 2 cards
- [ ] Electronics + universal adapter
- [ ] 1–2 weeks of clothes appropriate to climate
- [ ] 90-day supply of medications + prescriptions
- [ ] Spare glasses/contacts
- [ ] Toiletries for first month
- [ ] A few comfort items from home
- [ ] Digital copies of all documents backed up to cloud
- [ ] Room left in suitcase for the trip home
Packing well sets you up for a smooth arrival. For what happens after you land, read our guide on what to expect during your first week abroad.
