What you need to teach Spanish online
To teach Spanish online you need to master the language, know how to teach it (training in teaching Spanish as a foreign language gives you a method) and simple equipment: a computer, camera, microphone, good connection and a quiet place.
Speaking Spanish isn't the same as knowing how to teach it. Sooner or later, Frank will ask you why it's "me gusta" and not "yo gusto", and "because it is" doesn't count as an answer (yours truly has been there more than once). That's what training in teaching Spanish as a foreign language is for: it gives you the why and, above all, the how. Here's what you need before your first lesson:
- Level. If Spanish is your mother tongue, perfect. If not, you need a very high level before you sit in front of a student (a DELE C2, for example, certifies it).
- Training. Instituto Cervantes runs courses for Spanish teachers, in person and online, and an official master's degree in teaching Spanish as a foreign language with UIMP and UNED. It isn't the only option, but it's a good compass.
- Equipment. A computer with a camera and microphone (or a headset with a mic), a stable connection and a quiet corner. Test your sound and camera before every first lesson.
- A plan. What you'll do in the first four lessons and with which materials. A news story, an audio clip or a restaurant menu go a long way.
Where to teach Spanish online: a platform or on your own
You can teach Spanish online on a marketplace, which brings you students for a commission, or with your own students, whom you find yourself and who pay you directly. You can start with one and switch.
A marketplace is like renting a stall in a busy market: customers walk past without you doing a thing, but the market keeps a share of every sale and the stall next door sells the same as you (sometimes cheaper). Having your own students is like opening your own shop: fewer people walk in at first, but whoever walks in is yours.
| Option | Where students come from | What you pay | Who sets the rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace (Preply, italki...) | They find you on the platform | Usually a commission on each lesson | The platform sets some of the rules |
| Your own students | You find them: contacts, referrals and ads | Your tools, plus the online payment fee if you use one | You: price, schedule and cancellations |
How much each platform keeps, with sources, is in our guide to Preply, italki and Superprof commissions. My advice: use them to get started, not forever.
How to prepare students for the DELE and SIELE
The DELE awards official Spanish diplomas from A1 to C2 that never expire. The SIELE is a digital exam and its certificate is valid for five years. Both use the CEFR levels as their reference.
Laura doesn't want to "improve her Spanish". Laura wants the DELE A2 because she needs it to apply for Spanish citizenship. See the difference? A student with an exam has a date, a goal and motivation, and you have half a syllabus ready. That's why exam preparation is a great niche to start with.
| Exam | Levels | What it's like | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| DELE | A1 to C2, one diploma per level | General version (16 and over) and a schools version (ages 11 to 17) | Never expires |
| SIELE | A score from 0 to 1000 (SIELE Global), linked to the CEFR levels | Digital, by appointment at a SIELE center; results within three weeks at most | 5 years |
To prepare your students, start with the official material: Instituto Cervantes publishes DELE model exams from past sittings for every level, with audio and answer sheets. Use them as mock exams from the first month. Simple as that.
How much to charge for Spanish lessons
The typical rate among language teachers who charge by the hour on SmartCookie is €30 an hour (9th of October 2026). Your price will depend on your experience, the goal of the lesson and your market.
Does naming a number make you dizzy? Normal, it used to make me dizzy too. The full ranges, for one-to-one and group lessons, are in our guide on how much to charge for language lessons. Pick a figure, say it with confidence and don't apologize for it. Ever.
How to find your first Spanish students
To find your first Spanish students, start with the people around you and ask for referrals. A specific offer, like "DELE B2 in six months", is much easier to understand than "Spanish lessons".
Go back to that market for a moment: if your shop is new, nobody knows it exists. So tell people. Your family, your former colleagues, that friend who lives in Berlin and has coworkers who've been saying "this is the year" they start Spanish for ages. And on top of that:
- A specific offer: who it's for (level and goal) and what result you're after. "Spanish for your Erasmus in Seville" or "DELE A2 for citizenship" make sense at first glance.
- A short trial lesson, free or discounted, so you get to know your student and they get to know you.
- Quick replies. Someone who messages you at 10 p.m. and gets an answer the next morning books; someone who waits three days has already found someone else.
- Referrals. After about five lessons, once there's trust, ask whether they know anyone who wants to learn.
Want to go beyond your circle? Where to post, what to write and templates to copy are in our guide to advertising private lessons.
Tools to teach Spanish online
To teach Spanish online you only need three tools: a video call (Google Meet or Zoom), a booking link so each student picks a slot, and a way to get paid online by card or, in Spain, Bizum.
Meet or Zoom? The differences that matter in a lesson (time limits on the free plans, whiteboard, recording) are in our comparison Google Meet vs Zoom for online lessons. Pick one and don't switch every week: your students will thank you.
With a booking link, each student sees your free slots and books without the "does Thursday work?", "what time?", "Madrid time or Mexico City time?". That last one will reach you if you teach online. Guaranteed.
And get paid before the lesson or when they buy a pack, with your rules in writing from day one. Getting paid isn't distrust: it's being organized.
Your first Spanish lesson, without the back-and-forth
Create your booking link, share your free slots and let SmartCookie handle reminders and payments. Try it free for 14 days, no card needed.