Admission to dubai’s private schools

General information and documents required for students entering Dubai’s private schools:

• Students can only attend school in the new academic year if they are registered in the KHDA School System and their parents have
• signed the Parent-School Contract.
• Emirati students are only allowed to join schools offering the following curriculums: MOE, American, UK, International Baccalaureate,
  SABIS, French, German, Canadian, Chinese or Japanese.
• Emirati students are not allowed to join schools rated “Weak” or below by the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau.
• Schools that choose not to admit a student of determination are requested to fill in the ‘Non-admission’ form and upload it on the
  KHDA system within 2 working days of declining the admission.
• Students enrolled in UAE schools should have a transfer certificate from their previous school; this is a mandatory requirement for
  students in all grades.
• New students from outside Dubai and entering Grade 2/Year 3 and above must have a transfer certificate from their last
  Grade/Year of enrolment. If this certificate is from another country, endorsements and ratifications must be provided according to
  the table below

If students are transferring from…	This is what they’ll need on their transfer certificate:
Another emirate in the UAE or any GCC country	1. School principal’s signature and school stamp 2. Attestation by the Educational Authority in that Emirate or attestation by the Ministry of Education in the GCC country
North America, Western Europe and Australia	1. School principal’s signature and school stamp
Middle East (excluding the UAE), South and Central America, Asia, Russia and former Russian States, Eastern Europe, Africa and New Zealand	1. School principal’s signature and school stamp 2. Attestation by the Ministry of Education in the country of origin. 3. Attestation by UAE Consulate or Embassy in the origin country OR by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE.

• If, in the interest of time, a school in Dubai chooses to admit students with some admission documents pending, the onus of completing the documentation lies with the school. Such schools must undertake this in writing (signed and stamped) and upload this on the KHDA School System together with the available documents.
• In case a student’s residence visa and Emirates ID is pending, schools have up to one academic year to upload these documents.
• In case a student is repeating a grade or is demoted the following should be adhered to:
  • Medical report of the student (in case a health condition requires repeating the grade)
  • International assessment/examination to confirm that academically, the student better fits a lower grade. The grade being repeated or demoted to, can only be lower by one academic year.

Admission requirements for students enrolling in Dubai private schools for the first time

Category	Situation	Registration on KHDA system using	Requirements	Outcome	School follow up with parents
Category 1	All admission requirements are complete	KHDA System Card reader	• Valid Emirates ID • TC for Grade 2/Year 3 and higher	Full approval with all services	N/A
Category 2	Diplomatic missions	KHDA System Manual entry	• Valid Diplomatic ID • TC for Grade 2/Year 3 and higher	Full approval with all services	N/A
Category 3	Decree holders	KHDA System Manual entry/ KHDA System Card reader	• Valid decree at the time of registration • TC for Grade 2/Year 3 and higher • Any valid identification documents • To be registered under their official nationality (other than UAE nationality)	Full approval with all services	• Yearly • To check if Emirates ID is available
Category 4	Children of Emirati mothers	KHDA System Manual entry/ KHDA System Card reader	• Mother’s Emirates ID and Khulasat Al Qaid • Student’s birth certificate • TC for Grade 2/Year 3 and higher • Any valid identification documents • Student to be registered under father’s nationality	Full approval with all services	N/A
Category 5	Ongoing court case	KHDA System Manual entry	• Updated and current court statement of ongoing court case • TC for Grade 2/Year 3 and higher • Any valid identification document	Full approval with all services	Yearly
Category 6	Visa and Emirates ID under process (Transfer Visa or New)	KHDA System Manual entry	• Passport copy • TC for Grade 2/Year 3 and higher • Any documentation approving that the Emirates ID /Visa is under process	Pending approval with selected services	• Monthly follow up • In case the school failed to follow up, no regn in the following year in all schools • No certificates to be issued
Category 7	Government custody students	KHDA System Manual entry	• Official communication from a related government entity • TC for Grade 2/Year 3 and higher • Any valid identification document	Full approval with all services	Every three years
Category 8	Boarding Student	KHDA System Manual entry	• Valid passport and visa • TC for Grade 2/Year 3 and higher	Full approval with all services	N/A

Admission age and timelines:

• The age of the student admitted must meet the minimum age set for the grade/year group outlined in the table below. This is in accordance with the legislation governing the enrolment of students at private schools in Dubai.
• The age mentioned in the table should be the age of the student on August 31 for schools beginning in September.
• The age mentioned in the table should be the age of the student on March 31 for schools beginning in April from academic year
  2022-2023.
• Students enrolled in UAE schools will be treated based on their transfer certificate.
• For students at or above Grade 2/Year 3 who come from outside the UAE and from a system that admits students at a younger
  age, sufficient evidence for the last Grade/ Year of enrolment (in the form of stamped transfer/school leaving certificates) must be
  provided.
• Students entering Pre-KG/FS 1 to Grade 9/Year 10 can be up to two years older than the minimum age. For the remaining grades up to Grade 12/Year 13 – students can be up to three years older than the minimum age.
  This table explains the age/grade requirements:

Age of the students as on August 31 for schools beginning in September

For schools beginning in April, age of the students as on July 31 (from Academic Year 2021-2022 onwards),
and March 31 (from Academic Year 2022-2023 onwards)

Level	Grade/Year	Minimum age (for entry)	Maximum age (as a cut-off for this grade)
A	Pre-KG/FS 1	3	4
B	KG 1/FS 2	4	5
C	KG 2/Year 1	5	6
D	Grade 1/Year 2	6	8
E	Grade 2/Year 3	Based on the transfer certificate	9
F	Grade 3/Year 4	Based on the transfer certificate	10
G	Grade 4/Year 5	Based on the transfer certificate	11
H	Grade 5/Year 6	Based on the transfer certificate	12
I	Grade 6/Year 7	Based on the transfer certificate	13
J	Grade 7/Year 8	Based on the transfer certificate	14
K	Grade 8/Year 9	Based on the transfer certificate	15
L	Grade 9/Year 10	Based on the transfer certificate	17
M	Grade 10/Year 11	Based on the transfer certificate	18
N	Grade 11/Year 12	Based on the transfer certificate	19
O	Grade 12/Year 13	Based on the transfer certificate	20

Transfering students

The table below shows the timeframe for the transfer of students for all curriculums. Registration and transfer procedures should be completed prior to the student’s enrolment in the school.

• High school students (Grades 9-12 or equivalent) must seek UAE Ministry of Education approval when transferring to schools with a different curriculum.
• If students (from KG 1 to Grade 1 or equivalent) transfer between schools beginning in September and schools beginning in April, then admission and placement will be according to the age-grade table only.

Transfers	Entering	Grade/year group	The deadline for schools receiving new students	Requirements additional to regular admission documentation
Within Dubai	British curriculum with 13 years of study	FS1 to year 6	Throughout the school year	Approval from the receiving school
Within Dubai	British curriculum with 13 years of study	Year 7 to 10	Before the first week of the second semester	Approval from the receiving school
Within Dubai	British curriculum with 13 years of study	Year 11 to 13	Within 60 days of the beginning of the school year	Approval from the receiving school, while adhering to the policies of the respective educational councils
Within Dubai	Other curriculums with 12 grades of study	Pre-kg to grade 5	Throughout the school year	Approval from the receiving school
Within Dubai	Other curriculums with 12 grades of study	Grade 6 to 9	Before the first week of the second semester	Approval from the receiving school
Within Dubai	Other curriculums with 12 grades of study	Grade 10 to 12	Within 60 days of the beginning of the school year	Approval from the receiving school, while adhering to the policies of the respective educational councils
From other Emirates or outside the UAE	All curriculums	All age groups	Throughout the school year	Approval from the receiving school, while adhering to the policies of the respective educational councils

Student placement based on academic needs:

The following has been tabulated to help schools place students in the appropriate year group/grade based on the child’s academic status.
These requirements are in addition to the regular admission requirements.

Academic status	Description	Documentation and requirements	Action
Completed all requirements of formal education	Student seeking admission to an age appropriate year group/grade based on proven academic performance that enables natural progression without pauses.	• Regular admission requirements	Regular admission process
Students of Determination	Any student who falls into any SEND category as defined by KHDA irrespective of special academic consideration.	• Internal assessment test (from the school)	Regular admission process
Partially stopped education	Any student who discontinued their schooling (for any reason) for a maximum of 2 years. This includes students who left school to seek other learning opportunities outside a regular schooling structure.	• Clarification letter from parents • Last report card in the last attended academic year • Leaving certificate from the last school.	The student to continue from the last grade he/she attended.
Absence of formal education	Any student who has never received any formal or mandatory education for any reason (Grade 2 and above)	• Clarification letter from parents International cognitive assessment to identify learning ability.	Student to be registered 2 years lower than the age appropriate grade.
Distance Learning	Any student who received formal education via a distance learning scheme before coming to Dubai’s private schools	• A report/progress card issued by the supervising entity of distance learning. • International cognitive assessment for identify learning ability and aid placement in appropriate grade. • Attestation from relevant education authority and UAE embassy.	Natural progression to the next grade based on the report card or results of the cognitive assessment.

Student grading & promotion:

• Schools should upload results or grades of all students from Pre-KG/FS1 to Grade 12/Year 13.
• The deadline for uploading results or grades, and promotion of students via the KHDA School Application System, is May 30 for schools beginning in April. The deadline is July 31 for schools beginning in August/September.
• Schools can upload students’ board exam results as soon as they are announced.
• Schools must retain digital copies and documentation of students’ work, projects and accomplishments, together with the grades or marks awarded for such work, for up to two academic years after the student has left or graduated from the school. Schools must inform parents that these documents will be available for two years after graduation.
• The final grades of all students should be digitally maintained permanently by the school. In the event of school closure, the final grades must be digitally submitted to KHDA for future use.

Registration and Refund Policy

General Definitions

Application fees:

Schools may charge up to AED 500 to process the application of new students. This fee includes standard
assessment fees. The application fee is not deductible from the tuition fees.

Registration deposit:

Schools may ask parents to pay a non-refundable deposit to confirm new enrolment. This deposit is
payable after the student has been offered a place and parents have accepted the offer. The registration
deposit cannot be more than 10% of the total tuition fees, and is deductible from the total tuition fees
for the academic year.

Re-registration deposit:

Schools may ask parents to pay a non-refundable re-registration deposit to guarantee a place for their
children for the following academic year. This deposit cannot be more than 5% of the total tuition fees, or
AED 500 (whichever is higher) and is deductible from the total tuition fees for the academic year.

  Registration Deposit and Admission Fees (applicable to all Dubai private schools)

As well as the conditions mentioned in the parent-school contract, the regulations for fees and deposits
for admission and registration are as follows:

Existing students:

• The school may open re-registration anytime during the academic year
• The re-registration deposit should not exceed 5% of the annual tuition fees or AED 500 (whichever is higher)
• The re-registration deposit is deductible from the first term’s fees
• The school cannot ask for payment of any additional fees or deposits other than the re- registration mentioned above
• Schools that begin the academic year in September can only collect re-registration deposit after the end of the spring break
• Schools that begin the academic year in April can only collect re-registration deposit after the end of the winter break

New students:

• Schools can register new students at any time during the academic year
• New schools must have KHDA approval prior to registering students
• The registration deposit for new students should not exceed 10% of the annual tuition fees
• The registration deposit is deductible from the first term’s tuition fees
• If new students enroll at a school during the course of the academic year, the school can charge tuition fees starting from the month of enrolment. (For example, if a student enrolls in a new school in the 3″ week of October, the school can charge tuition fees from the beginning of October).
• Schools cannot ask for payment of registration deposit until they have made a formal offer of enrolment. Prior to this, schools can only charge a maximum application fee of AED 500
• The application fee of AED 500 is:
  • refundable if the school does not offer the student a place
  • non-refundable if the school offers the student a place but the student chooses not to take it
  • not deductible from the total tuition fees to be paid if the student is offered and accepts a place

General conditions:

• Apart from the registration or re-registration deposits, schools cannot ask for any additional payment to guarantee student enrolment and re-enrolment
• Schools can only collect annual tuition fees in three instalments, due at the beginning of each term. The first term’s payment should not exceed 40% of the annual tuition fees; the second payment not more than 30% of annual tuition fees; and the third term not more than 30% of annual tuition fees
• Schools can also choose to collect annual tuition fees as 10 equal monthly instalments. The monthly repayment amount is calculated by dividing the total tuition fees by 10
• Schools may ask for payment of registration deposit only when students have been offered a place
• The school cannot collect registration/re-registration fees in cases where students leave the school before the start of the next academic year, if these fees were not collected at the time of registration/re-registration. (For example, if a student has not paid the re-registration deposit for the following year by the re-registration deadline, and that student withdraws from the school before the start of the following academic year, the school cannot ask the student to pay the re-registration deposit)

Tuition fees Refund:

In the cases of both existing and new students, the registration/re-registration deposit will not be
refunded unless there are extenuating circumstances. These circumstances include, but are not limited to,
evidence of family/ student relocation to another country/ emirate or any other unforeseen circumstances.
Such cases may be submitted to KHDA for review.

In the case of refund, the school fees will be calculated as follows:

• Tuition fees paid prior to the beginning of the academic year are refundable and only the
  registration/ re-registration fees will be deducted
• If the student was enrolled in the school for two weeks or less, a month’s fees will be deducted;
• If the student was enrolled in the school for a period ranging between two weeks and one month,
  two months’ fees will be deducted
• If the student was enrolled in the school for more than a month, the full term’s fees will be
  deducted

General conditions:

• The above refund policy is applicable per term depending on the date of the withdrawal request
• The refund will be calculated from the start of the term and the date of the official request by the parent stating the intent of withdrawal and not from the date when the student was absent. Being on the school registrar counts as days in school
• Registration or Re-registration deposits are refundable in cases where a school’s quality rating has dropped and students wish to move to a school with a better rating, as stated in the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau report.
• Book fees are refundable if the student decides to leave the school prior to the beginning of the academic year
• Any provisions in any other policies or approvals will be repealed in the event that they contradict this policy.