Choosing and Applying to a School in Dubai or Abu Dhabi

Apply to two or three schools as soon as you know which city and area you are moving to, because the school's location shapes where you rent and the deposit is due when a place is offered. For 2026/27, children joining a Dubai school that starts in September must reach the entry age by 31 December, not 31 August as before ^[1]Dubai school admissions. From Year 2 up, the school places your child mainly from their UK school record ^[1]Dubai school admissions, so ask your current school for a transfer letter and reports early.

Last reviewed 3 November 2026. The Khaleej Times report on KHDA's placement guide was saved and read in full on 3 November 2026; other items were read from search results, as the Sources list says. Check dates and fees with each school.

The timeline

As soon as you have a city

1. Work out each child's year group. Use the age cut-off below and your child's current UK year. Children from FS1 to Year 1 are placed by age; from Year 2 the transfer certificate is the main reference ^[1]Dubai school admissions.
2. Shortlist schools by curriculum, fee and area. The school finder lists schools and fees. Dubai froze tuition for 2026/27 ^[2]KHDA confirms no fee increase (Dubai Media Office, 22 May 2026); for Abu Dhabi, ask the school for its fee approved by the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK).
3. Ask each school about places. Ask whether it has a place in each year group you need, when it decides, and whether it assesses children before offering a place. Landed has no sourced dates for application windows, which vary by school. The 2026/27 year started on 31 August 2026 for schools on the Ministry calendar and Dubai's September-start schools ^[7]Academic calendar 2026 to 2027 (UAE Ministry of Education), so a family arriving mid-year asks about places for the current term too.

When you have an offer

4. Apply and pay the application fee. In Dubai it is capped at AED 500 ^[3]KHDA Registration and Refund Policy for all Dubai Private Schools (KHDA).
5. Send the school records. Ask your UK school for a transfer or leaving letter and recent reports. Ask the UAE school whether it needs them attested and in what form The family residence visa guide lists the UK attestation steps.
6. Pay the deposit when a place is offered. In Dubai the registration deposit is up to 10% of tuition and is credited against the fees ^[3]KHDA Registration and Refund Policy for all Dubai Private Schools (KHDA). In Abu Dhabi the registration fee is capped at 5% of tuition ^[4]ADEK.

After you arrive

7. Complete registration. Reports describe the Dubai school registering your child with KHDA once the place is confirmed, with the parent signing a parent and school contract online and showing the child's passport and Emirates ID ^[5]School admission in Dubai (Property Finder). Your child needs a residence visa first, so the family residence visa guide comes before this step.
8. Find out when the first term's fees are due and whether your employer's schooling allowance pays the school directly or refunds you.

The age cut-off for 2026/27

KHDA's placement guide, as reported by Khaleej Times on 3 August 2026 ^[1]Dubai school admissions:

• Children joining Dubai schools that start in September must reach the required age by 31 December. For April-start schools the date is 31 March.
• The rule applies to children registering in the KHDA system for the first time in 2026/27. Children already at a Dubai school or nursery, and those moving between Dubai schools, are not affected.
• 2026/27 is a transitional year. From 2027/28 all new registrations follow the new cut-off.
• Children born between 1 September and 31 December 2022 who are not enrolled anywhere can start in FS1 or FS2 in 2026/27, decided by the parents and the school together.

The change was reported as applying across the UAE ^[6]UAE school admission rules change parents must know for 2026-27 (Gulf News). If you are moving to Abu Dhabi, confirm the cut-off with the school, which follows ADEK's rules.

Moving mid-way through UK schooling

The placement guide covers children arriving from abroad ^[1]Dubai school admissions:

• A child can join the year group for their age even if their previous country started formal school later. The school then gives extra support.
• From Year 2, a school will generally follow the transfer certificate where it shows a lower year than the UAE age chart, and tell KHDA if the gap is large.
• Placing a child more than one year ahead of their age needs KHDA to be told first, and skipping a year needs formal approval.

Questions to ask every school

• What is the fee for each year your children will be there, not only this year?
• What does the fee leave out: transport, uniform, books, devices, trips?
• Is there a waiting list for each year group, and how is it ordered?
• Does the school assess children before offering a place?
• What does it need from the UK school, and does it need anything attested?
• When is the deposit refundable, and what happens if your move falls through?

What this guide does not cover

• What fees cost against your allowances. The Family Cost Gap guide works through a two-child family.
• Which city suits your family. The Dubai vs Abu Dhabi guide compares them.
• Nurseries for children under 3.

Next steps

• Shortlist schools in the school finder.
• Price the first month, school fees included, in the first-month cash calculator.
• Check your offer's schooling allowance with the How to Read a UAE Job Offer guide.