Admission to the UAE government schools
UAE nationals, holders of the UAE passports, GCC citizens and the children of holders of nationality by decrees get free education in government schools. Expatriate students may attend public schools by paying fees and subject to approval, based on merit.
Free school education in government schools
The UAE offers free school education to:
- the UAE nationals
- holders of the UAE passports
- GCC citizens
- the children of holders of nationality by decrees issued by the UAE's President or the Vice President.
Read about the process of registering students in public schools- Emirates Schools Establishment.
Admission of expatriates in government schools
Expatriate students are permitted to attend public schools on payment of 6,000 AED as tuition fees and subject to certain conditions. The conditions include:
- expatriate students may be admitted in grades 2 to 12
- the student’s parent should hold a job in a government, semi-government or a local entity
- the student’s grade should not be below 85 per cent in Arabic language, English language and Mathematics
- the student and his parent must have a valid UAE residence visa
- expatriate students should not exceed 20 per cent of the total capacity in each public school and each classroom.
The language of instruction in the UAE's public schools is Arabic for all subjects. The schools follow the Emirati national curriculum approved and supervised completely by Ministry of Education.
English is taught as a second language for basic grammar and comprehension.
Related links
- Application for registration and admission of a student to a public school – Emirates Schools Establishment
- Public School Registration Manual for the Academic Year 2023/2024 (Arabic, PDF, 476KB) – Emirates Schools Establishment
