Permits for private schools in Dubai

Below is an overview of the application process for an Educational Services Permit. For a full list of the required documents, please log in to the e-Service portal.

What are the prerequisites?

1. Complete the process with the concerned commercial authority to obtain an Initial Approval.
2. In order to secure a name for your school, check its availability with the commercial authority and obtain a Trade Name Reservation certificate from them.
3. An Academic Plan following the academic criteria (available on e-services) , outlining the details of the proposed location. 

Once you have satisfied these pre-requisites, KHDA will review your application and provide an initial approval and NOC. This will allow you to obtain a commercial license from the commercial authority.

Once a school has received the  initial approval and NOC, the candidate for the principal position will be invited to interview with KHDA’s academic team. The Educational Services Permit will be issued once the principal is appointed by KHDA and permit fees are paid. At this stage, you can begin your marketing campaign, which requires prior approval from KHDA. Please review the Marketing and Advertising Guidelines.
 
The compliance team will schedule a final visit to verify the school’s operational readiness.

What comes next?

1. The Academic Calendar 
2. The Parent-School Contract 
3. Teacher appointment
4.  Student Registration

To help you fulfill these requirements, you’ll have the support of the relevant KHDA teams.

Service fee: AED 50,000 for for-profit schools and AED 20,000 for nonprofit schools
This process requires 18 working days, submissions that are incomplete or contain errors may take longer.

 If you have any questions, please contact our team.

Please log in to the e-Service portal to renew your annual education permit.
The fee for this service is AED 35,000 for for-profit schools and AED 14,000 for nonprofit schools.
 
This process takes 3 working days.

Do not hesitate to contact our team. if you have any questions.

This is an overview of the process to cancel your Educational Services Permit using the e-Service Portal.
In the unlikely event a school cannot continue operation, the request for permit cancellation must be submitted one academic year prior to the intended closure date.

Permit holders should:

1. Submit a closure plan (template available on the e-services) mentioning the details of the closure, student transfer plan, and building status.

• Provide KHDA with a draft of the parent communication addressing the closure for review.
• Once the school pays the service fee of AED 5,000, the cancellation process is complete, and an NOC will be issued.

This process requires 6 working days.
Do not hesitate to contact our team if you have any questions.

This is an overview of the process to amend an Educational Services Permit using the e-Services Portal. 

Add Grade

1. Approval from the certifying bodies (board)- If applicable
2. Academic plan may be required, if applicable.
3. Compliance visits to verify the readiness of the allocated facilities.

Payment of service fee AED 5,000
Timeframe: 9 working days.

Change School Name

1. Tradename reservation certificate reference number from the relevant commercial authority.
2. For a branch school, official request must be submitted by the mother campus to amend school name.

Payment of service fee AED 5,000
Timeframe: 6 working days.

Premises Relocation

1. Request to be submitted in the e-Services portal.
2. Compliance visits to verify the readiness of the school premises.

Payment of service fee AED 5,000
Timeframe: 6 working days.

Premises Expansion

1. Request to be submitted in the e-Services portal.
2.  Compliance visits to verify the readiness of the school premises.

Payment of service fee AED 5,000
Timeframe: 6 working days

Curriculum amendment

1. Soft copy of the academic plan detailing the proposed curriculum amendment

Service fees:
AED 20,000 (profit school)
AED 10,000 (nonprofit school)
Timeframe: 16 working days

Principal Appointment

1. Valid passport copy
2. Curriculum Vitae (including two references)
3. Attested qualification

Payment of service fee AED 5,000
Timeframe: 13 working days

Do not hesitate to contact our team if you have any questions.

Education providers must have written approval from KHDA  for any advertising or marketing materials before they are published or distributed.. Read our KHDA guidelines for more information on the review process and the KHDA framework for approving adverts before they are published. 
 
Payment of service fee AED 100
Timeframe: 3 working days