Topic · 3 pieces · Updated October 2026

Admissions and the school year

Every Dubai private school keeps the start, end and break dates of the approved academic calendar KHDA publishes. In 2026–27, 184 schools run from 31 August 2026 to 2 July 2027, and 37, mostly Indian curriculum, from April 2026 to March 2027 (most start 6 April and end 19 March). The winter break is 14 December to 1 January at 184 of the 221 schools with a calendar.

Admission is each school’s own process, but KHDA sets the fees around it for all 210 schools with a 2026–27 Fees Fact Sheet. They are an application fee of AED 500, assessment included; a deposit of up to 10% of tuition, taken off the fees for the term the child starts; and a re-registration deposit of up to 5% of tuition or AED 500, whichever is higher.