KHDA’s Registration and Refund Policy, in plain terms
Fees, refunds and what the rules actually say
KHDA publishes a Registration and Refund Policy that applies to every licensed private school in Dubai. Most families never read it, and the schools are under no obligation to walk you through it. Here is what it says, and where it protects you.
The mistake that costs a term’s fees
Absence is not withdrawal. If your child stops attending but remains on the school’s registrar, that is active enrolment and fees keep running. The policy is explicit that a student’s absence does not constitute withdrawal or trigger a refund.
Refunds are calculated from the date recorded on the Withdrawal Certificate — the date you specified in your written withdrawal request — not from the day your child last walked through the gate. Families who leave the country mid-year and assume the place lapses on its own can be billed for months after the child has gone. Submit the withdrawal request in writing, as early as you can, and keep the dated copy.
What you get back, and when
- Before the year starts. Tuition paid in advance is refundable. Only the registration or re-registration fee is deducted, and that deduction applies where the withdrawal was requested less than 60 calendar days before the start date.
- Enrolled two weeks or less. One month’s fees are deducted.
- Enrolled between two weeks and one month. Two months’ fees are deducted.
- Beyond that, a term-by-term deduction schedule applies rather than a flat rule — so the timing of your withdrawal date changes the number materially.
Registration and re-registration deposits sit under a separate rule. In the event of a government-enforced closure they remain subject to refund consideration. Personal circumstances — a change of mind, or financial difficulty — do not qualify under that provision.
Distance learning: the answer is no, and it is worth knowing why
Under KHDA’s April 2026 policy, tuition remains payable in full during approved distance learning, even where a child did not take part in the online sessions. Fees are payable for any period in which the service was available and delivered, including remotely. Opting out does not create a right to defer or reduce fees — and if you opt out, schools were instructed that you must formally withdraw the child and clear what is owed.
The refund right attaches to non-delivery, not to format. Where a school cannot deliver its service, compensation can take one of three forms: a fee credit against future tuition, a transfer of the amount to a sibling at the same school, or a full refund in cash for the period not delivered. If a school proposes something outside those three, it is fair to ask which clause of the parent-school contract authorises it.
Where the rules protect you, and most parents never find out
- Published fees are capped. Schools cannot charge above the approved amount on their KHDA Fees Fact Sheet. Ask for the Fact Sheet, not the marketing sheet.
- Unpaid fees must be handled with the parent, not the child. Where fees remain unpaid after the due date, the school must deal directly with the parent or legal guardian, and must do so sensitively and professionally, in a way that protects the student’s dignity, wellbeing, safety and access to learning. All communication must be addressed to the parent or guardian only.
- You have a route beyond the school. Start with the school’s internal complaints process, in writing. If that fails, the matter can be escalated to KHDA.
That second point deserves emphasis. If a child is being singled out, excluded from activities or used as the pressure point in a fee dispute, that is not simply harsh — it runs against the policy the school is licensed under.
The certificate that holds everything hostage
The policy states plainly that if outstanding fees are not settled, the Transfer Certificate will not be issued — and without it the next school generally cannot enrol your child. Settle at the point of transfer rather than after it. KHDA charges AED 120 for Transfer Certificate attestation.
One step families miss entirely: a child moving from a nursery or early childhood centre into school needs a valid Transfer or Withdrawal Certificate from the nursery too, so nursery fees need clearing well in advance of a September start. See our early years page for the rest of that transition.
Discounts and scholarships exist, and you have to ask
Published tuition is regulated, but reductions are at the school’s discretion and are rarely advertised prominently. Commonly available: sibling discounts, typically around 5–10% for a second child; corporate partnership discounts for employees of certain companies; early-bird re-enrolment discounts; and merit scholarships, usually at secondary level.
These vary school by school and none of them appear unless you raise them. Ask the admissions team what is available before you sign, not after. And read any founding or introductory discount carefully — our true cost page documents cases where a reduced rate applied for a fixed number of years and then reverted.
Waiting lists: how they really work
Waitlists are commonly processed first-come, first-served, but priority frequently goes to siblings of current students, children of staff, and children transferring from within the same school group. Some schools charge a waitlist registration fee. There is no guarantee of a place, and applying to three to five schools at once is normal practice rather than excessive.
If your children may end up at different schools because of waitlists, our two-school distance tool will show you whether that pairing is workable before you accept it.
Scope, honestly. This page summarises KHDA’s published Registration and Refund Policy and related guidance as we read it. It is not legal advice, the policy is revised, and the authoritative text is KHDA’s own document — read it before you rely on anything here, and raise disputes through the school first and KHDA second. If something on this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it publicly: hello@dubaischoolguide.com
The whole journey, in order
Most guides start at FS1 and stop at Year 13. A family with more than one child is never at only one stage, so every stage links to every other.
- The real cost