In this guide 8 sections
- Compare two published Abu Dhabi nursery schedules
- Check registration fees, deposits and refunds
- Budget for the hours that aren’t in tuition
- Compare the amount due before you arrive
- Ask for the fee schedule before choosing a place
- Compare a short day with an extended day
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
Compare two published Abu Dhabi nursery schedules
We checked these examples on 8 November 2026. Both are for five days a week across three terms in the 2026–27 academic year. The sessions have different start and finish times. Check the weekly timetable, including Friday arrangements, and the holiday calendar before relying on those headline hours.
| Published schedule | Listed daily session | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Annual tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simba Nursery, Al Nahyan | 8 am to 2 pm | AED 10,000 | AED 7,500 | AED 7,500 | AED 25,000 |
| Maplewood Nursery, Mohamed Bin Zayed City | 7.30 am to 2.30 pm | AED 10,920 | AED 8,190 | AED 8,190 | AED 27,300 |
See the Simba Nursery fee schedule and Maplewood Nursery fee schedule. These are provider prices for named options, not a representative range for Abu Dhabi. Check that the branch, child’s age group and dates match the quote you receive. Simba lists a 12.30 pm Friday finish. Confirm how that affects the hours in your written quote.
The listed annual difference is AED 2,300 for tuition alone. That does not tell you which option costs less for your household. If one setting covers more of your workday or is easier to reach, it might avoid extra care or a longer trip. If the difference in hours is time you won’t use, the longer session may give you little benefit. Work out what you will need to add to each option before you compare the totals.
Look at the cash due in the first term as well as the annual figure. Both providers list a larger first term instalment in these examples. Dividing the annual total by 12 can help you build a savings budget, but it doesn’t tell you what the nursery will take each month. Put each payment on its actual date alongside deposits, rent and the first salary.
Check registration fees, deposits and refunds
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge’s Early Education Institution Fees Policy applies to ADEK-licensed early education institutions. It sets a registration fee cap of 5% of the payable tuition and says the fee is deducted from the final fee payment. It also calls for published terms to explain any non-refundable fees and when refunds are available.
Ask the provider to show the registration charge and the corresponding credit in the payment schedule. This helps you distinguish money due now from a cost you would pay over and above the tuition. A website may describe a charge separately without explaining how the final invoice handles it. If the published numbers or wording are unclear, ask for the current approved fees and a written calculation for the exact schedule before paying.
Compare registration charges and credits
For example, Maplewood lists an AED 1,750 registration charge alongside several tuition packages. For the AED 27,300 schedule in the table, 5% is AED 1,365. The public figures do not explain how the listed registration charge relates to the payable tuition for that package or how the credit would appear. Ask for a quote that reconciles the figures. We’ve left the registration charge out of the comparison total because the provider’s summary does not establish how it would be billed for that schedule.
Simba’s enrolment page lists an AED 1,000 non-refundable registration fee separately. Ask how the nursery shows it on the invoice, whether it deducts it from the final fee and which terms apply if you cancel.
Ask what happens in three situations: you decline the place before starting, you change the start date, or you withdraw after your child attends. Check the notice deadline and how the nursery measures it. Ask when you would receive a refund and which charges it covers. Keep the answer with the offer so you can find it if the job or move date changes.
Budget for the hours that aren’t in tuition
Begin with your likely work schedule and journey, then mark the earliest time someone could drop off and the latest time someone could collect. Add the travel time from your workplace. If your hours will change during probation, ask the nursery how to change the session and from which date it would apply. A place that meets your first month’s needs might be difficult to use once you are working a full schedule.
Get a price for early drop-off, late collection and extra days if you might need them. Ask which options require advance notice and what happens if traffic makes you late. If one nursery offers an extended day and another uses a separate service, ask what the longer option includes. Check meals, snacks, nappies or other supplies, uniforms and transport in the same way. Some families may provide these themselves; other families need a regular service.
Price early drop-off and late collection
At Maplewood, the 2026–27 schedule gives examples of optional early drop-off priced by the day or term and lists a uniform starter pack separately. Use the actual number of days you need when comparing a term add-on with a daily option. For example, if you needed 12 early drop-offs at the listed AED 50 daily rate, that would be AED 600. The published five-day term price is AED 800. Ask whether ad hoc places are available on the days you need and whether the same hours apply. The cheaper arithmetic is only useful if you can book the service.
If you are comparing locations, use our best areas to live in Abu Dhabi guide alongside your own travel checks. Try the journey for the days and times you expect to use it, or ask someone familiar with the route to help you estimate it. Check drop-off access, bus availability and whether the bus serves the exact address. A provider’s published transport charge won’t tell you whether its route works for you.
Compare the amount due before you arrive
Use a simple table with four columns: when the payment is due, what it covers, whether it is credited, and what happens if you cancel. List tuition instalments separately from extras. Record any employer contribution and its payment date in another row. If it is reimbursement, you may still need the cash to pay the nursery first.
Suppose your first term tuition is AED 10,000 and a confirmed AED 1,000 registration payment is made separately and credited to the final instalment. Your initial outlay is AED 11,000 before extras; the credited amount should not also raise the annual tuition by AED 1,000. This is an illustration of the timing, not an invoice from either provider. Ask for the full payment schedule so the deposit and the final balance are both visible.
Check the number of weeks covered. If you start after term begins, ask for a written quote with the dates and whether any part is charged proportionately. If you need care during term breaks, ask which dates are included and which camps or extra sessions have separate fees. A term package may still leave several workdays for you to cover. Add those days to your budget while comparing providers.
Use our Abu Dhabi cost of living guide for the rest of the household budget. Include any overlap with care at home and what you would pay if your start date changed after registration. Our moving to Abu Dhabi guide can help you put those payments on the same timeline as housing and work.
Ask for the fee schedule before choosing a place
Tell each nursery the same facts: your child’s age, your intended first day, the number of days needed, the drop-off and pick-up times, and whether you need term-break care or transport. Ask for the fee schedule, terms and an itemised estimate. If a reply gives only a monthly equivalent, ask which months are billed, what is payable on registration and whether the estimate includes all the sessions you described.
Ask what happens if you want to switch from part-time to full-time or move between branches. Check whether availability or charges change and how much notice the nursery needs. If you expect a change after the first term, compare the cost of the likely schedule for the whole year as well as the first offer. Find out who can approve a change so you know where to ask if plans move after enrolment.
If you’ve been using childcare in the UK, US, Australia or Canada, you may be used to a different way of billing. Rebuild the comparison from the actual days of care and payment schedule. Avoid comparing a home-country monthly payment with a UAE term fee divided by 12 unless you have also checked the weeks, hours and included services. If the employer offers a childcare or education allowance, ask whether nursery is included and which evidence payroll needs.
If your child is near school-entry age, check whether you’re comparing a nursery place or an early years class at a school. The calendar, hours and later progression may be different. Our Abu Dhabi school fees guide covers school tuition separately. If the family is choosing between emirates, compare the Dubai nursery fees guide using the relevant provider schedule and local policy.
Compare a short day with an extended day
Here’s a way to test a schedule before committing. Imagine one setting quotes for five mornings and another for five full days. You work three days at a nearby office and two farther away. For each day, write down who would collect your child and what they would do if a meeting ran late. If the short package only works when someone can leave work early three days a week, ask whether those three sessions can be extended and get the price. If the longer schedule covers the trip on the longer commute days, you can compare that option without paying for hours you won’t use on other days.
Use the same approach if two adults share drop-off and collection or if your work pattern changes from week to week. Ask whether the nursery lets you vary your days, and what happens if its extra places are already full. Confirm when the nursery closes for staff training or holidays and check whether the same hours apply in shorter weeks. Write down where you can get backup care and include its price in the comparison. This gives you a better basis for choosing a package than a monthly figure on its own.
Once you have a workable timetable, review the payment and cancellation terms again. Keep the offer, schedule and any written explanation of credits together so you can compare the first invoice with what you agreed.
Frequently asked questions
How much are nursery fees in Abu Dhabi per month?
Some nurseries publish term or annual fees rather than a monthly bill. Ask for the schedule and divide annual costs by 12 only if you’re using the result to set aside money. Use the invoice dates to plan the amounts that will actually leave your account.
Does a registration payment come off tuition?
ADEK’s early education fee policy says registration fees are deducted from the final fee payment and capped at 5% of payable tuition. Ask the provider to show the amount and credit for your package in writing. Check which policy applies to the setting before assuming it follows the same process as a school.
Are Abu Dhabi nursery deposits refundable?
Ask which payment you’re being asked to make and what the written fee policy says about cancellation or withdrawal. A fee can be credited if your child attends and handled differently if you decline the place. Check deadlines before paying.
What extras should I put in my budget?
Check transport, uniforms, meals, early drop-off, late collection and cover during holidays. Include only the options you expect to use, and ask whether the nursery has space for them on the days you need.
Can I pay for fewer days or start partway through a term?
Ask about availability and fees for the exact days and start date. Some providers publish part-time options, but a reduced or part-term price depends on the terms of the place offered.
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