In this guide 7 sections
Find the right Dubai school fees fact sheet
Search for the school in the Knowledge and Human Development Authority’s directory and find the School Fees Fact Sheet for the year and curriculum you need. Read the school’s own fee schedule for the same academic year. The KHDA guide to fee fact sheets explains that the sheet brings together tuition and other charges. Check the heading for the campus, year group and academic year before copying any figure.
If your child is moving from a school that uses different year names, confirm placement with admissions. Two schools can use different labels for children of the same age. Make sure you are comparing the place the school can actually offer, rather than selecting a year group yourself from the fee table. If your family is arriving mid-year, get the joining term, payable amount and dates in writing. A quoted full-year tuition figure is not an invoice for a part-year place.
Check whether the fee table distinguishes approved tuition from the amount the school expects to charge after a discount. Write down both and label each. Ask whether a discount applies automatically, applies to new or returning families, or continues after the first year. If you plan to use a sibling, corporate or employer benefit, ask whether the benefits can be combined and when they are applied.
Finally, keep the fee fact sheet and the school’s written quote together. If they show different labels or amounts, identify the difference before making a budget decision. A VAT-inclusive amount can differ from the base fee shown on a sheet. Some schools show tuition alone and publish resources, exam costs or transport on another page. Build a single list for the child and the year you are pricing.
Compare school fees in Dubai for the same year group
KHDA announced a fee freeze for Dubai private schools for the 2026–27 academic year. Check the fact sheet for your campus and year group, and get a written quote for the tuition and any extras your household will pay. KHDA fee freeze announcement
The following examples use published 2026–27 Year 5 schedules checked on 7 November 2026. They are selected examples of UK-curriculum private school tuition, with different locations and individual terms. The figures do not estimate average school fees in Dubai or show what you would pay for an available place.
| School and campus | Published annual tuition | Published tuition instalments | What to check separately |
|---|---|---|---|
| International School of Creative Science, Nad Al Sheba | AED 45,034 | AED 18,014, 13,510 and 13,510 | Resource and other applicable fees, credited deposit, bus zone |
| Dubai British School Jumeirah Park | AED 71,950 after the discount shown on the fact sheet | AED 28,780, 21,585 and 21,585 | Uniform, transport, application payment and joining-term invoice |
| Repton School Dubai | AED 75,953 | AED 30,381, 22,786 and 22,786 | Current grade-specific fact sheet, inclusions and payment terms |
Read the published Year 5 examples
The Dubai British School Jumeirah Park Year 5 fact sheet shows approved tuition of AED 83,849 and a discount of AED 11,899, giving tuition of AED 71,950. Read the same rows for your shortlisted school. If your employer reimburses up to a fixed allowance, ask whether the school’s invoice will show the paid tuition separately from the extras.
What does Year 5 tuition cost?
Published Year 5 tuition at these three schools runs from AED 45,034 to AED 75,953 a year, before extras.
Annual tuition, AED, 2026–27. Uniform, transport and other extras are separate.
Data and assumptions
| School | Year |
|---|---|
| International School of Creative Science, Nad Al Sheba Termly: 18,014, 13,510 and 13,510 | 45,034 |
| Dubai British School, Jumeirah Park, after discount Termly: 28,780, 21,585 and 21,585 | 71,950 |
| Repton School Dubai Termly: 30,381, 22,786 and 22,786 | 75,953 |
- Dubai British School Jumeirah Park: approved tuition AED 83,849 less a discount of AED 11,899, as published on its fact sheet.
- Tuition only. Books, uniform, transport, application and other charges are separate and vary by school.
- Selected examples of UK-curriculum schools, not an average. Fees for a different year group or campus will differ.
Source: ISCS Nad Al Sheba fees · Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, after discount fees · Repton School Dubai fees · checked 8 Nov 2026
The listed annual fees for different British schools in Dubai can vary considerably. First decide which schools fit your child, work location and travel plan, then compare prices for their actual places. If you also consider American, IB or other international school options, compare the corresponding grade and the same academic period. An annual figure is helpful for household planning. A list of upcoming term invoices is what you need for cash flow. Use our UAE living costs guide to put term payments alongside your other household bills.
Keep an extra column for the following year group. The fee at the same school can change when a child moves up. That matters if you are comparing a multi-year job offer or will have two children in different phases. Use the currently published schedule as a guide and leave future fees as an item to recheck.
Separate mandatory charges from optional extras
List the tuition and the resources the child needs for their course. This may mean books, a device, specialist equipment or uniform. Ask which items tuition already covers, which you can source yourself and which need replacing as the child grows. Then list optional services, such as a bus, lunches, activities or trips. If the service is optional on paper but essential for your work schedule, include it in your household budget.
| Cost | Question to ask | How to record it |
|---|---|---|
| Application and assessment | What is due now and what happens if there is no place? | One row for each payable fee and its refund terms |
| Enrolment and re-enrolment | Will this payment reduce a later tuition invoice? | Due date plus the invoice where the credit appears |
| Books, device and uniform | What is included, required or already owned? | Itemised costs and a replacement allowance |
| School transport | Does the route serve the address and is a seat available? | Quote for the actual service and the full payment date |
| Exams, activities and trips | Which charges apply to this child and year group? | Required and optional lines with estimated dates |
| Additional support | Which services are included and which need a quote? | Written plan and itemised price for agreed provision |
At Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, the Year 5 sheet gives a uniform line from AED 0 to AED 2,000 and an optional transport line from AED 0 to AED 10,000. Those are published bands for that example. They are not your uniform bill or bus quote. The sheet lists books at AED 0 under required education supplies. Ask what your child needs and what a paid option covers before building a total.
Budget for transport and optional extras
A bus example shows why the home address matters. International School of Creative Science lists AED 6,500 for two-way annual transport in its listed Nad Al Sheba 2–4 and Nakheel Villas group. It lists AED 8,300 for its most expensive published zone and says places and routes depend on availability. That difference is AED 1,800 over the year, before any change to housing or the work commute. Ask for the exact stop, timing and invoice if the bus is essential.
Keep optional deposits and actual consumption separate. A canteen balance might be used up during the term, so adding the original top-up to a full year of estimated purchases could double count it. A termly bus payment and an annual bus payment can have the same total with different effects on your first month. Get the dates alongside the amounts.
Build a school payment calendar before you move
Use one row for each payment and add its due date, amount, whether it is credited or refundable, and who pays it. Start with the application date and follow through to the last term. If more than one child is moving, make one calendar per child and a combined view so you can see where payments fall together.
For a worked example, take the published AED 71,950 Year 5 tuition at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. The school lists AED 4,000 to reserve a new student’s place, credited to tuition, and an AED 525 application payment including VAT. If the AED 4,000 is credited against the published AED 28,780 first-term tuition, the remaining first-term tuition is AED 24,780. Tuition for the full year is still AED 71,950. With the application fee, the example subtotal is AED 72,475 before uniforms, transport and other applicable extras. Confirm the actual invoice, how the application fee is shown and all dates before relying on the example.
Check employer claims and refund terms
Next, check which fees you can claim from your employer. Ask for the annual cap per child, any eligible schools or year groups, what receipts you need and how quickly reimbursement is paid. A benefit paid after you submit a receipt can reduce the annual cost but still leave you with the full invoice to pay first. Put the school payment and employer repayment on separate dates in your calendar.
If you might leave Dubai, change schools or defer the start, read the current registration and refund policy before accepting a place. Ask what happens to each payment if you give notice before or after classes start. A deposit can be credited against tuition when a child enrols while carrying different refund terms if the child does not take the place. Ask for the distinction in writing.
Avoid paying several reservation fees simply because a shortlist has several schools. First confirm the place, year group and any remaining admission conditions for each option. Keep the deadlines visible and decide which fee you are prepared to commit. If the employer start date could change, check what the school can offer before committing to a non-refundable cost.
Put the cost of school in your Dubai household budget
Compare the school bill alongside rent and the work journey. A cheaper place can require longer paid transport or an extra adult trip twice a day. A more expensive home near the school might reduce travel but bring a larger first rent payment. Compare two specific addresses and two confirmed school costs instead of choosing a location from annual tuition alone.
For each option, total tuition, required extras and the optional services you would use. Subtract only allowances you have confirmed and can claim. Divide by twelve to see the monthly equivalent. Separately, add the exact payments due before your first salary and before reimbursement. Include any overlap with costs at your child’s current school, such as a notice period or a charge due before departure.
Test the budget against a change
Then run the comparison again with one likely change. Suppose the bus seat is unavailable, your child needs after-school care or your employer reimburses only tuition. Put the new expense and payment date in the budget. If it changes the decision, find out whether you can adjust the home search, start date or school choice before you sign a contract or pay a deposit.
Keep a brief note with the campus, curriculum, year group, school year, quote date and terms for each school. Before the next academic year, repeat the check for the new grade and any children joining. A named fee schedule gives you a starting point. The decision depends on the place you have been offered, what the child needs and the cost your household will pay. Our Dubai school admissions guide covers the application steps if you are still waiting for a place.
If two children attend different schools, put both sets of term dates on the same calendar. Include the earliest payment date for each bus or childcare service. That can reveal a month with two large invoices even if the yearly total looks manageable. Ask the employer whether an education allowance is separate for each child or shared across the household. Use our Dubai family move checklist to plan school dates alongside the other household steps.
Frequently asked questions
What are the average school fees in Dubai?
Published fees vary by school, campus, grade and academic year. The three Year 5 examples in this guide are individual fee schedules; a citywide average would need a defined sample, year group and fee basis. Compare the relevant KHDA fact sheets and ask each school to confirm what you would pay for your child.
Are Dubai private-school fees going up in 2026–27?
KHDA confirmed no increase in Dubai private-school fees for the 2026–27 academic year. Ask for the current School Fees Fact Sheet for your child’s grade and campus to see what is included and which additional charges apply. KHDA announcement · School Fees Fact Sheet FAQ
Are books, uniform and school transport included?
Some items may be included in tuition, while others are billed separately. Check the grade-specific fact sheet and ask for a quote for the services you plan to use.
Is a school registration deposit part of tuition?
A school may apply a registration payment as a credit to a later term invoice. Confirm how the credit is applied and what happens if the child does not start.
Can I compare British and other international school fees?
Yes, if you confirm the equivalent grade, campus and academic period. Compare annual tuition, required charges and the services your family will use under each option.
Can an employer’s education allowance cover the extras?
It depends on the employer’s policy. Ask which costs qualify, what proof is needed and whether the allowance is paid directly or reimbursed later.
