UAE school admission rules change parents must know for 2026-27

PARENTS in the UAE may need to plan as school admission rules are changing for the 2026-2027 academic year, reports the Gulf News.

On December 17, the Ministry of Education introduced a new official age cut-off for school admissions starting from the 2026-2027 academic year. The new cut-off date will be December 31 of the admission year, replacing the previous cut-off of August 31.

The change applies to all schools and kindergartens starting in August or September, while April-start schools will continue with the 31 March cut-off. Current students are not affected. 

Here’s everything parents need to know about the new age requirements and how they will impact new admissions.

What are the new age requirements?

Pre-K / Foundation Stage 1 (FS1) in British curriculum, Petite Section in French, or Pre-KG in other international curricula: 3 years old by 31 December of the admission year.

KG1 / FS2 in British curriculum, Moyenne Section in French, or KG1 in other curricula: 4 years old by 31 December.

KG2 / Year 1 in British curricula, Grande Section in French, or KG2 in other curricula: 5 years old by 31 December.

Grade 1 / Year 2 in British curricula, Cours Préparatoire in French, or Grade 1 in other curricula: 6 years old by 31 December.

When does the new cut-off date take effect?

The December 31 cut-off applies from the 2026-2027 academic year onwards.

Which schools are affected?

The change applies to all public and private schools, nurseries and early childhood centres in the UAE.

Schools starting in April will continue using March 31 as the cut-off date.

Does the new cut-off affect current students?

No. Students already enrolled will remain in their current grades, and their progression will not change.

How does this affect children previously ineligible due to birth dates?
Children born between September 1 and December 31 2021 who could not enrol in 2025-26 will now be eligible to join KG1 or KG2 in 2026-27.

Private schools may also assess a child’s readiness and available spaces before finalising placement.

Can children born between September 1 and December 31 enrol mid-year in 2025-26?

No, this applies to the following two cases: 

Students currently enrolled in schools: They will continue in their current grade and will not be allowed to move to a higher grade during Term 2. 

Children not enrolled in any school during the 2025-2026 academic year: They will not be allowed to enrol in schools during Term 2, even if they meet the new age of admission.

What if a child reaches the required age just after December 31?

Children must meet the age requirement by December 31 of the admission year.

Those who turn the required age after this date must wait for the next academic year. No exceptions will be made.

How does the cut-off apply to April-start schools?

Schools starting in April will continue using March 31 as the admission cut-off.

What about transfers between schools, curricula, or from abroad?
Placement for students transferring schools or curricula, or coming from overseas, will be determined by completed grade level and academic progression.

Admissions will follow approved grade-equivalency and placement procedures.

Key takeaways

New age cut-off: December 31 (from 2026-27).

Applies to all new admissions in schools starting August/September.

Current students unaffected.

Children must meet the age requirement by the cut-off; otherwise, they enrol next year.

April-start schools remain on the March 31 cut-off.

Parents planning admissions for the 2026-2027 school year should review their child’s eligibility and plan applications accordingly.